Iran: Don't Legalize Marriage for Girls Under 10!
The Iranian Parliament recently issued a statement that they regard the law prohibiting marriage for girls under 10 as un-Islamic and illegal. According to Parliament member Mohammad Ali Isfenani, "We must regard nine as being the appropriate age for a girl to have reached puberty and qualified to get married."
Over the past few weeks, over 75 girls under 10 were forced to marry much older men. Legalizing this practice would effectively legalize sex between a young child and an over-18 adult.
Nine year olds cannot understand and therefore can't enter the "strong covenant" of marriage outlined in the Quran. More importantly, their bodies are clearly not ready for sex, let alone child bearing. Many young girls have died from bleeding as a result of being forced into early sex and childbirth. Please sign the petition to tell the Iranian Parliament that child marriage should be illegal!
To: The Iranian Parliament
We, the undersigned, are concerned with your recent statement that regards the law prohibiting marriage for girls under 10 as un-Islamic and illegal.
Over the past few weeks, over 75 girls under 10 were forced to marry much older men. Legalizing this practice would effectively legalize sexual intercourse between a young child and an over-18 adult.
Nine year olds cannot understand and therefore can't enter the "strong covenant" of marriage outlined in the Quran. More importantly, their bodies are clearly not ready for sexual intercourse, let alone child bearing. Many young girls have died from bleeding as a result of being forced into early sex and childbirth. We urge you to reconsider your plans to legalize marriage for girls under 10.
