RIYADH – Marriage of minor girls is still continuing in the Kingdom despite a concerted campaign against such marriages through the social media. Fortunately, the number of such marriages has declined as a result of an increase in education and growing awareness in society. Marriage of minors still takes place in remote villages where uneducated and greedy parents marry off their minor girls to rich people to grab their dowry. About five years ago, the Justice Ministry has fixed the minimum age for the marriage of a girl at 15. Last year a court in Abu Aresh, Jazan, nullified the marriage of a 15-year-old girl with an 84-year-old man. The court also gave a warning to the girl's family that it should not repeat the mistake. According to a report carried by the local media, the elderly man approached the court when the girl refused to submit to his wishes and asked the girl to pay back SR90,000 he had paid her in dowry. Last week, Tabuk Governor Prince Fahd bin Sultan ordered the court to look into the marriage a 70-year-old man with a 16-year-old girl and stop marriage procedures until the court gives its verdict ensuring the girl's rights and protection. A general court in Sakaka refused to nullify the marriage of a 50-year-old man with a 13-year-old girl, saying the marriage had fulfilled all required conditions. The Sakaka court's decision raises several questions. Saudi courts have been following different precedents in dealing with the marriage of minors. Speaking about this social issue, Dr. Eissa Al-Ghaith, a Shoura member, said there are three distinct viewpoints with regard to fixing the minimum age for marriage. Some oppose marriage of girls below 18 and they are backed by international organizations. The second group is against fixing the minimum age saying it goes against the Shariah. Some parents exploit this view to make material benefits. "The third opinion, which I support, is that we should neither impose a ban on marriage of girls below 18 nor should we leave the matter to the discretion of people who the violate rights and honor of girls," he explained. Al-Jawhara Abdul Rahman Al-Ghassoun, a psychologist and HR trainer, spoke about the negative repercussions of such marriages would have on young girls, adding that it reflects a lack of awareness among parents as well as in society about children's rights. She said marriage of minors would not be successful as young girls below 18 would not be able to deal with their husbands properly. "They will lack intellectual and mental stability as well as peace and tranquility," she said. Hundreds of girls go through difficult times as a result of such marriages, she added. "Such girls are denied education and are forced to take big responsibilities as soon as they get married," Al-Ghassoun said. They are also forced to give birth at a very young age. "It's not reasonable to put the responsibility of taking care of a baby on another baby," she pointed out. Al-Ghassoun put the right age for the marriage of both young men and women at 22, when they will be fit for marriage biologically and psychologically. She emphasized the need to create public awareness against marriages of minors through mosques and schools. A matchmaker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said no one had requested him to find a bride of a specific age. "In my opinion, underage marriage has not become a phenomenon in the Kingdom," he said. However, he pointed out that some villagers prefer to marry their girls at early ages and consider divorce as a "blessing" to benefit from government assistance and dowry. Muna Hejazi, a sociologist at Prince Sultan Clinic for Humanitarian Services, warned parents against marrying their daughters aged below 18 and said such girls would not have necessary capabilities to lead a happy married life and they often go through lots of tension. She urged the media to mobilize public opinion against marriage of minors, adding that many such girls ended up their lives at counseling centers due to psychological problems. Family Safety intervention stops marriage of 8-yr-old DAMMAM — The child support line under the Family Safety Program (FSP) has succeeded in stopping the marriage of an eight-year-old girl to a man in his 30s recently, the Makkah daily reported. FSP officials did not specify where the marriage was to take place but said most child marriages usually take place in rural areas. The officials said they had foiled a number of child marriages last year, but they regretted that they were not able to stop the marriage of the eight-year-old girl's sister at a similar age a year ago because no one had informed them. The FSP has dedicated the toll free number 116111 to receive calls from children in need of support against all kinds of abuse. The officials responsible for the child support hot line said they were able to foil a number of underage marriages in 2016. In some of the cases the grooms were older than 50. According to the officials, the cases in which they intervened consisted of marriages of minor girls who were between 8 and 17. The officials said in most of the cases the girl was either coerced, had no idea what marriage was about or was not mature enough to take a decision. According to them, the main reason behind these marriages was money. They said the fathers of girls wanted to grab the dowries before the marriage contract was signed. The officials said the parents who approved the marriages of their minor girls to old men were not illiterate and some of them had secondary school education. They called for the implementation of strict laws to prevent the marriages of minors and said an age of consent should be fixed for the girls to marry. They said when they receive information from the child or any member of the family, they immediately inform the governorate or a branch of the Human Rights Commission in the area to intervene. The officials said in cases of abuse or physical violence, they refer the case to the Ministry of Labor and Social Development to take the necessary action. They vowed to continue providing assistance to minor girls with a view to stopping underage marriages, revoking marriage contracts already concluded and keep the children away from the family until a solution is reached.
