Marriage in Iran
Introduction
Marriage laws in Iran has been a controversy for many years due to its strict religious beliefs. The Islamic law states that all females should marry when they are capable of giving birth making the legal marriage age of girls to as low as 9 years old when the girls are capable of giving birth. For the past 20 years the legal marriage age for girls was 15 but dropped as low as 9 for the past 20 years. This has caused much women rights movements in Iran and human rights activists to take action upon this ridiculous age of legalizing marriage for girls that are so young.
Current Status
The Islamic Sharia law forces the Iranian government to lower the age of girls legal age of marrying. The Islamic government is considering lowering the legal marrying age from 10 to 9. This is a huge human and women rights problem viewed from the global point of view since most countries consider it immoral to send off daughters to men much more older than them to marry and make a family.
It is reported that over 75 girls young as the age of 10 have been sent to marry men much older than their age; up to 50 years older. And nearly 4000 cases of girls in the age of 14 were reported recently over the past 4 weeks.
It is reported that over 75 girls young as the age of 10 have been sent to marry men much older than their age; up to 50 years older. And nearly 4000 cases of girls in the age of 14 were reported recently over the past 4 weeks.
Consanguineous Marriage
Not all wedding traditions are kept as same; there also are changing traditions, and one of such is consanguineous marriage. Though people with different cultures might consider this as a bizarre practice, this concept of marrying between distant cousins was common and has continued for a long period of time in Iran, mainly because of its traditional nuclear family structure (Givens, Charles). However, as time passed and modernization and industrialization took place, this type of family structure gradually changed into modern structure, having only one pair of parents and their respective children. This change of structure gradually caused the decline of number of consanguineous marriages.
Problems
Even parents of the young brides consent for the financial stability and religious reasons. As there are many strong followers of the religion, the morality of the parents are blinded, making them consent sending their young daughters away for marriage.
The biggest problem of girls marrying at such a young age is the drop of literate females in Iran and male dominance. It is common place in Iran that a woman has to do what their husband tells them to do and absolutely has to obey him. This causes social dilemmas of women trying to earn back their rights and power. It is said that more than 60% of women in Iran feel like they are being used and enslaved by their husband who is usually at most 50 years older than their age.
The biggest problem of girls marrying at such a young age is the drop of literate females in Iran and male dominance. It is common place in Iran that a woman has to do what their husband tells them to do and absolutely has to obey him. This causes social dilemmas of women trying to earn back their rights and power. It is said that more than 60% of women in Iran feel like they are being used and enslaved by their husband who is usually at most 50 years older than their age.
Works Cited
“Child Marriage.” Majzooban. N.p., June 2012. Web. Feb 8 2013. <http://www.majzooban.org/en/images/stories/2012-06/>
Givens, Benjamin P., and Charles Hirschman. "Modernization And Consanguineous Marriage In Iran." Journal Of Marriage And The Family 56.4 (1994): 820-34. ERIC. Web. 9 Feb. 2013.
“Marriage.” Rackcdn. N.p., Aug 2012. Web. Feb 8 2013. <http://c481901.r1.cf2.rackcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Marriiage.gif>
McMellon, Maggie. “Temporary Marriage in Iran.” Global Solutions Pittsburgh. N.p., 26 Sep 2012. Web. Feb 8 2013.
Ramirez, Ximena. “Iranian Parliament Wants to Legalize Marriage for Girls As Young As 9 Years Old.” Care2. Care2.com, 21 Aug 2012. Web. Feb 8 2013.
Tait, Robert. “Alarm as hundreds of children under age of 10 married in Iran.” The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 26 Aug 2012. Web. Feb 8 2013.
Tsai, Vivian. “Child Bride Practice Rising in Iran, Parliament Seeks to Lower Girl’s Legal Marriage Age to 9.” Ibtimes. International Business Times, 30 Aug 2012. Web. 8 Feb 2013.
“Young Iranian Girl.” Ibtimes. N.p., 30 Aug 2012. Web. Feb 8 2013. <http://s1.ibtimes.com/sites/www.ibtimes.com/files/styles/article_large/public/2012/08/30/300461-young-iranian-girl.jpg>
Weir, Darren. “Iran moves to legalize marriage for girls under 10 years old.” Digital Journal. Digitaljournal.com, 25 Jul 2012. Web. Feb 8 2013.
Givens, Benjamin P., and Charles Hirschman. "Modernization And Consanguineous Marriage In Iran." Journal Of Marriage And The Family 56.4 (1994): 820-34. ERIC. Web. 9 Feb. 2013.
“Marriage.” Rackcdn. N.p., Aug 2012. Web. Feb 8 2013. <http://c481901.r1.cf2.rackcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Marriiage.gif>
McMellon, Maggie. “Temporary Marriage in Iran.” Global Solutions Pittsburgh. N.p., 26 Sep 2012. Web. Feb 8 2013.
Ramirez, Ximena. “Iranian Parliament Wants to Legalize Marriage for Girls As Young As 9 Years Old.” Care2. Care2.com, 21 Aug 2012. Web. Feb 8 2013.
Tait, Robert. “Alarm as hundreds of children under age of 10 married in Iran.” The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 26 Aug 2012. Web. Feb 8 2013.
Tsai, Vivian. “Child Bride Practice Rising in Iran, Parliament Seeks to Lower Girl’s Legal Marriage Age to 9.” Ibtimes. International Business Times, 30 Aug 2012. Web. 8 Feb 2013.
“Young Iranian Girl.” Ibtimes. N.p., 30 Aug 2012. Web. Feb 8 2013. <http://s1.ibtimes.com/sites/www.ibtimes.com/files/styles/article_large/public/2012/08/30/300461-young-iranian-girl.jpg>
Weir, Darren. “Iran moves to legalize marriage for girls under 10 years old.” Digital Journal. Digitaljournal.com, 25 Jul 2012. Web. Feb 8 2013.