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| Young Saudi girl's marriage ended | Young Saudi girl's marriage ended |
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| Media reports say an arranged marriage between a Saudi girl aged eight and a man in his 50s has been annulled, in a case attracting worldwide criticism. | Media reports say an arranged marriage between a Saudi girl aged eight and a man in his 50s has been annulled, in a case attracting worldwide criticism. |
| The Saudi Gazette says the annulment was agreed in an out-of-court settlement after a judge rejected two attempts to grant the girl a divorce. | The Saudi Gazette says the annulment was agreed in an out-of-court settlement after a judge rejected two attempts to grant the girl a divorce. |
| The case prompted Saudi officials to say it would start regulating the marriages of young girls. | The case prompted Saudi officials to say it would start regulating the marriages of young girls. |
| Rights groups say some Saudi families marry off young daughters for money. | Rights groups say some Saudi families marry off young daughters for money. |
| The judge who first heard the case in the town of Unaiza refused to end the marriage at class="bodl" href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/7579616.stm">the request of the girl's mother , but he stipulated the groom could not have sex with the girl until she reached puberty. | |
| The girl's father is said to have married her off against her mother's wishes to a close friend in order that he could pay off a debt. | The girl's father is said to have married her off against her mother's wishes to a close friend in order that he could pay off a debt. |
| A new judge was appointed to oversee the case, who issued the annulment after the husband finally gave up his insistence that the marriage had been legal, reports say. | A new judge was appointed to oversee the case, who issued the annulment after the husband finally gave up his insistence that the marriage had been legal, reports say. |
| Saudi Arabia implements an austere form of Sunni Islam that bans free association between the sexes and gives fathers the right to wed their children to whomever they deem fit. | Saudi Arabia implements an austere form of Sunni Islam that bans free association between the sexes and gives fathers the right to wed their children to whomever they deem fit. |
| Saudi commentators pointed out that the marriage took place in the central province of Qaseem - the heartland of Saudi Islamic fundamentalism. | Saudi commentators pointed out that the marriage took place in the central province of Qaseem - the heartland of Saudi Islamic fundamentalism. |
| Earlier this year, the country's highest religious authority, the Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Shaikh, said it was not against Islamic law to marry off girls who are 15 and younger. | Earlier this year, the country's highest religious authority, the Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Shaikh, said it was not against Islamic law to marry off girls who are 15 and younger. |
| On 15 April, after this case generated considerable negative publicity, Justice Minister Muhammad Issa class="bodl" href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/7999777.stm">said he wanted to put an end to the "arbitrary" way in which parents and guardians could marry off their young daughters. | |
| However, he he did not say that the practice would be banned. | However, he he did not say that the practice would be banned. |