Nujood Ali, Child Bride & Divorced at 10

In Yemen a country of 23 million people they have a law that sets the age of consent at 15, meaning they can legally marry. Too young I should say, but as if that is not anomalous enough tribal customs and interpretations of Islam often sees ignorant people trumping the lame law of consent.

In Sana, Yemen a little girl aged 10 named Nujood Ali who is so small that she probably will not enjoy everything Disneyland has to offer unable to meet the height requirements in some of the rides at age 10 was already married and divorced. A child married off by his unemployed father, Ali Mohammed Ahdal, who himself has two wives and 16 children to a man 3 times her senior. Nujood’s family moved to the city of Sana only to find misery and hardship and to “take care” of her daughter arranged the marriage to a pervert errr man or moron (moron is a more likely description) Faez Ali Thamer, a thirty something motorcycle deliveryman from his native province, Hajja.

Nujood Ali is still a child and like any other child loves playing hide-and-seek and tug-of-war with her friends and siblings.

Unable to bear the physical and sexual abuse she asked her parents for help in divorcing her husband but fell on deaf ears. Luckily her aunt secretly gave her fare money to go to the city and thus begun her journey to free herself from the clutches of medieval tribal perverted culture. She knew the consequence of divorce might mean being harmed by her relatives for the “shame” she will bring to their family but not enough to intimidate her to do what is right and just.

Luckily for her Nasser a leading human rights lawyer volunteered to represent her for free and a sympathetic judge heard the case and divorce was granted. Nasser was so outraged at Nujood Ali's plight that she called on the press inspired by her courage. The news spread around the world where donors poured in to help Nujood and probably save her from harm if it did not become a celebrated case.

While Nujood’s father and husband was arrested and jailed initially there is no law in Yemen that penalize what is considered legalized pedophilia in most of the civilized world.

End of story and Nujood Ali can go back to being a child and pursue her dreams of becoming a lawyer but it just does not end there. Something so nasty and revolting ensued since there is no provision in Yemeni law that provides for prosecution on sexual abuse charges within a marriage. the husband and father was free as a bird of prey. To add insult to injury and to further highlight their criminal perversion Thamer demanded $250, the equivalent of four months' salary for a poor Yemeni, to agree to a divorce. Now how sick is that instead of paying for his crimes he gets paid instead and one of the lawyers has to dole out the cash for the “wronged” pervert.

This is from a pervert who lied through his teeth that he was not aware that Nujood was that small, yeah like does he expects a full grown woman at age 10? When he bought 3 dresses did he not notice this was a child and spending $20 for a wedding ring and reception for 40 people surely gave him quite a profit when he demanded $250….. now that is not just disgusting that is a freaking barbaric monstrosity of the feudal tribal medieval past that haunts Yemen society to this day.

Source of article:

Yemen child bride Nujood Ali gets divorce

CNN coverage on youtube

Update: 3/28/09

Married at 9, divorced at 10: Girl's memoir

Publishers have plans to release the book, as told to and written by French journalist Delphine Minoui, in 19 languages after it first appeared in France last year.

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