The Child Brides of Afghanistan

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The Child Brides of Afghanistan

Posted on Jul 10, 2006

From Stephanie Sinclair / The New York Times

Ghulam Haider, 11, is to be married to Faiz Mohammed, 40. She had hoped to be a teacher but was forced to quit her classes when she became engaged.

The N.Y. Times presents a photo essay on girls as young as 11 being married off to men three or four times their age, sometimes to settle gambling debts. The last line of the accompanying textual essay is as heartbreaking as anything you’ll ever read.

N.Y. Times:

... On the day she witnessed the engagement party of 11-year-old Ghulam Haider to 40-year-old Faiz Mohammed, [N.Y. Times photographer] Stephanie Sinclair discreetly took the girl aside. “What are you feeling today?” the photographer asked. “Nothing,” the bewildered girl answered. “I do not know this man. What am I supposed to feel?”

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TAGS: afghan afghanistan bride child young

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By anonymous, July 16, 2008 at 2:41 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

historically it’s quite common to get married young, in medieval europe, women were expected to be married with children at 13, and usually with no choice at all in who she was married to

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By A. Brown, December 13, 2007 at 11:48 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Well its nice to know that the United States does not corner the market in perverts and child molestors. That poor girl should be playing with dolls, not marrying some old fart thats old enough to be her father. I don’t know whats worst this or the stoning of children in Iran or other nearby areas.

By the way does the NY Times reporter think he is going to hear an HONEST answer from a child that is living in fear - one wrong word and shes history.

While posting this I noticed the “Are you human” at the bottom of this page. The answer is YES, this why I am upset reading this!

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By Shirley Major, July 10, 2006 at 10:46 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

I just finished reading “The Bookseller of Kabul”. It was a terrific resource for finding out about the daily living conditions of Afghan women. Somehow my life can never be the same after having read of their horrific lives!

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