An 11-year-old boy has married his 10-year-old cousin in the ultra-conservative Muslim kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a newspaper reported. What do you think? http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/11yearold-marries-10yearold-c ousin/2008/03/19/1205602420062.html

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• I don't object to arranged marriages. It is just that these two children are still at primary school. If the Saudis want to move in international circles, they must address this issue of child marriage.

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  by singwell-is off researching a lot on March 19th, 2008

• I do not, myself, agree with marriages that young and I find issue with many Saudi practices. However, I also know that they would take issue with many of ours.
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  I do concur that, if they wish to move in international circles, this sort of thing is going to hinder them.

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  by Arisztid on March 19th, 2008

• agreeing with pre-arranged marriages? Why and how can any good come from that?

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  by Temporary Name on August 17th, 2009

• I AGREE with marrying who you want. It is traditional and I used it as an example of differences in culture. Most of us in America do not do prearranged marriages.
  .
  Do not assume my opinion unless I state it.

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  by Arisztid on August 30th, 2009

• with 50% of marriges ending in divore
  why bother

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  by sharpjwe on August 30th, 2009

• I do not know the stats on any marriage. I have chosen to not marry.
  .
  I just am asking for ASSumptions to not be made about my opinions.

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  by Arisztid on August 31st, 2009

• you are correct about the inbreeding
  is not good at all
  but disagree to your statement
  we must leave them to do what they wnat
  for either culture or religin
  when somting is wrong we must say so and try to stop it from happening
  remeber 50 years ago it was culturrally accepted to beat up women.
  what you say it that should continue ?

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  by sharpjwe on August 31st, 2009

• it is allowed in shariah but the girl must not be below 6 years of age and her price ( mehr ) must be paid to her guardian or to her when she approaches puberty. hope that answers your question
  allah knows best

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  by human on November 22nd, 2009

• "remeber 50 years ago it was culturrally accepted to beat up women.
  what you say it that should continue ?"
  .
  Please do not make ASSumptions about my beliefs. Of course I do not believe that.

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  by Arisztid on November 22nd, 2009

• well good so islam should stop
  stonning gays
  adulteres
  under age marriage
  polygamie
  cutting thieves hands
  killing non muslims
  islams hould become a good religion
  not hate you all one

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  by sharpjwe on December 6th, 2009

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• Nice i was gonna say the same thing

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  by Megaman-man COAT in my name on January 17th, 2009

• Their divorce rates are low because they are allowed to have multiple wives. Hence if one does not satisfy, marry another.

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  by Soccergirl on January 17th, 2009

• I do not think that is the main thing. Divorce is looked more negatively there. I was only making a point about how we shouldn't judge other cultures marriage rituals when our own are hardly up to par.

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  by Someone on January 17th, 2009

• wait...soccer, you just said that the divorce rate is low because there are more marriages. really?

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  by Spengo on February 23rd, 2009

• Yes Spengo, if they are not satisfied with one wife, they just marry another and also keep the old one.

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  by Soccergirl on February 23rd, 2009

• LOL!! Wait, slow down. You are saying that "1 in 2 marriages in the United States fails, so the lower percentage of divorce in Saudi Arabia is because there are 4 times as many marriages"? Percentages don't work that way. Neither do multiple marriages in Islam. You are assuming that the "old one" as you called her, can't get the divorce. You are saying that, once the marriage happens, it's there forever no matter what. Which is saying a different thing entirely than saying there are multiple marriage partners. So which point are you arguing? Are you arguing that the people CAN'T get divorced or that the people have a LOT of marriages? I think you should do some research on the topic before an answer like that.

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  by Spengo on February 23rd, 2009

• divorce rate is low as they culturally do not accept divorce
  and they can take up 3 mor wives to change the old used fat ones

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  by sharpjwe on August 30th, 2009

• divorce does happen and is acceptable. Site for me your source that says it isn't.

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  by Spengo on August 31st, 2009

• come on if it was
  the divorce rate would be like in the west 50%

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  by sharpjwe on September 2nd, 2009

• why? Why do you feel that the divorce rate would be 50% in the west if it was allowed. Are you saying it's impossible that people are happy? I think you are projecting your own sadness on other people. You are gay and can't get married so you want everyone that is married to feel bad. I am a Muslim man that is married to a beautiful Muslim woman. She makes more money than I do, she drives to work, she dresses like a professional woman, we are very happy. We have even decided to start trying to have a kid. I'm sorry that you have chosen a path that won't allow you to be as happy as I am...but don't try bring me down to your level of sadness.

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  by Spengo on September 2nd, 2009

• this is the reality ofthe world
  i have no wish to marry
  and i am happy
  and happy you are happy
  john

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  by sharpjwe on September 3rd, 2009

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• sad but true

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  by sharpjwe on August 30th, 2009

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• yes the worst
  it is culturally accepted
  and is religiously enshrined

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  by sharpjwe on August 30th, 2009

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• for sure it is

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  by sharpjwe on August 30th, 2009

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• Are you aware that in some middle eastern societies, if the boy is too young to consummate the marriage, an older male relative will be brought in to do it? Saudi Arabia wants to be big internationally. It should pull itself in line with the age of marriage. We cannot sit back and allow little girls of ten to be raped with the official title of marriage.

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  by singwell-is off researching a lot on March 19th, 2008

• Well, it will be very helpful if you provide a valid source to your point that ... "Are you aware that in some middle eastern societies, if the boy is too young to consummate the marriage, an older male relative will be brought in to do it?"

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  by answerguru on March 19th, 2008

• I had it from the mouth of a nurse working in one.

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  by singwell-is off researching a lot on March 19th, 2008

• ah...the ever popular "I'm telling you as an authority cuz I heard it from someone that said it happened where they were once" method of debate. It's stable and 100% accurate in every case

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  by Spengo on February 23rd, 2009

• a kid is a kid in all cultures.
  yes we should stand up fo the abused children

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  by sharpjwe on August 30th, 2009

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• Are you aware that in some middle eastern societies, if the boy is too young to consummate the marriage, an older male relative will be brought in to do it? Saudi Arabia wants to be big internationally. It should pull itself in line with the age of marriage. We cannot sit back and allow little girls of ten to be raped with the official title of marriage.

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  by singwell-is off researching a lot on March 19th, 2008

• It's a different country and culture - in the US/UK and so on, we have a different way of life and a different culture - some of our traditions and laws will be just as inappropriate to Saudi Arabians as theirs are to us. Neither culture is right and neither is wrong - they are different. One man's meat is another man's poison is it not? And as for being an international player, I think you will find that Saudi Arabia has enough oil reserves to ensure not only affluence but also to guarantee it's status internationally.

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  by Mushen on March 19th, 2008

• sorry, I must disagree. Children are children and must be protected.

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  by singwell-is off researching a lot on March 19th, 2008

• and they would no doubt think the same about the UK's teen pregnancy rates and so on. The general public (Saudi) would no doubtless recoil in absolute horror should they happen to see what goes on in some areas of the UK on a Friday night outside some of our pubs. We are different, governed by different laws and religious beliefs or not (as the case may be).

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  by Mushen on March 19th, 2008

• If children in all countries cannot be protected because of "different cultures", then neither can animals, and I can see lots of people screaming about the clubbing of seals and the killing of whales. Are children less important?

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  by singwell-is off researching a lot on March 20th, 2008

• of course not. So tell me, exactly what do you plan on doing?

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  by Mushen on March 20th, 2008

• world wide humain rights
  and the charter of the united nation
  should protec all human from the exesses of their
  old preverted sick rulers

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  by sharpjwe on August 30th, 2009

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• I have no problem with arranged marriages in principle, and do not get thingy about cousin marriages either (the probability of one cousin marriage causing genetic problems is small. It is the continued inbreeding that causes trouble). It is the age of the children, and the possibility that, because the young groom is too young to consummate, an older male relative could be called in. This practice has been attested.

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  by singwell-is off researching a lot on March 20th, 2008

• I've known some people who have had arranged marriages. Some of them seem to work out okay, but I would say more of them end up being a very unhappy situation, especially for the woman. As for the cousin thing - I just think it seems kind of predatory for males in your own family to see you in a sexual way - girls lose the benefit of having familial male "protectors." And, ooh, are you saying that since the little boy isn't physically capable of consummating his marriage that one of his older male relatives steps in and has sex with a prepubescent little girl, like she's capable at such a young age? There's a very disturbing thought. . . .

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  by u.. on March 21st, 2008

• Yep. It so happens.

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  by singwell-is off researching a lot on March 21st, 2008

• That makes me feel ill. Poor little girls. I don't understand a any grown man even beginning to think that this is okay no matter what culture you're from.

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  by u.. on March 24th, 2008

• peodopiles follow in the footsteps of the prophet mohamed

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  by sharpjwe on August 30th, 2009

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• the united nation
  and the humans bill of right
  is not all in vain
  i hope

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  by sharpjwe on August 30th, 2009

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• I am not American, so the Utah thing is far away from me. The story is true and too common. It is happening not only in mSaudi Arabia, but also in America and Australia and other countries. Young Muslim girls are being married off as soon as they hit puberty, sometimes to close relatives, such as in this case, and at other times to old men. Just this week, the father of one of the Slum Dog Millionaire children has been arrested for trying to sell the little girl to an old man in the Middle East. Don't think it can't happen to little girls near you.

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  by singwell-is off researching a lot on April 22nd, 2009

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