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Calls to end child marriages rejected
 [Straits Times] MALAYSIA'S law minister on Wednesday shot down calls to ban Siti Maryam Mahmod wed 23-year-old teacher Abdul Manan Othman last weekend in a mass wedding at a major mosque, after being given permission in an Islamic Sharia court. "I wanna pack some pork to this maiden of tender years, but she needs a court order!" "Okay. Next case!" Malaysian Mohammedans below the age of 16 are allowed to marry as long as they obtain the permission of the religious courts. Sharia law runs in parallel with civil law in the multi-ethnic country. Nazri Aziz, a minister in the premier's department in charge of legal affairs, said the government has no plan to review laws allowing for underage marriages because the practice is permitted under Islam. 'If the religion allows it, then we can't legislate against it,' he told a presser. Actually you could if you had a secular state. But your non-Moslem minority's being forced to live in an Islamic state. 'Islam allows it as long as the girl is considered to have reached her pubescent stage, once she has her menstruation,' he added. "And boobs! She's gotta have boobs! Big 'uns!" Posted by: Fred 2010-12-09 |
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