Note: Another post from the drafts. Don’t know what, if anything, has been done about the minimum age law since this post. Have updates on Nujood & Reem that haven’t been posted.
April 18, 2010
Source: Yemen Today Observer (April 15)
Mohammed al-Kibsi reports on 13 y/o Elham Madhi’s murder. (Background, update)
Her brother is suing the court – demanding the death penalty.
Nujood Ali, who successfully divorced her “husband” at age 10:
Nojoud Ali said this was horrible and uncovers the cruelty of the society and some members of the parliament that still oppose setting marriage age.
2009 Woman of Courage awardee and 2010 TIME 100 Most Influential People, Reem Al Numery, who successfully divorced her 30 y/o cousin:
I wish this savage person who raped her to death to be executed.
Reem wants to be a doctor and wonders why the world has forgotten her. Nujood wanted to be a lawyer to help other girls and at one point wished she had never sp0ken to the press. And yet they stand united in their goal to set up an organization to advocate for young girls in Yemen.
We have asked a lawyer to write a draft bylaw for the organization so as to register it at the ministry of social affairs officially.
In 2009, the mimimum age was set at 17 for girls – 18 for boys. Then was repealed because it was considered “un-Islamic“.
Had the law been in place and enforced, Elham would not have been raped to death.
al-Kibsi also mentioned demonstrations that took place re: minimum age of marriage. One the “Yemeni Women Federation,” which has the support of the “Yemeni Women National Committee“. And a “delegation of protesters” with a petition containing “one million signatures” (??) met with Parliamentarian, Yehya al-Raei, who said:
We will maintain the article fixing the marriage age, but cancel prison sentences and fines that were forced upon those who do not comply.
Who was forced upon whom?
And what is the point of having a minimal age if it will never be enforced?
In order to get aid from the US?
