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Published image, Getty Images
From a demonstration condemning marriage under 18 in Lebanon
After the attack on him over a statement claiming that she is “against a law criminalizing underage marriage,” Lebanese singer Rami Ayachman “apologized to those who were injured and felt that this that he said “hurts a long struggle” as stated in a post on his Instagram page.
Ayyash anticipated the apology by “clarifying” the reasons for the apology, as he said he understood the matter better after reviewing activists from the “Ayyash Children’s Association” that Ayyash had previously founded and ‘other associations.
But Ayyash, despite what he understood from the case, still adheres to his opinion rejecting the criminalization of underage marriage. He said he does not encourage under-18 marriage, but refuses to criminalize because he believes that under-18 marriage “in many cases and in societies is unfortunately a reality, and seeing it as a crime will be a tool from which girls can be affected indirectly. ” According to him.
How did the controversy start?
The story began with the publication of an excerpt from an interview of journalist Jaafar Abdel Karim with Rami Ayyash as part of his Arabic program “Jafar Talk” on the German channel “Deutsche Welle” in its Arabic version.
Jaafar asked Ayyash if he was for or against enacting a law criminalizing underage marriage. Ayyash said it was “against criminalization” and that he “saw no objection to marrying a girl at the age of sixteen, for example”.
Ayyash added after the shocked broadcaster reacted that “with setting a minimum age for marriage” he suggested it be “16 or 17, but not the children.”
To justify, Ayyash said that “the marriage of girls has taken place since the time of religions”.
As soon as the video spread, the “beloved” singer, who was watched by large numbers of young people, adolescents and children in Arab countries, came under attack and condemnation , to the point of insulting and causing great controversy, especially in Lebanon, which is witnessing a continuous movement to stop the phenomenon.
Ayyash’s statement also became a source of ridicule and the exchange of “jokes” and sarcastic comments that the owners saw there was no laughing matter.
However, this sarcasm has not won over those who see the issue of child marriage, and the reality of the situation in Lebanon is more dangerous than becoming an object of joke and ridicule.
Ayyash later responded to his criticisms, trying to justify his statements, before later suppressing them, after further criticism was leveled at him.
Published image, Twitter
Ayyash later responded to his criticisms, trying to justify his statements, before later suppressing them, after further criticism was leveled at him.
Ayyash fans and those who agreed with what he said responded to this attack with many justifications, and some of them engaged in an exchange of insults and controversies with their attackers. .
Some of them felt that it was necessary to separate what they saw as a “difference of opinion” or “point of view” and “the appreciation of Ayyash’s artistic career”.
Why Ayyash’s statement sparked all this controversy?
This “opinion” on underage marriage is very widespread and is viewed by many, who do not see it as a problem, since Ayyash has not spoken of marrying an eight-year-old girl, for example,
They believe that there are girls and boys who can get married before they reach the age of eighteen, because they consider that those who have reached this age are no longer children, as has Ayyash says.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) defines child marriage as a “marriage under the age of eighteen” and works with governmental and non-governmental organizations to combat it as a “fundamental violation of human rights. ‘man’ according to UN laws and regulations.
Child marriage in Arab countries
UNICEF reports indicate that the age of marriage has increased slightly in some countries that suffer from this phenomenon, but this “slight improvement” within its economic level is higher than in others, unlike the circles poorer.
Fear of child marriage is increasing in war-torn countries such as Syria and Yemen, as well as in circles the Corona outbreak has made poorer and more needed.
In Lebanon, human rights groups are fighting to prevent child marriage, some sects of which gain religious and legal legitimacy, as the age of marriage is “legally” set at 14, but marriage at an older age. early is actually possible.
In recent years, a lot of news and stories have spread about child marriage and the psychological and physical abuse of child victims.
The suffering of the victims
Statistics indicate that more girls than boys fall victim to this phenomenon, and the decision to marry children is often based on religious beliefs or tribal customs.
The discourse on child marriage is often associated with a “poor rural” environment and a certain social group, in which the economic deficit is widespread and does not attach much importance to education.
Boys drop out of school at an early age and work mostly in manual jobs, and earn money, becoming “able to provide for a woman and their children”, from their perspective.
Poor families sometimes find their daughters in early marriage a “chance” to ease the burden of family life, but this extends to young girls.
In this context, most of the stories circulating about underage marriage revolve around it.
Responsibility of an “influencer”
Many may disagree with what Rami said and others may agree, but his influence transcends the boundaries of “personal opinion,” and renews the question on the need for a code of honor to adopted by influencers on social media, already before saying it.
Ramy Ayyash Mughn is reaching out to a generation of young people and children, who follow his news, attend his concerts, watch his interviews and his statements, and many of them see him as a success story and role model.
Rami Ayyash’s official Twitter page is followed by one million and 600 thousand followers and the same on Instagram, and his Facebook page is followed by three million and 200 thousand people.
This creates a kind of moral responsibility that the “star” assumes towards his followers, no less important and influential than the mainstream media.
Some celebrities take advantage of this notoriety in the service of a specific cause, and get involved in international organizations and associations active in human rights and social issues in most of them, because of their influence on their followers.
In the same vein, the monitoring of these public figures is intensifying and their movements and statements are monitored under a microscope. One word or phrase from an influential or beloved star can destroy the efforts that human rights activists have taken for a long time to raise awareness.
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