Islamic law sanctions marriage based on maturity not age – Ahmad Sani

[The Straight Story]

ABUJA- SENATOR Ahmad Rufai Sani, ANPP, Zamfara West Wednesday said that under the Islamic law, a girl was considered ripe for marriage based on her physical and mental maturity and not necessarily age, just as he stressed that situations could arise where a very big girl was ready for marriage at age 14, 15, 16 as obtained in other countries.

According to him, the 1999 Constitution does not in any way provide for any specific age when a girl could be married, but was quick to add that the same constitution stipulates that any girl aspiring to be married must attain a full age.

Speaking Wednesday in an interview on the ‘Kakaaki’ aired programme by the African Independent Television (AIT), Senator Ahmad Sani who denied backing the child marriages during the clause by clause voting on the report of the Senator Ike Ekweremadu led Constitution review, said insinuations that he supported child marriage during the exercise were untrue, misleading and however attributed that entire criticisms to what he termed, the handiwork of mischief-makers.

According to him, the constitutional provision in the 1999 Constitution was in consonance with the Islamic law which states that for a girl to be married, she must have attained the age of maturity and puberty, adding, “What is the criteria for defining maturity or otherwise of a girl?

‘’The Nigerian constitution didn’t say 18 years. There is no definition in the Nigerian constitution; any woman who is married is of age. You see in Islamic law, once a girl reaches the age of puberty and she is matured she is of full age and she is ready for marriage.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/07/islamic-law-sanctions-marriage-based-on-maturity-not-age-ahmad-sani/

[NewThinkingChance40]

1. Who are we to judge

the laws they choose to follow? If this is there way, it is not for us to say right or wrong.

[The Straight Story]

2. Only reason we don't care is they don't have oil

[rug]

3. Nigeria belongs to OPEC.

[The Straight Story]

4. Twas a joke :) (nt)

[edhopper]

6. So you think a 13 year old girl forced into marriage

and more or less raped has chosen this?
Do you feel the same way about African nations that kill witches and homosexuals?
Closer to home, would you say the same thing about what Texas and North Carolina are doing re: abortion?
I mean, who are we to judge if we don't live there?

We have every right to judge this.

[trotsky]

7. It's been pretty well established by certain individuals in this group...

that when an act is performed based on true religious belief, we must apply a different set of standards and should not judge lest we be branded militant fundie atheists.

[The Straight Story]

9. This goes to something deeper and more interesting

Our culture sets the age generally at 18 (16 in some cases).

Should our culture be the dominant culture? Not saying one cannot 'judge' or discuss the merits of what another culture is doing, but it begs the question - what should 'we' do about it (especially when it is another country)?

Boycott, war, missionaries to spread our personal gospel of the one true way, etc?

[MotherPetrie]

5. What a stinking pile of dog turds.

[cbayer]

8. What a bunch of crap.

Who gets to determine which girls have reached the proscribed level of physical and mental maturity.

The exploitation and abuse of girls in Africa is an international shame and in this case sharia law is being used as a cover, imo.

[okasha]

10. I second that.

It's a matter of common knowledge that young women are not physically ready to deliver a baby at menarche. This is a human rights matter and should be so treated.