Canasia Sports

  A-Salamm a Walakum     I just read an article in the San Jose Mercury News, about an Iraqi father and his son-in-law who are in jail. The reasons have smiliar points to the disucssion on the Christian man in UAE about to be flogged.   Apparently, this father arranged to have his daughter who is under-age to be married to a man over the age of 18. They live in Illonois. They were marreid and consummated the marriage, but he bride ran away with a boyfriend. The father and husband went to the police to try to find her, but they were impriosoned on charges of Child Endangerment  and  Stauatory Rape for the husband. They claim their culture and religion allow this.       Now, who is right? Are we to obey their religion in this culture that has different society norms than their home country? Or say that's the law. Both the deputy district attorney and the defense attonrney seem to understand both sides. The deputy DA cannot allow a special treatment to someone who broke laws that are meant to protect children.         Where should Religious freedom, in this case Islam take precedence in this country? Or should we say, hey they are going to flogg a Christian man in a muslim country, so lets give it to the muslims in this country.   I look at this a no-win on both sides. Either way, someone is slighted. Please feel free to email me or reply to this post. christopher

 I look at this a no-win on both sides. Either way, someone is slighted. Please feel free to email me or reply to this post. It sounds like the Illinois couple had failed to consider local law. But if they had no criminal intent, and their failure was a mere oversight, I don't think that the prosecutions will even go to trial. I think that if a person believes that he is married, and this is shown in court, a jury would not be likely to convict. But if the parents were actually abusing this girl, which is a possibility

Asalam-alaikum, If the bride left her husband for her boyfriend doesn't that suggest that she didn't consent to the marriage to begin with? If that is the case, then the issue is not just a matter of Muslims choosing to do things one way, while the larger society does it another. The question also raises the issue of whether a father can arrange a marriage against his daughter's will. Which I think is not permitted in Islamic law. Allahu alim. Gilberto

so for not mentioning the age, but the woman(child) was 15 and the legal marrying age with parental consent is 17. Sorry about that

Assalamu 'alaikum,     If the daughter was forced into the marriage, as I understand is the case, then it was not an Islamic wedding. Their culture may allow this. I don't know. Certainly, Islam does not.    Secondly, if you chose to live in a country that does not govern strictly by Islamic Shariah (that would be every country on the globe), then you may have to accept some limitations, if it doesn't go against Islam. Even if the daughter had agreed to the marriage, living in this country, the family should be content to wait until the daughter was of 'legal' marriageable age.         Wa Salaam,                         Br. Jeff

so for not mentioning the age, but the woman(child) was 15 and the legal marrying age with parental consent is 17. Sorry about that The age of consent varies from state to state. If the parents had investigated the law before going ahead with this marriage, they might have gone to another jurisdiction which recognised marriage with parental consent at an early age (17 sounds pretty late to me); then I think that Illinois would have been bound to accept the marriage. But I do not know what the minimum age now is in the various states. But the situation *sounds* like the girl did not really consent herself.... AbdulraHman Lomax This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it P.O. Box 5123 Asheville, NC 28813