Child Marriage in the Middle East - Essay Example

German Kurbaji SPC26098 Le Blanc, Kenny 10/29 Informative Speech on Child Marriage in the Middle East Comparing it to U.S.A Topic: Child Marriage in the Middle East and Compare it to the U.S.A General Purpose: To inform about the differences and similarities that exist between the USA and Middle East concerning Child Marriages Specific Purpose: To educate and inform on the best approach and practices related to child marriages Thesis Statement: Early marriages are a big compromise to the development of the girls resulting in early pregnancies and the child’s social isolation and are a violation of the basic human rights Organizational Pattern: Casual Visual Aids: none Introduction I. Attention-getter: Child marriages also reinforce the cycle that is of early marriages, very low standards of education, poverty and high infertility rates; however, the common basis for these marriages is the issue of arranged marriages II. Central Idea (Thesis Statement): Early marriages are a big compromise to the development of the girls resulting in early pregnancies and the child’s social isolation and are a violation of the basic human rights III. Credibility Statement: I have researched on the issue of early child marriages globally and especially with a focus on US and Middle East while carrying out United Nations surveys on child rights and other humanitarian projects IV. Preview: Here, we look at child marriages in the Middle East compared to the United States in terms of religious beliefs and legal frameworks in both regions relating to child marriages > Body I. Main Point 1: Middle East region laws, which are set in the different countries encourage child marriages A. In the Middle East, almost half of Yemeni girls get married off before they attain of eighteen years of age and in some instances some even at the tender age of 8 years 1. The law in Yemen set the minimum age at one that is approved for marriage to be 15 years, but traditional customs more often than not continuously flout this law. However, the law was abolished in 1999 with the minimum age being set as at when the girl attains the puberty age 2. The age of puberty was understood by the traditional elders to be as low as the age of nine, this being the minimum age of marriage 3. In the actual practice, it can be said that the law in Yemen allows women of any age to be able to wed, but it is forbidden to practice sex with them until they achieve the age where it is now suitable to do so 4. The law was later to be raised from the minimum age of marriage to be 18 years after a girl, Nujood Ali, 10 years of age, in April 2008 was able to be granted divorce successfully after being raped under the set circumstances 5. Much later in 2008, a council for maternal care and Childhood came up with the proposal for the minimum age to be defined at 18 years and was passed as laws in April 2009, but age was set at 17 years 6. However, inspired by Nujood Ali, Yemenis continued pushing for change with her involved in some of the rallies held. Some of these campaigns can even claim to have barred some early marriages in Yemen specifically in the State of Amran > II. Main Point 2: (Middle East Religious practices and respected religious persons condone child marriages) A. In the Saudi Arabia kingdom, there are widespread cases of child marriages, which have been well documented by Human Rights Movement 1. This has been justified by clerics in Saudi Arabia with some even marrying off small girls who are at the age of 9 years, this being sanctioned even by law. The Saudi Arabian laws define the minimum marriage age to be as young as 8 years 2. Families take advantage of religion to condone and spread early marriages arranging for girls to be married in religious ceremonies, using the tactic of not registering officially them until the girl is of legal age. This practice disadvantages the girl, leaving her with no legal base to inherent, no alimony or support in case the husband was to pass away prematurely or divorce her 3. Middle East statistics regarding the child marriages are shocking; in Yemen, a third of women in the age range of 20–24 are married off when they attain 18 years of age, while in Iraq and Palestine, a very significant size of women in similar age bracket will be married before they are even 18 > III. Main Point 3: Comparison (Unlike Middle East US legal statutes and religious practices discourage child marriages) A. In the United States, the statutes concerning child marriages vary between the states) 1. Generally, children aged 16 and above are able to marry if their parents’ consent. 18 years is the legal minimum age of marriage in all the states, except two states where no parental consent is needed 2. For, instance, in March 2008, Texas, a state in the United States was led to discover that children living in Zion Ranch had been subjected to marriages in passage to adulthood, as a result, they were being exploited 3. The state removed all the children living in the ranch placing them into temporary custody, and was later to be reunited with their families after the judge ruled in the Supreme Court of Texas that the state acted in an illegal manner by taking them away 4. Those children wishing to marry under the age of 16 will require a court order even with parental consent B. Most of the religious groups teachings and practices in US do not advocate for child marriages, and those in disagreement are heavily criticized ) 1. Up to the year 2008, a church, ‘The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints’, was practicing marriage of children on the basis of a concept, ‘Spiritual Marriages’ immediately the girls were able to bear children being a part of its practice of polygamy 2. Nonetheless, after criticism of the practice, laws were enacted to increase the minimum age of marriage and in 2008, the church was forced to alter its principles in U.S. to prohibit marrying of individuals who have not attained the legal age of marriage IV. Conclusion I. Review/Summary of Main Points: We have noted that; A. Middle East legal frameworks are lacking in the fight against early child marriages B. Religion also plays an important role in encouraging child marriages in the Middle east C. Although, there exist differences among States on the laws governing child marriages in US, these laws discourage child marriages D. Finally, US religious groups criticize early child marriages unlike their counterparts from middle east who encourage the practice Concluding Remarks: There is an urgent need for amendments and rethinking of the legal and religious aspects governing child marriages in the Middle East in order to ensure that minors are not married off, denying them their rights and exposing them to risky early pregnancies. Read More