A Muslim group in Turkey has set up a platform called “Turkey’s Platform of Family Assembly for Young Marriages” to defend child marriages and expressed their opposition to women’s rights advocates and international conventions, accusing them of “increasing prostitution and violence.”
In a written statement, the President of the Platform, Adem Çevik, said that “to prohibit early marriages is to fight against Allah” and added: “One who is smart does not fight against sunnetullah [Allah’s order].”
Referring to Ottoman Sultan Mehmet Mohammed, whom Turks call “the Conqueror” and who invaded Constantinople (Istanbul) in 1453, Çevik said:
“The Conqueror Sultan Mehmet, one of the founders of our country, is always shown as an example and we have been raised with statements such as ‘My daughter, you are old enough to give birth to a Conqueror’ or “My son, you are the same age when the Sultan Conqueror ascended the throne.'”
He continued: “When our grandfathers were at around the age of 14, they protected our homeland, sacrificing their lives and got martyred in order to protect their families during the occupation of our country, during the [1915-16] war in Dardanelles, in the war of liberation and during the occupation of our country on July 15 [2016 coup attempt]. Our state has the Ministry of Youth, and our nation has a youth festival [on May 19], but there is no concept of youth in our laws. Those under the age of 18 are seen as ‘children’. Isn’t it an eclipse of conscience to expect responsibility for our families and for our state from our young people to whom we do not give responsibility by marrying them off young?”
Çevik went on to say that “young marriages were banned in 2002 by violating the laws of Allah.” He continued:
“The punishment of [early marriages] and the treatment of young fathers as ‘rapists’ as of June 28, 2014 is just an eclipse of reason. To punish young marriages is to fight against fitra [an Islamic concept which means the original state in which humans are created by Allah] and against Allah. One who is smart does not fight against Sunnatullah [Allah’s order]. Those who prohibit young marriages by launching a war against fitra threaten our national security and future by serving the immoral and sexless community projects with no families supported by global evil forces. They also contribute to an increase of sexual perverts. Our president [Recep Tayyip Erdogan] complains of late marriage, but does not encourage young marriage; instead, he punishes them.”
Çevik targeted women’s rights advocates struggling for gender equality.
“The operation under the guise of gender equality is an operation to turn [our nation] into homosexuals. The fight launched under the mask of protecting children from abuse, and women from violence and discrimination increases prostitution and violence.”
Cevik also opposed international women’s and children’s rights conventions such as the Council of Europe Convention on Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, also known as “the Lanzarote Convention”, the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, monitored by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), and the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence, also known as the Istanbul Convention. He claimed that such conventions “promote prostitution”:
“Slandering those who marry young and those who set up a family at the age of 14 is the biggest persecution against our children and young mothers and fathers by the state,” he said.
“While young marriage is prohibited with the Istanbul Convention, CEDAW and the Lanzarote Convention and so on, prostitution is encouraged. Honorable people should be just as brave as the dishonorable. These actions constitute the heaviest violence against our women and children.”
Professor Muttalip Kutluk Özgüven of Istanbul Aydın University made a similar statement in defense of child pregnancies in May. Özgüven argued in a television program that girls between the ages of 12 and 17 “have excellent bodies” and “are in the ideal time to give birth.”
Scientists and sane human rights advocates, however, are in full agreement that child marriage has devastating consequences on girls’ health, and those who are victims of child marriage are deprived of their fundamental rights to health, education and safety. According to the organization “Girls, Not Brides”:
Child marriage is any formal marriage or informal union where one or both of the parties are under 18 years of age. Each year, 12 million girls are married before the age of 18. That is 23 girls every minute. Nearly 1 every 3 seconds.
Child brides are neither physically nor emotionally ready to become wives and mothers. They face more risks of experiencing dangerous complications in pregnancy and childbirth, contracting HIV/AIDS and suffering domestic violence. With little access to education and economic opportunities, they and their families are more likely to live in poverty.
According to the United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF),
The legal age of marriage in Turkey is 18 and children can marry at the age of 17 with the consent of their parents or legal guardians. Children at the age of 16 can also marry, with special permission from the courts ‘under exceptional circumstances and on vital grounds.’
Despite the rising average age of marriage, child marriage remains an on-going challenge in Turkey and reflects a pattern of gender inequality that reinforces stereotypical roles for girls and curtails their education, compromises their health, and exposes them to the risk of violence and poverty.
Child marriage and child pregnancies are still major problems across Turkey. According to the 2018 data by Turkey’s Statistics Institute (TUIK), 167 children below the age of 15 gave birth and 11,636 children in the 15-17 age group became mothers.
Then why does the newly established “Family Platform” in Turkey so passionately advocate for child marriages and see its prohibition as “a war against Allah”?
Islamic tradition records that Muhammad, the founder of Islam, married Aisha when she was six and consummated his marriage with her when she was nine. At the time of the “consummation,” he was 54 years old.
Similarly, Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second caliph of Islam, married Umm Kulthum bint Ali, granddaughter of Muhammad and the daughter of Caliph Ali, when she was between 10 and 12 years old and he was around 47.
Islamic scriptures also clearly advocate the practice, which has become a long-lasting tradition in many Muslim communities.
As the “Girls, Not Brides” organization states, “child brides can be found in every region in the world, from the Middle East to Latin America, South Asia to Europe.” However, trying to put an end to child marriages is doubly difficult in Muslim communities, because Islamic theology and law openly encourage the practice.
That’s why a political system or culture shaped by Islamic theology systematically makes children and women suffer by sanctioning child marriages, abuse and violence. Those in the West who are so clueless as to call critics of Islam “Islamophobes” would thus be well-advised to try thinking about what kind of a culture Islamic sharia law universally creates for young girls and women.
Uzay Bulut is a Turkish journalist and political analyst formerly based in Ankara.
Steve says
What are the odds that Adem Çevik is sexually excited by 12 year old girls?
roberta says
I’d guess he is probably excited by young boys also. It seems to be a part of their religion and culture.
mortimer says
Mohammed wanted to marry a baby, but he died (or was assassinated) before he could do so.
roberta says
I dont recall ever reading about that one. But it is really no surprise.
gravenimage says
Roberta, Mortimer is correct–this is from the Sirat Rasul Allah by Ibn Ishak.
roberta says
(Suhayli, ii.79: In the riwaya of Yunus I.I recorded that the apostle saw her (Ummu’l-Fadl) when she was baby crawling before him and said, ‘If she grows up and I am still alive I will marry her.’ But he died before she grew up and Sufyan b. al-Aswad b. Abdu’l-Asad al-Makhzumi married her and she bore him Rizq and Lubaba….(ref.10, p. 311)
Found it. It seems as if mohammed was going to let the baby at least grow into a child. That being worth nothing, and still pedophilia. Doesnt take away that he was apparently aroused by a baby.
No surprise.
Ram Krishna says
It is legal in many Muslim countries – Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Yemen etc. – for grown men to marry 8 and 9 year old girls. Eighty (80) year old Ayatollah Khomeini married 9 year old child.
E T says
There is no childhood in the Religion of perverts, just many manic, Inadequate Muslim monsters.
elee says
Where is your anger libbers? Oh right, you’re too busy spiting western men for opening doors for you, that’s the real oppression. Or something……
gravenimage says
I believe in equal rights for women and I condemn pedophilia.
And by the way, I think that men opening doors for women is a lovely custom, but I certainly don’t insist on it.
James Lincoln says
gravenimage,
I’m old school, soon to be completely extinct. I still open doors for women…
mortimer says
Islamic primary texts have no shame about Mohammed’s pedophilia:
-No less than 20 Islamic sources—such as the hadiths of Ahmad bin Hanbal—relay that Muhammad used to suck on the tongues of boys and girls”
-A hadith relayed by Abu Hurreira (deemed an extremely reliable narrator), where Muhammad sucked on the tongues of his cousin (and future caliph) Ali’s two boys, Hassan and Hussein.
-Musnad of Ibn Hanbal: “Muhammad would not sleep until he sucked the tongue of his daughter Fatima and nuzzled his face in her bosom.”
wsieruk@yahoo.com says
A jihadwatch.org article explains it well where it reads Islamic tradition records that Muhammad consummated his marriage with (i.e., raped) Aisha when she was nine, and the resultant fact that child marriage is accepted in wide swaths of the Islamic world. Child marriage has abundant attestation in Islamic tradition and law.”.
Male Muslim marriage of an adult man to a young girl who is really only a child of common in the world of Islam. One of the “reasons” for this female child abuse in Islam is because of the corrupt and perverse wickedness in the hearts of men. This is seen and described in the Bible with reads “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9. [N.K.J.V.]
Furthermore, another “reason” girl/child marriages occur with middle aged and even old men is because the founder and prophet of Islam Muhammad married a child. Muslims throughout history as well as in current times actually view Muhammad as a “perfect man” and a “great example for them to follow.”
This well might prove the old saying to be true .The saying is that “Evil is always looking for an excuse.”
It’s also wise to remember prophet Muhammad did likewise engaged in brutal, ruthless murderous warfare. As do Muslim today such as the jihadist Muslim of ISIS, al Qaeda, Hezbollah Hamas and so forth. Many that old saying, just sited above, also explains the excuse for Muslim terrorism in the world today.
Jesus Himself Taught “By their fruits you will know them.” Matthew 7:20. Which might explain the vile child “marriage” of Muhammad and his violent and deadly behavior .Likewise also explains the twenty- first century Muslims who in child marriages and blood and murderous violence of Islam .As they see the prophet Muhammad d as their example of who to follow.
With all this about the fruits of Islam along with fruits history reveals about the life of the prophet of Islam, Muhammad .It thus further appropriate to make known that it might be in keeping with teaching of Jesus that Muhammad could well have been an actual prophet . Nevertheless the very most important thing to understand is the Muhammad was not a prophet send by God . Instead Muhammad was a lying deceptive false prophet send by Satan to start a false religion to lead many people astray.
For Jesus taught “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” Matthew 7:15.
Miguel Ángel says
Thank u v much for ur comment.. I clearly am not as knowledgeable as a lot of folks as yourself on this site. I am very new to this. But your comment explains the depths of this evil; personally speaking I have perceived islam as purest evil & satanic for some years but without the equivalent as you put it. Additionally I had this view since 00s. In 2012 I travelled to turkey on holiday (4 females) . The experience cannot be comprehended without triggering me. The police took advantage of us & used threats and force after an earlier theft and sexual assault . This religion of peace is a mastermind of the devil himself. Appreciate u comments & all who contribute. God bless from Scotland
James Lincoln says
Miguel Ángel,
Very sorry to hear about the horrific experience that you had experienced while traveling to Turkey.
Welcome to the discussion, and God bless…
gravenimage says
Miguel, *so sorry* this happened to you and your friends. I wish I could say I am surprised, though.
David says
So come on all sane people, do not go to, give money to these sad, sadistic lands.
gravenimage says
Fine post, wsieruk.
Honest Ali says
A religion founded by a pedophile, is going to insist on pedophilia.
Walter Sieruk says
The Islamic practice of an adult male Muslim having a marriage with a little girl who is only a child is clearly seen by most Westerners as a blatant action of child abuse of the vilest sort.
Nevertheless this heinous Islam tradition is accepted as “normal “in most of the Islamic world. Therefore, this may serve as an example of how the influence of Islam is able to warp the cogitation of the human mind to the extent that a person who is a Muslim might not be able to understand the obvious difference between right and wrong.
Such an awful thing as not having the discerning mental power to seethe clear difference is described in the Bible. For in Isaiah 5:20. “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil…” [N.K.J.V.]
Ren says
Muslims are apologists of pedophilia. I wonder why…
tim gallagher says
Yes, anything to do with civilising and improving human life, such as putting an end to paedophilia, or honour killings or calls for Muslims to go out and kill non-Muslims, is against allah. What a disgusting version of what god might be like islam presents. allah sounds far more like satan than what god might be like. If God really is like this vile creation allah, then such a god should definitely not be given any honour whatsoever and should not be followed by any human being. Islam has a truly disgusting, inhumane and hate-filled version of what god is like.
I love Iblis says
+1 You are so right, Tim Gallagher. About if the God is like this allah, we must fight against him, I agree with you. However, I still do not think there is such a god like sadistic allah. Even when I look at the universe, I can see that islam is a lie. The universe could not be created for a pedophilia, terrorist, misogynist, greedy and dishonest named as “muhammad”. Especially when I look at space and the sky, it is so beautiful to watch the space and the sky that I understand that the sadistic religion from the desert called islam has nothing to do with our beautiful universe. I reach the same result when I look at the sweetness and beauty of animals. I think the universe we live in is a beautiful place. But if we save this beautiful universe from the sadistic ideology named islam, I think the universe will be a better place.
tim gallagher says
Very well said, I love Iblis. I don’t believe that the revolting version of god, allah, is what god is like. I am a Christian, so I believe in the loving, gentle God of Christianity and the high ideals of behaviour that Christianity tells us to aim for. I don’t live up to the high ideals quite often, but they are what I aim for. But if this evil creature that Muhammad made up, allah, is the way that god actually is, then such a vile god is certainly not a creature to be honoured or followed. I certainly agree with you that Islam is sadistic and evil and the world would surely be a far better place without islam poisoning it. Maybe there is no god at all (I guess it is possible), but, one thing is for sure, the world would be a better place without Islam in it. Islam has been a blight on the human race.
gravenimage says
Turkey: “Banning Early Marriages is Fighting Against Allah”
………………
This does not surprise–there is nothing as Islamic as raping children. The “Prophet” himself “married” a child at six and began raping her when she was nine.
Thanks to Uzay Bulut for this expose.