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February 2, 2010

The Religion Of Romance

There is nothing like a Sharia winter-spring fling to warm the cockles of an old Saudi's heart; love amid the sand and wrinkles so to speak. It sure beats jump starting the old family goat.


A 12-year-old Saudi girl has unexpectedly given up her petition for divorce from an 80-year-old man her father forced her to marry in exchange for a dowry.

Despite support from human rights lawyers and child welfare advocates, the girl and her mother, who originally sought the divorce, withdrew the case on Monday in a court in Buraidah, in Al-Qasim province, Saudi newspapers said on Tuesday.

The girl told the court that her marriage to the man was done with her agreement, Okaz newspaper reported.

According to reports, the girl's father, who is separated from her mother, arranged her marriage to the 80-year-old in exchange for a dowry payment of 85,000 riyals ($25,450).

[...]Saudi Arabia has no law against child marriage, and clerics and religious judges justify the practice based on Islamic and Saudi tradition.

I wonder if Mohammed was actually born in the mountains of West Virginia; it would explain a lot.

The girl is writing a book about her experience; it will be called, "Bride of Viagra-stein."

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sig... I guess I'm just a romantic. I'm cheering for these kids to make it.

I suggest a traditional Saudi wedding, an exuberant wedding feast, and a festive cliterectomy.

Just call me an old softy.

Anonymous said...

What a noble and unselfish culture.

Subvet said...

I'd read she was originally going for divorce on the grounds of marital rape.

But that got dropped once she realized the evidence wouldn't stand up in court (or anywhere else).

Anonymous said...

Clearly insufficient evidence.

Unknown said...

Subvet...subvet...subvet...wouldn'tstand up in court. I wish I'd a thought of that one!

Opus #6 said...

Isn't it spelled Clitorectomy? Sorry to nit pick.

Anonymous said...

Ope, I defer to you on all girl issues.

Anonymous said...

$25,450, eh?

Do they finance?

Reminds me of that old saying: I got a pickup truck for my wife - best trade I ever made!

I have trouble deciding which is worse. A country where a 80 year old can marry a 12 year old (if the price is right) or a country were if a 50 year old is accused of marrying a 16 year old the entire community gets raided by state and federal agents and all of the children are removed from the custody of their families and placed in the "loving hands" of the state?

Just sayin'...

LL said...

I've married off two daughters. In neither case did I receive a dowry. Obviously I should have married them off when they were pre-pubescent and then to a Saudi octogenarian.

Silly me.

Islam is clearly "God's plan for the elderly man" who requires a child to "get it up". In the US we call it child molestation, but the Muslims would say we don't understand the will of God.

Maybe the 80 year-old is simply trying to get up on one of the 70 virgins he's promised - earlier than later?

Truly a disgusting culture.

Opus #6 said...

LL, isn't it 72 virgins? Ooops. There I go again....

Anonymous said...

Ope, I believe it's a 72 year-old virgin.

sig94 said...

Opus said "Clitorectomy"
*blush*

sig94 said...

If clitorectomies are outlawed, then only outlaws will have clitorectomies.

Rhod said...

Boy, am I emabarrased by all this sex talk.