Saudi Gazette report

ALTHOUGH Saudis in general vehemently oppose child marriage, tribal norms that prevail in some sections of society still force underage girls to get married to elderly men.

Recently, the chief judge in a Yanbu court refused to solemnize a marriage of a 16-year-old girl and a 60-year-old man.

Citing the incident, social activists and experts have called for Shariah-based legislation to prevent this type of marriage and hand out deterrent penalties for violators. Speaking to Al-Riyadh newspaper, they said the consequences arising from child marriage could take a heavy toll on psychological health of society.

Dr. Hani Al-Ghamdi, a psychologist, stressed that young girls might not be fully aware of the marital relationship, its obligations and the intimacy between couples.

"Definitely, their physical and psychological well being could be influenced in a negative way by such marriages," he said.

“Though there is no specific age for marriage, a girl should be married off only after she finishes high school or around this age. It is wrong to make a girl under 18 to get married,” he said.

Sheikh Hajid Al-Muhammadi, a family counselor, defines minor as someone who cannot legally be responsible for his or her actions due to his mental and physical conditions.

"Islam orders parents to provide their children with a decent life and grant them full rights, including the right to choose their marital partners. Unfortunately, some families marry off their daughters to old men for money while some fear that their girls will miss the train of marriage if they do not get married at a very young age," said Al-Muhammadi.

Wafa Al-Tayeb, a women’s rights activist, notes that there are two groups: one supports underage marriage and believes that it protects the future of girls and guarantees them a better future. The second group is against underage marriage and believes that marriage is a shared responsibility between the husband and the wife and should only take place when both partners are ready biologically, psychologically and physically.

Too many risks

Dr. Ali Al-Asmari, a gynecologist, has warned against the medical and psychological risks of child marriage.

“An underage girl who gets married is susceptible to risky conditions such as hormone imbalances, which in turn lead to difficult delivery. Besides, underage wives are more vulnerable to miscarriage and molar pregnancy, which is a noncancerous benign tumor that develops in the uterus. She might also suffer life-threatening complications at birth, plus they are more prone to have postpartum depression and feeling isolated and introvert,” he explained.

Monirah Al-Mohaizeh, a media expert, described child marriage as a practice that contradicts both religious and humane values. She criticized families who marry off their little daughters to old men in the name of protection or for personal gains.

“I do not understand how a family could marry off their daughter to an old man and throw her life into an uncertain future. What happened to legal competency and maturity? Such marriage are simply sale transactions where old men pay money to get hold of young girls,” she said.