Nigeria’s Newest (i.e. Youngest) Bride

“The Prophet Mohammed married at the age of nine, therefore any Muslim who marries a girl of nine years and above, is following the teachings of the Prophet.” – Nigerian Senator Sani Ahmed Yerima, 49.

The ripples caused by the marriage of a Nigerian senator, Sani Ahmed Yerima, to a 13-year old Egyptian girl, are slowly reverberating across the Muslim world, but with little concern. Despite the criticism Yerima is absorbing from human rights groups and some Nigerian citizens, he is defending the acquisition of his fourth bride, which cost him $100,000. As noted above, Yerima calls back to Muhammad’s marriage at the age of nine as justification for his new marriage to a girl 36 years younger.

For non-Muslims and non-Nigerians, this offers a good look into a world that the West is still slowly learning about. These lessons should be impacting Western foreign and domestic policy. France, with a large Muslim population of over five million (about 10% of the French population), is finding its own course in dealing with a religious Muslim community in a proudly secular French society. France outlawed religious symbols in public schools in 2005, and there are now talks of banning such symbols in public, as well as polygamy. It’s not my personal belief that this is an appropriate response, but these are the facts.

A marriage such as Yerima’s may often go by without much fanfare in some Muslim countries, but Nigeria is an ethnically and religiously diverse country, with over 250 ethnic groups. It is inhabited by Muslims (50%), Christians (40%), and others with “indigenous beliefs” (10%).  It is illegal to marry anyone under the age of 18 in Nigeria, although many Muslim northern states have rejected that law, standing behind the same Islamic tradition that Yerima cited.

Like it or not, this is another aspect of Islam the West must understand. Throwing the human rights book at Yerima won’t register with him. If it’s not against Muhammad’s standards, it’s not against his standards. The dialogue between the West and Islam has to be boiled down to this fundamental point. Yerima’s case does not affect any Western nation. But with Muslim communities exercising their religious rights within non-Muslim countries, the West needs to understand the Muslim point of view before it crafts its own.

A child-bride in Afghanistan.

Some good reads for today: May 28, 2010

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill may have taken all of your attention away from the various other problems facing this planet. Well, this is your reminder: We’re screwed!

Just kidding, but here are some articles that can help illuminate the other non-oil spill issues we face, and some of their solutions:

• Ground Zero Mosque: “We see it as a major step toward the Americanization of the Muslim community,” said Feisal Abdul Rauf, the imam who wants to build a mosque a few hundred feet from Ground Zero. Read Bret Stephens’ article on the planned cultural center and the outrage surrounding the plan here.
• More Border Issues: I’ve spent a lot of time on The Big Ben Theory discussing the fact that some pretty undesirable people are able to enter the US via air travel. The Mexican border has also posed a threat to our security. Dept. of Homeland Security officials issued an alert that Somali terrorists may be using the Mexican-US border to enter the US. Check out the Fox News article here. And if you don’t trust those crazy right-wingers, then read the shorter article from the Associated Press here.
• Interfaith Violence: The world is home is to well over a billion Muslims. Within that religion, there are many sects, and unfortunately that also means there is a lot violence between the different groups. Muslim vs. Muslim violence reared its ugly head again in Pakistan as over 50 were killed in Lahore, Pakistan, when the minority Ahmadi group was besieged at two mosques during prayer services. The Los Angeles Times describes the attack and some background to anti-Ahmadi discrimination in Pakistan. The New York Times “The Lede” blog offers some additional coverage. BBC News also tells us “Who are the Ahmadi?”.
• Arms Race: Israel’s in an arms race it simply can’t afford to lose against Iran. While Iran makes progress on its offensive missile program, Israel is always in need of more advanced missile defense systems. Israel is now unveiling its latest defensive missile, the Arrow 3. It can change its trajectory mid-flight, giving operators the chance to launch the missile interceptor before getting a clear idea of where their target missile is headed, saving valuable seconds. Ynet and the Jerusalem Post both covered the announcement of the planned tests for the Arrow 3 in 2011. For some background on the entire Middle East arms race, read an overview I wrote for the Australia/Israel Review. It explains the complexities of the defensive issues Israel faces vis-a-vis Iran.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

An illustration of Israel's Arrow 3 defensive missile.