The Need To Legalize ‘Underage Marriages’
By Muhammed Fazl –March 22, 2017
Muhammed Fazl
“When a woman has scholarly inclinations, there is usually something wrong with her sexuality” – Friedrich Nietzsche
The last time I attended a panel discussion on ‘Constitutional Reforms’ where feminist movements were seen ‘moving mountains’ to change divine laws governing Muslim marriages and inheritance among other changes to the Constitution, I couldn’t help but notice such organizations having a sizeable number of staff consisting of members of the LGBTQ community, divorcees, single women etc. While I am of the opinion that what we do define who we are, I sincerely hope my contribution towards addressing a key part of the Muslim Personal Law (MPL) would be taken into serious consideration by all concerned.
As usual, Islam and Muslims of Sri Lanka have come under attack once again. This time, the enemies and their collaborators seem to have adopted a more genteel approach in infringing the rights of Muslims in order to suppress the influence the faith of peace wields. It is said that ‘when India sneezes, Sri Lanka catches a cold’. Coincidence it is or a well-orchestrated stratagem by a devious third party to ‘address’ the issue of MPL simultaneously in both countries, I do not know. But ring an alarm bell it does in the minds of the local Muslim community when attempts are being made to single out the Islamic faith and its adherents by invalidating centuries-old and divine laws while more virulent and present-and-clear dangers to society are ignored.
Times have changed for worse no doubt. fourteen years or eighteen, if a girl thinks it is her right and engages in a sexual relationship with the opposite sex, there is no further argument there…., ‘cos she is ready for marriage as well! The online activist that I am, to sum it all up, six months ago, I wrote the following on my personal Facebook page and that which was taken down since then by its administrators for reasons best known to them. Extracts of that post are as follows:-
“If a girl has reached the age of puberty, and if she is ready or willing to be married (and not coaxed into), no force on earth should have the power to act against her. End of the day, it is her life and her body. Feminist movements and rights organizations can scream as loud as they wish, but laws of nature does not pay no heed to their hypocrisy.
Living in an age where parents find it ‘cool’ allowing boyfriends to ‘pop the cherries’ of their teenage daughters’ (mostly in non-Muslim families), I somehow find it very hard to digest their hypocrisy when they oppose ‘underage’ (even if matured enough) girls wanting to get married to one man and have a family, secure life etc….
While my grandmother got married when she was 13 and had 11 healthy kids, my paternal aunt too got married when she was 13 and gave birth to 8 kids. They say age is just a number…. and it is. Needless to say, there exist kids aged between 14-16 who are much smarter than 18yr olds and who would even score a lot higher should they be tested for their IQ, general knowledge, common sense and their levels of maturity.
