Mujahid brave to push for ban on child marriages

The minister in charge of Islamic affairs, Mujahid Yusof Rawa, is a brave Muslim to dare to stand up for children and prevent them from being exploited.

In telling parliament that the government is developing standard operating procedures for shariah courts, he has gone against the accepted belief that Muslim children can marry before reaching puberty.

Mujahid’s remarks have drawn ire from PAS and its vice-president, Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah, who say child marriages are allowed in Islam.

Many Malaysians have condemned child marriages and critics are horrified that PAS, which champions child marriages, rarely mentions the physical and mental effects a child marriage has on the young child bride.

Instead, the PAS hierarchy tries to justify the marriage of children by saying that the Orang Asal allow it.

Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man says, “For instance, it is the culture of the Orang Asal to marry at the age of 16 or 17.”

Why can’t these men see that child marriages, be it in the Muslim community, the Orang Asal or among estate workers in Negeri Sembilan, are wrong.

Girls who are married to much older, promiscuous men, risk contracting sexually-transmitted diseases (STD) and HIV/AIDS from husbands who also have sex outside of the marital home.

There is another justification, which many ulamas like to use; they claim child marriages prevent illegitimate children. Don’t they realise that forcing young children and teenagers to marry does nothing to cure lust?

Do the leaders of PAS realise many girls suffer abuse when they refuse sex? When these young girls become pregnant, because few men practise birth control (as many Muslims believe that to have many children means the couple is blessed), they risk their health and suffer pregnancy-related mortality?

Some years ago, then chief minister of Melaka, Ali Rustam, said the state government under his administration would allow male students below 18 and female students below 16 to marry; however, under the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act, marriage is allowed only for those 18 years and above.

Ali also said marriages for Muslims below the current minimum age of 16 for females and 18 for males would be allowed, with the permission of parents and religious courts.

Concerned Malaysians ask why would normal, responsible parents allow the state to make decisions over their child.

Ali’s plan was to prevent premarital sex, reduce babies being born out of wedlock and cut incidents of adultery. He also said, “It is a practical move to prevent cases of unmarried teenage mothers and other social problems.”

Lowering the age of consent is not going to resolve teenage pregnancies. All that happens is illegitimate children won’t be born – the state ensures the baby’s parents go through the formality of marriage, whether or not they are responsible, ready for it, or can afford it.

Will these teenagers make good parents? Some will, but the majority won’t. They are children who are further burdened, by bringing up a family.

It appears that our children and teenagers are open to abuse, with the full consent of the law.

Mujahid is right to stop their exploitation by banning child marriages.

Mariam Mokhtar is an FMT columnist.

The writer’s views are not necessarily those of FMT.