The cleric probably figured that if Muhammad could marry a six-year-old (and consummate the marriage when she was nine), what could be wrong with this? "Police halt wedding of boy, seven, to girl aged five," from The Guardian, October 31 (thanks to all who sent this in):
Police have halted a wedding between a seven-year-old boy and a five-year-old girl in Pakistan, arresting the Muslim cleric officiating at the ceremony and the children's parents.A police raid prevented the cleric from going ahead with the ceremony in Karachi, which was attended by 100 guests, said the deputy superintendent of police, Malik Mazhar.
Pakistani law forbids marriage below the age of 18, but some Muslim scholars deem it permissible if the bride and groom have reached puberty....
The surprising thing about this story is that the Paki police intervened. Probably because the boy was only 7, which made it one of the least offensive child marriages. If the boy was 57 and the girl was 5, it would have been okay.
Maybe the cleric should claim that their birth certificates are false, and that they are actually 18 and 20.
A perverted ceremony attended by at least 100 perverts..
How gauche!
Notice the incredible gulf between cultures.
"....but some Muslim scholars deem it permissible if the bride and groom have reached puberty...."
Those kids grow up fast in Pakistan. Imagine reaching puberty at age 5! Why do jihadis in the UK have links to the child porn industry? I think we all can answer that.
Police have halted a wedding between a seven-year-old boy and a five-year-old girl in Pakistan...
Pakistani law forbids marriage below the age of 18, but some Muslim scholars deem it permissible if the bride and groom have reached puberty....
...................................
What precocious children!
Seriously, though, I doubt that you'll find police breaking up such weddings much in the future if Pakistan continues on its current path.
More on this, according to the New York Post's reporter Andy Soltis (11/1/08):
"Pakistan law forbids marriage before age 18. But some Muslim scholars say it is permissible if the bride and groom have reached puberty.
Authorities said young girls are often given away in marriage to settle disputes or pay off debts."
According to the Deputy Superintendent of Police Malik Mazhar, "The girl was being married off by her father for about $6,000 to settle the battle between the two families."
"Police arrested a cleric before he could conduct the ceremony. They also arrested the boy's father, Muhammad Ismil.
The whereabouts of the girl's father was unclear.
The parents could face one month in jail and a $10 fine."
Ah, yes...the wisdom of Shari'a. Cite this event as a response to those who insist that Islam, enshrined by Shari'a, protects women and children within the ummah.
My only surprise is that marriage in Muslim Pakistan is illegal if one is under the age of eighteen. How un-Islamic! (Remember Khomeini's avowal that girls should be married and living with their husbands at the time they begin to menstruate.) But I'm certain that this Pakistani law is widely ignored.
Puberty by age five...must be something in the water...
Obama wants to throw money at poor countrys like this, to raise them up.
Whats a few more billion to us?