On my way to work today I
read an article that prompted me to write this post. Nine security guards have
been convicted of sexually abusing a 13-year old girl in Vienna. As it turns
out, the girl had befriended the guards which worked at the Mall where she used
to hang out. She misled them to believe that she was of a legal age and
voluntarily agreed to have sexual contact with all of them at the same time.
Apparently the time and location was agreed mutually via Whatsapp and that was
the evidence which proved that the girl voluntarily entered into the sexual interaction.
The nine security guards, ages ranging 22 to 49 have been convicted of child
abuse. http://epaper.heute.at/#/documents/161123_HEU
As shocking as this story
was, it actually showed that there are 13-year old girls who already have
strong desires for sexual contact. Since this girl in fact accepted to have sex
with nine men, and apparently these activities lasted for several months, I can
only assume that she was already not a virgin and therefore has had sexual
desires when she was of an even younger age. So, why is it not as shocking as
marriage of a 13-year old Muslim girl? It's all about the marketing..Why is it
okay for this girl to give herself to nine men much older than her, but it is
not okay for a girl to be married at this age?
Islam is a concept and any
part taken out of a concept and looked at individually cannot give a clear
entire picture. It is true that Islam permits the marriage of an underage girl,
but just in case that she is mentally and physically prepared for it and it is
a duty of a parent in Islam to make this assessment. And even so, she cannot be
forced into a marriage, therefore needs to enter it voluntarily. If a girl
already has desires for a man, she should be married and explore her desires in
the sanctity of marriage, rather than on some bench in the park behind her
school or similar. In western civilizations, there are even reality shows about
unwed teenage moms, which are supposed to be entertaining, but as soon as
there comes out an article about a married teenage mom from Islamic world, it
becomes an example of child abuse in Islam. It is, however, my personal opinion
that the married mom is much better off, having a husband to take care of her
and her baby, whereas the unwed teenage mom doesn’t have this luxury. But these
are the western double standards.
It is, but, very sad to see
how this regulation is being misused by both western and eastern worlds. In the
West, this fact is taken out of context to show how Islam is one barbaric,
child and women abusing religion. In Islamic world, this fact is also many
times taken out of context. Parents ignore their own duties and
responsibilities towards a child and marry their young daughters against their
wishes and usually for some monetary gain. Which is absolutely forbidden in
Islam, but who cares? It’s much easier to identify actions of some Muslims with
teachings of Islam, than to take the time and explore if these actions have
basis in Islam at all.
The fact is that
fornication is considered a grave sin in Islam, and most regulations in Islam
are there in the attempts to prevent it from happening in the first place. Hence,
there is an obligation of certain way of clothing for men and women alike, in
order to protect their modesty, such as hijab for women, limited contact
between men and women who are not related and this is only to mention a few.. In
the end, we Muslims have the most beautiful example of behavior in our prophet
Muhammed s.a.w.s. and he tried to set example for his followers in every aspect
of life. He would never order his followers to do something without setting an
example first. In this regard, there are many traditions that his wife A’isha
r.a. was underage, but also many traditions saying how she was very much
advanced for her age. By marrying her, prophet Muhammed s.a.w.s., set an
example that even such girls should be married and not left on the mercy of
their desires, forced to give in to fornication in the end. By presenting actions
of Muhammed s.a.w.s. as something corrupt, really says only about the person
expressing it.
