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| Arabia |
| NSHR confronts Jazan father over girl's right to marry |
| 2011-03-02 |
| [Arab News] The National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) in Jazan is trying to convince a man to allow his 30-year-old daughter to marry. Ahmad Al-Bahkali, director of the Jazan branch of the NSHR, said the father has no valid reason to stop his daughter from getting married. He added that the father's abuse and torture had even forced her to attempt suicide. The woman set herself on fire and suffered serious burns after the father turned two suitors away. Al-Bahkali said the NSHR will have to pursue the matter through the courts if the father refuses to cooperate. He added that several philanthropists have offered to meet the woman's wedding expenses to persuade the father to consent to her getting married. The father has, however, rejected all such offers. Al-Bahkali said the NSHR considers the attitude of such parents to be akin to human trafficking. He added that Shariah courts have the authority to transfer a man's guardianship to another person or to the court itself if the man denies the daughter's legal right to get married. The NSHR's Jazan branch is currently dealing with 10 similar cases filed by women whose parents refuse them permission to marry. |
| Posted by:Fred |