The 45-year-old, already with two wives, purchased the young girl from her impoverished family.
A disturbing incident occurred where a 45-year-old man married a six-year-old girl, an event so shocking that even the Taliban expressed dismay.
The man, who already has two other wives, acquired the young girl from her family.
The marriage ceremony took place in the Marjah district, resulting in the detention of both the girl’s father and the groom, although no formal charges have been made, according to a report by the Mirror.
The Taliban has mandated that the groom must wait until the girl is nine years old before he can bring her home.
In Afghanistan, child marriage is widespread, driven often by extreme poverty which compels families to sell their daughters into marriage for financial survival.
A local activist, Mahbob, expressed his distress to The Afghan Times, noting, “In our village, numerous families have sold their daughters for money. They receive no support. The desperation is palpable.”
This practice of exchanging girls for marriage, known as walwar, involves trading them for monetary compensation based on qualities such as their looks, health, and education levels.
Beyond financial desperation, some families exchange girls to resolve blood feuds with enemies.
Amiri, a 50-year-old from Uruzgan, shared her experience of marrying off her 14-year-old daughter to a 27-year-old man for 300,000 Afghanis. She confessed, “I was aware she was too young, but we were destitute. The money was needed to feed my family.”
The resurgence of the Taliban in 2021 has seen a sharp increase in such practices, which had declined following the US-led invasion. Under Taliban rule, women’s freedoms have been severely restricted, including the requirement to wear full-body coverings and to travel only with a male relative.
A recent UN report highlighted that the oppression has led to a 25% increase in child and forced marriages. The International Criminal Court has condemned the treatment of Afghan women as a crime against humanity, issuing arrest warrants for top Taliban officials.
The Taliban dismissed these allegations as “a clear act of hostility” and an insult to Muslims worldwide.
Afghanistan does not have a set minimum age for marriage; the Taliban abolished the previous limit of 16 years set after the 2001 invasion. Currently, the marriageable age for girls is determined based on interpretations of Islamic law, specifically Hanafi jurisprudence, which considers puberty as the threshold for marriage eligibility.
Hi, I’m Benjamin, a member of the Sherburne County Citizen team. With a passion for writing and a deep interest in current affairs, I thoroughly enjoy bringing you the latest news and trends that affect our daily lives.
