Saudi judge upholds man's marriage to 8-year-old

[ccharles000]

(CNN) -- A Saudi mother is expected to appeal a judge's ruling after he once again refused to let her 8-year-old daughter divorce a 47-year-old man, a relative said.

Sheikh Habib Al-Habib made the ruling Saturday in the Saudi city of Onaiza. Late last year, he rejected a petition to annul the marriage.

The case, which has drawn criticism from local and international rights groups, came to light in December when Al-Habib declined to annul the marriage on a legal technicality. His dismissal of the mother's petition sparked outrage and made headlines around the world.

The judge said the mother, who is separated from the girl's father, was not the legal guardian and therefore could not represent her daughter, the mother's lawyer, Abdullah al-Jutaili, said at the time.

The girl's husband pledged not to consummate the marriage until the girl reaches puberty, according to al-Jutaili, who added that the girl's father arranged the marriage to settle his debts with the man, who is considered "a close friend."

In March, an appeals court in the Saudi capital of Riyadh declined to certify the original ruling, in essence rejecting al-Habib's verdict, and sent the case back to al-Habib for reconsideration.

Under the Saudi legal process, the appeals court ruling meant that the marriage was still in effect, but that a challenge to the marriage was still ongoing.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/04/12/saudi.child.marriage/

[Selatius]

1. With allies like Saudi Arabia, who needs enemies?

This is the kind of stupidity that breeds the kind of hate that flies planes into office towers.

[Syrinx]

2. Saudi Arabia sucks

Really.

[ccharles000]

6. yes they do

[uppityperson]

3. "The girl's husband pledged not to consummate the marriage until the girl reaches puberty"

So, the day she begins to bleed, she gets raped. Oh, sorry, I mean consummated.

Damn. How'd you like to be a 11-13 yr old getting sexed by a close friend of your dad to settle your dad's debts?

[BlooInBloo]

4. Because nothing says "I love you" more than a father giving his daughter to a pedophile for debt.

Sick fucks.

[Joe the Liberal]

5. If Saudi Arabia wasn't a muslim nation................

but instead a full Christian nation, it would be a right wingers utopia.

[Taitertots]

7. Mohamed married and had sex with a 9 year old n/t

[babythunder]

8. I don't care what your culture

is but a 47 year old man marrying an 8 year old girl is just despicable. And what the hell kind of father is he forcing his daughter into marriage with a man whose old enough to be her grandfather.