8-year-old girl asks for divorce in court

Nojoud Muhammed Nasser YT Photo by Hamed Thabet

SANA’A, April 9 - An eight-year-old girl decided last week to go the Sana’a West Court to prosecute her father, who forced her to marry a 30-year-old man.

Nojoud Muhammed Nasser arrived at court by herself on Wednesday, April 2, looking for a judge to handle her case against her father, Muhammed Nasser, who forced her two months ago to marry Faez Ali Thamer, a man 22 years her senior. The child also asked for a divorce, accusing her husband of sexual and domestic abuse.

According to Yemeni law, Nojoud cannot prosecute, as she is underage. However, court judge Muhammed Al-Qathi heard her complaint and subsequently ordered the arrests of both her father and husband.

“My father beat me and told me that I must marry this man, and if I did not, I would be raped and no law and no sheikh in this country would help me. I refused but I couldn’t stop the marriage,” Nojoud Nasser told the Yemen Times. “I asked and begged my mother, father, and aunt to help me to get divorced. They answered, ‘We can do nothing. If you want you can go to court by yourself.’ So this is what I have done,” she said.

more of this story go to http://www.yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1145&p=front&a=2

This is sick and should be looked at by some international body. Parents can make a contract of marriage even if the child is under 15 although the Civil Yemeni law says no child below 15 can get married. Nojoud went to court by herself which is already an achievement in a country like Yemen. Good for her and I hope, though this is not the first case, it sets precedence over those who are in the same situation!

Couple beaten to death in bizarre healing ritual

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 - A bizarre ritual to rid a couple of their ailments left them beaten to death, and a teenage female relative fighting for her life at the Seri Sarawak flats in Jalan Imbi last night.

Mohd Ibrahim Kader Mydin, 47, and wife, Rosina S. M. Mydin Pillay, 41, whose heads were smashed, died on the spot.

Four close relatives subjected the couple to the brutal ritual which involved smashing their heads on a table and assaulting them repeatedly with crash helmets and brooms.

It is learnt the relatives deployed the treatment to make Mohd Ibrahim quit his chain-smoking habit, and rid his wife of asthma and liver ailment.

A 15-year-old daughter of one of the four relatives stumbled on the ritual and was horrified upon watching the couple soaked in blood and semi-conscious.

She attempted to escape from the flats. However, she was caught and beaten up by the four who are believed to be linked to a cult. The teenager has been warded in a critical condition at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital.

As I woke up and read the papers, I am amazed at what our society can produce. I mean they are people we see everyday, relatives and friends, yet they have no reservations in killing you, bashing in their heads and assaulting with weapons of anything they can find. It probably is not the first of its kind but when little children are involved, my pent up frustration just explodes!