Child Bride

Not long ago, an Egyptian court refused to officiate a marriage contract between an Arab, a 92 year old millionaire from Saudi Arabia, and an Egyptian girl of 17, for the huge age difference of 75 years. The Egyptian law established that age for marriage between a national and a foreigner should not be more than 25 years. Unless - so there's a way around that; unless the future husband deposits a substantial sum of money in a bank account under the name of the wife to be. That makes my busy mind wonder whether this law also applies to the marriage of 2 nationals.

The law was so established, apparently, because a great number of men from the Arabic country regularly go to Egypt to seek out young brides. The why of this was not explained. Feminists classified this as prostitution.

During one of my several trips to India, for fashion assignments or pleasure, I met a young local girl during a photo-section. She was amongst the dozen or so other villagers following us, me and the photographer, to watch the fashion shoot. She was so very beautiful I couldn't keep my eyes off her. Very sweet too, each time our eyes met, she would give me the brightest smile. During one of the pauses, while the photographer was busy scowling for another ideal spot, I asked her whether she would like to have a picture taken with me. She said yes happily. Then, out of a blue, she proudly told me she was going to get married in 3 days. Three days? She looked no more than 12 or 13! Yes, she said she was 12. That was in Mumbai (Bombay in the past) Her intended was 16.

Mercifully not any more nowadays, but in the old China, same as in India, teen marriage were common. I have heard of tales, likely facts, that some baby girls, one or 2 years old, were 'married' off to the young groom's family, and it was not unusual to see a 'husband' of 10 or 12 years old, carrying his baby bride, piggy-back fashion, and occasionally complaining that the 'wife' had wet his back.

These marriages were often because the girl's family was very poor, and the boy's much better off. There would be a marriage ceremony when the new bride was fetched over, as an announcement to everyone, relatives and friends. The children/couple were raised together until they were of age, in those days, 16 years old. Then there would be another ceremony and a grand feast to officiate the consummation of the marriage. Trust the Chinese, any excuse for a feast.

But old man of 92 marrying a teenager was unheard of. Chinese males are too proud to be labelled dirty old man. There are no more teen marriages in China either. In fact quite the contrary, nobody seems to want to get married till after 25 for girls and 28 or 30 for men apparently. They are all very career minded now, too busy building up a future and enjoying their freedom and the new found prosperity.


Tags:ChildBride,Arabia,Egypt,India,China

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