Muslim mosque leaders agree to marry girl of 12

British Muslim mosque leaders are agreeing to carry out secret marriages with child brides as young as 12 in the UK, it emerged today.

In an undercover investigation, a Shi'te mosque leader agreed to marry a 12-year-old girl so long as she was a willing participant.

A Sunday Times journalist visited the Husaini Islamic Centre in Peterborough - the 'first Shi'te mosque in the whole of Europe' - posing as the father of a 12-year-old girl.

?According to the newspaper, the reporter was told by Imam Mohamed Kassamali that 'under sharia [Islamic law] there is no problem' in marrying a 12-year-old.

But while he declared Islamic Law dictated a girl should see 'her first sign of puberty at the house of her husband', he admitted they would all get in to trouble if she went to police saying she was forced into the marriage.

He told the parents he would need to meet the bride and groom to be sure they were happy to go ahead with the marriage and urged them to delay having intimate relations until they were older.

When approached by the newspaper he insisted he would only have carried out the ceremony if it was allowed under British law and if both parties had not been coerced into the marriage.

Campaigners argue that children can't decide whether they want to be married (posed by model)

But another retired Imam, Abdul Haque, who worships at the Shoreditch Mosque in east London, agreed to carry out the ceremony on the condition the parents kept it a secret from the authorities.

The Imam urged the undercover reporter to lie about the marriage and keep it a secret.
Haque said: 'Tell people it is an engagement but it will be a marriage.

'In Islam, once the girl reaches puberty the father has the right, the parents have the right, but under the laws of this country if the girl complains and says her marriage has been arranged and she wasn't of marriageable age, then the person who performed the marriage will be jailed as well as the mother and father.'

He then warned: 'Nobody should know about this and the girl must not complain... If she talks in school they will take the girl, social workers will take her and afterwards you and I will be in trouble.'
The current British law allows for Imans to carry out religious marriage ceremonies of consenting brides and grooms aged under 16 so long as they don't have sex until they are 16.

Under Sharia law both parties must to consent to the marriage and they can then live as man and wife and have sex irrespective of age.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2200555/The-British-child-brides-Muslim-mosque-leaders-agree-marry-girl-12--long-parents-dont-tell-anyone.html#ixzz25zJ3jjUJ

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Reply 1

username945663

How old was the "husband"?

Skimmed the article couldn't find it =p

If I somehow missed it, sorry.

Edit: Btw OP how'd you manage 10 warning points with 26 posts?

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 2

username945663

'In Islam, once the girl reaches puberty the father has the right, the parents have the right, but under the laws of this country if the girl complains and says her marriage has been arranged and she wasn't of marriageable age, then the person who performed the marriage will be jailed as well as the mother and father.'

Imam Abdul Haque should also know the girl has the right to object to the marriage and not be forced into it>.<

Reply 3

Indo-Chinese Food

Original post by IdeasForLife

'In Islam, once the girl reaches puberty the father has the right, the parents have th

e right, but under the laws of this country if the girl complains and says her marriage has been arranged and she wasn't of marriageable age, then the person who performed the marriage will be jailed as well as the mother and father.'

Imam Abdul Haque should also know the girl has the right to object to the marriage and not be forced into it>.<

as oppossed to a 12 year old girl being of mature enough mind to decide to marry a 40 year old man? as if this is any better

Reply 4

anonstudent1

At least shes not 6

funny how not one person who negged bothered to reply.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 5

Marble Madness

Original post by IdeasForLife

Absolutely horrible, as though a girl of 12 is able to say no, especially in a culture and society where women are treated as sub human.

Reply 6

username945663

Original post by Indo-Chinese Food

as oppossed to a 12 year old girl being of mature enough mind to decide to marry a 40 year old man? as if this is any better

I'm just pointing out women in general have the right to refuse to marry and that this guy as an ex-Imam should know that.

Did the article say she was to marry a 40 year old man then?

Original post by IdeasForLife

I'm just pointing out women in general have the right to refuse to marry and that this guy as an ex-Imam should know that.

Did the article say she was to marry a 40 year old man then?

there is a defference betewwn a grown women and a 12 y/o girl - particulalry where the father and here imam is telling her what to do.

it doesnt mention a 40 y/o man, i was stating that islamic marriage laws allow for this sort of marriage, which non islamic laws here do not, not particualrly relating to this story, but islamic history as you know features many high profile cases of 40 year old men marrying girls younger than 12.

Reply 9

prog2djent

Original post by IdeasForLife

Gotcha, under The Islamic Shari'ah she has no right to object.

^^

sauce?

When 10 years old are up the duff drunk, into drugs, smoking and slagging it out with miniskirts, tanning and OTT makeup then this is just child's play in comparison.

Reply 12

gagaslilmonsteruk

I don't see why the mosque cannot respect our laws and not marry anybody under the age of 16 (the legal age to marry with parents permission, if not then 18).

Reply 13

jack923

Islam clearly says:

the parents must agree!
The both bride and groom should see each other and they must agree as well!!

No mention of force at all!!!

I'm a Muslim and most of the marriages I have witnessed(mannnyy) none were forced! Mostly depends on the girl if she agrees that's it!

But I have witnessed cases were the parents forced the girl or guy not to marry! This probably due to background of the boy or the girl!

This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

Reply 14

Steevee

Good ol' Islam.

People ask why I have a problem with religion.

To make it nice and clear, it's **** like this.

Reply 15

Iqbal007

Original post by gagaslilmonsteruk

I don't see why the mosque cannot respect our laws and not marry anybody under the age of 16 (the legal age to marry with parents permission, if not then 18).

Doesn't say anything about a British mosque dictating anything, all it talks about is an ambigious person claiming to be a retired imam in the UK. The other relates to a shi'ite Imam from another country, whos denomination makes up less than 10% of the worlds Muslim population, so its hardly relevant.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 16

jack923

Do not judge Islam from an imams prospective or some one!!

Islam is massive 2bn followers! Includes big range of different countries, cultures and backgrounds!! Includes different branches of Islam that each follow their own way out of Islam in some cases!!!

doesn't make sense when people stereotype Islam from some ones prospective or ideas!

When people make mistakes!! What ls islams fault init?

On the other hand, look at the advantages of this kind of marriage lol :

It saves the girl from getting pregnant at early ages as 13-14(which there are many cases nowadays) that they end up losing their lives no education bla bla and the child as well! the child will grow up mostly without one of the parents in most cases ( rubbish life for the child) or in social care were they will end up being a drug addicted And etc.... Moreover it decreases the murder of millions of babys(abortion) which is happening now!!

whereas if she was married and had that child; the child wud have a very warm life surrounded by love and support from the family; and will end having a successful life!

ps i 100% don't agree with forced marriage or at that young age!! I actually believe that marriage should be between the age of 20-25 were people are more grown up mentally( more life experience) plus pps wud more prepared financially and etc ( this what I'm planning to do lol xDD )

This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

Reply 17

Dirac Delta Function

Sunnis being hypocrites as usual. I knew they would try to pawn this off as "oh they're Shia, nothing to do with us".

The Sunni rules on marriage are exactly the same! Child marriages are common in Sunni countries. You readily acknowledge Aisha was married at age nine!

hypocrites.

Reply 18

Iqbal007

Original post by Dirac Delta Function

Well i'm not exactly a Sunni.....I was pointing out in regards with some things including some parts in marriage there are different opinions, even within those groups even more different opinions. But at the end of it, both the so called "retired imam" and the "shi'ite imam" are basically also forgetting times have changed since Aisha, children aren't the same so it would break rules. Not to mention, not sure how it is with Shia, about following the law of the land.

And on top of that there are so many flaws with the story.....
1) who is this "retired imam" who they happened to find at a mosque, which mosque was an "Imam" at, why isn't he still an "Imam", credentials, etc
2)why not actually talk to the actual Imam of the mosque or other mosques
3)what "British Mosque leaders" they got told by a ambigious "retired imam" of his view.....one guy in the whole of the uk, who isn't a leader of any Mosque....and they try to use a Imam from another countries viewpoints on the matter, its also possible that his words were mistranslated on purpose
4) And how "Under sharia (Islamic law) there is no problem" even though they are in the UK so Muslims have to abide by law of the land so there are issues
5) Then theres the issue of cohersion which he mentions later on....

didn't mean the rest for you though...the original story is from Sundays time, but I got to pay :frown: