Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : The Obama - Clinton Disaster -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Hope Praytochange who wrote (11275)	4/15/2009 6:06:43 AM
From: GROUND ZERO™	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 103300

Thanks for the great post...<g> GZ

To: Hope Praytochange who wrote (11275)	4/15/2009 6:39:46 AM
From: DuckTapeSunroof	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 103300

Saudi Court Refuses to Block Marriage of Girl, 8, to Older Man Tuesday, April 14, 2009 foxnews.com Outraged human rights groups are calling the decision by a Saudi court to -- not once, but twice -- refuse to void the marriage of an 8-year-old girl to a man several years her senior a form of human trafficking. On Saturday, for the second time since December, a court in the Saudi town of Unaiza upheld the marriage of the Saudi girl to the much older man, on the condition that he does not have sex with her until she reaches puberty, Reuters reported. Organizations like UNICEF were troubled by the ruling, calling it an abuse of the child's rights. “UNICEF is deeply concerned by reports that Saudi Arabian tribunals have decided not to annul the marriage of an 8-year-old girl,” the U.N. children’s agency said in a statement on its Web site. “Irrespective of circumstances or the legal framework, the marriage of a child is a violation of that child’s rights." "This particular girl was sold, literally," Dr. Ali Alyami, founder and director of the Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia, told FOXNews.com. "This is pure human trafficking. The girl's father was in need of money and he sold her." Financial problems prompt some Saudi families to marry off their underage daughters to much older men -- a practice the kingdom's chief cleric Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdelaziz Al al-Sheikh endorses. Media reports claim that the 8 year-old girl's father arranged the marriage in exchange to clear his debts with the man. The ruling reportedly prompted Saudi Justice Minister Mohamed al-Issa to call for regulations on such marriages with the goal of ending "arbitrariness by parents and guardians in marrying off minor girls," an announcement seen as jargon used to satisfy opponents. "This is rubbish, they've been saying this for a long time," said Alyami. "It's just to silence their critics. They will pass something just to calm the situation down. There will be no drastic changes to the system." Alyami said the ruling further contributes to a "very nasty" environment for women in Saudi Arabia due to "oppression and condemnation" solely based on their gender. "It's a sad moment for women's rights and particularly of young girls in Saudi Arabia. It's a gross and huge violation of human rights," added Ibrahim AlMugaiteeb, president and founder of the Human Rights First Society. "The judge's refusal to nullify the marriage means that every young girl whose father is bankrupt or in debt can sell their girls just because he's getting the right price," AlMugaiteeb continued. Alyami, meanwhile, called on U.S. officials to intervene. "First and foremost, our government should condemn this," he said. "President Obama should lead the way." Officials from the U.S. State Department said they had no immediate comment but planned to release a statement later Tuesday. FOXNews.com’s Joshua Rhett Miller contributed to this report.