Pakistan rejects bill to ban child marriage

Apparently Pakistan had been on its way to getting rid of the vile practise of child marriage. The following story is from 2014 but shows there was a willingness to halt this issue.

Child brides the Guardian

Now it seems that any hope that there was with the issue has suffered a setback.

The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony rejected the Child Marriage Restraint (Amendment) Bill 2014 after the CII dubbed it ‘anti-Islamic’ and ‘blasphemous’.

The committee meeting, which was presided over by its Chairman Hafiz Abdul Karim, unanimously rejected the bill on ‘purely religious grounds’. Afterwards, PML-N’s Marvi Memon also withdrew her proposal.

The proposed legislation had recommended harsher punishments for those entering conjugal contracts with minors.

Last week, lawmakers in the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly had also blocked a bill seeking ban on child marriages over similar concerns.

Pak Tribune story on the rejection of ammendment to law against child brides.

Daily fail story about the same

Pakistan International News

It is truly sad when a country uses its religion to justify child abuse. I can't find any justification for this apart from religious pressure, is there any?

Sick and twisted old world mentality, so happy my kids where born in canada.

a reply to: dukeofjive696969

It really is sad that in some places child abuse is not just acceptable but actually promoted.

a reply to: Jonjonj

The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony rejected the Child Marriage Restraint (Amendment) Bill 2014 after the CII dubbed it ‘anti-Islamic’ and ‘blasphemous’.

Proof positive that human rights are anti-Islamic, or rather, Islam is anti-human rights.

originally posted by: TheTory
a reply to: Jonjonj

The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony rejected the Child Marriage Restraint (Amendment) Bill 2014 after the CII dubbed it ‘anti-Islamic’ and ‘blasphemous’.

Proof positive that human rights are anti-Islamic, or rather, Islam is anti-human rights.

I would rather believe that this is proof positive of our (western) governments being completely incoherent in our goals. After all, we are the ones who sustain these countries with money and technical, technological aid.

Of course it is wrong what they are doing, and what we are doing to ignore it...what about that?

a reply to: Jonjonj

I would rather believe that this is proof positive of our (western) governments being completely incoherent in our goals. After all, we are the ones who sustain these countries with money and technical, technological aid.

Of course it is wrong what they are doing, and what we are doing to ignore it...what about that?

Are you telling me it is the West's fault that these folks are using their religion to justify child marriage? Because that's what it sounds like. Clearly, western governments are not giving them money to wed child brides.

Pedos do what pedos do.

Really seems like a safe space for pedos.


How 2016.

If we can't as a society say no to these countries because the money is too important, let us at least say no on humanitarian grounds. This is state sponsored child abuse, against any convention you care to name. There can be no justification for this at all.

It is important I think.

Many muslims I am sure are sickened by this kind of behaviour too. We do not need to ask them to stand up, we just need to stand up ourselves, any right minded person will follow.

a reply to: TheTory

Please see my last post.

It took how long for most southern US states to ban marriage to underage girls?
And the practice still continues just not under the law in the snake handling, strychnine drinking south and the straight edged Mormon types in the west. Christians do it too.

Edit to add...

That fake hillbilly Duck Dynasty guy was a strong proponent of underage unions...
I'm sure he never yelled Allahu Akbar before shooting anything that he really didn't need to be shooting because he was wealthy enough to have all of the food he could ever want by that point....

a reply to: the owlbear

You're spot on! All they need is one of their parents
to approve. That seems so bloody wrong & I would
have thought that mentality would have changed by now.

Cheers
Ektar

originally posted by: the owlbear
It took how long for most southern US states to ban marriage to underage girls?
And the practice still continues just not under the law in the snake handling, strychnine drinking south and the straight edged Mormon types in the west. Christians do it too.

Here is the point, do you condone that?

Because we are condoning this, right now. We are condoning this not only by ignoring it, but also by helping these people to maintain their position.

This isn't about what others do, this is a really concrete case that should be world news, guess what...it isn't!!!

a reply to: Jonjonj


I don't condone that. But it continues to this day. More so in the backwoods that you don't know about. Sometimes the media makes it out to be more than it is. A 17 year old and a 16 year old aren't that far apart depending on emotional maturity, yet the male will go to prison if they have consensual relations in most states. Then have to register as a sex offender according to law. The law needs some work.

originally posted by: the owlbear
a reply to: Jonjonj


I don't condone that. But it continues to this day. More so in the backwoods that you don't know about. Sometimes the media makes it out to be more than it is. A 17 year old and a 16 year old aren't that far apart depending on emotional maturity, yet the male will go to prison if they have consensual relations in most states. Then have to register as a sex offender according to law. The law needs some work.

The whole point that you made is that at some point, somewhere, there is a rule that protects children from potential abuse. The whole point of this story here, in the OP, is that there is no such protection. Surely you must see the difference. Surely as parents, just humans, we can not allow this to continue by our complicity. If there is ONE thing we could agree on it must be that we expect governments in this world to protect our children.

Anything less and we must, as human beings, do everything we can to change that. Is it an excuse to get certain countries to be more humane, maybe. But it is a point around which the whole world could unite with absolutely no doubt as to the veracity of the goal. Right?

That is very sad ! July 1st is the day Pakistan celebrates international children day... international day of protection of children.. PROTECTION in Pakistan it seem to be just a word without meaning.

originally posted by: dollukka
That is very sad ! July 1st is the day Pakistan celebrates international children day... international day of protection of children.. PROTECTION in Pakistan it seem to be just a word without meaning.

How sad must this world get before we start to put people before profit? Before politics? Before gods? It goes beyond Islam and religion, it is about humanity.

a reply to: dollukka
oxymoron-astan

a reply to: the owlbear

Exactly. In fact, many people in this very thread are hypocrites because underage marriage (aka "child marriage") is legal in Western countries too, particularly with judicial and/or parental consent. And here's a different ATS thread about this very issue in America (right here). For example, here's a quick wikipedia link showing marriage ages in different States in the US:

Age of marriage in the United States

According to it, New Hampshire allows weddings for 13 yr/old girls and 14 yr/old boys. This info may or may not be true, but it shows the blatant bias people have on this issue.

For the record, I think underage marriage is disgusting unless they're within the same age range. As in, if I had a daughter in high school, I'd rather she legally sign up to form a loyal union with someone (marriage) over her sleeping with random peers, getting pregnant, and the crap that comes with out of wedlock teen pregnancies (not to mention STDs).

a reply to: Jonjonj

Yeah well

As a opinionated American I think they are wrong.

But that's just me. They can do pretty much what they want in their own country for whatever twisted reasons they so choose.