SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
Chechnya's leader Ramzan Kadyrov has urged men to stop their wives from using WhatsApp after anger over a police chief's forced marriage to a 17-year-old spread on the messaging service:
"Lock them in, do not let them go out, then they will not post anything," Ramzan Kadyrov was quoted as saying. Mr Kadyrov had earlier backed a police chief's marriage to a 17-year-old, even though he was already married, in apparent violation of Russian laws. His chief of staff has since proposed legalising polygamy in Chechnya.
Mr Kadyrov, an authoritarian leader and close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has in recent years outlawed the abduction of brides and underage marriage. He is also thought to be in favour of polygamy. His top aide Magomed Daudov said: "It all has to be in keeping with Sharia: But if a man can support more than one wife, then why not?"
Before Saturday's ceremony, local media reported that police chief Nazhud Guchigov, 47, had prevented Kheda Goylabiyeva from leaving her home and threatened her family with reprisals if they did not hand her over.Mr Kadyrov denounced discussion of the marriage on WhatsApp in comments broadcast on local state-run TV. "Stop. Behave like Chechens," he was reported as saying. "The family honour is the most important thing. Do not write such things. Men, do take your women out of WhatsApp." Last week he took to his Instagram account to criticise Russian media coverage of the marriage as "this fuss ordered by some liberals". "The girl's parents gave their blessing to this marriage," he claimed, arguing that reports to the contrary were filled with lies.
(Score: 2) by tibman on Friday May 22 2015, @05:50PM
I read the translated article and the journalist didn't say the bride was unwilling. One of the bride's friends said the bride was unwilling. I couldn't find any quote from a family member. In-fact i saw the exact opposite. No journalist has been given access to the father or grandfather. Underage marriage is usually legal but a parent gives the consent.
Apparently stealing women to marry them had been a common crime in Chechnya until recently. I think the reason for all the concern is the groom could have abused his position to pressure the family (and possibly bride) for permission. The town is poor and the family is poor. They can't fight a police chief for anything.
There is a lot of guessing going on but the police chief taking two wives is fact. I would be accepting of this if both he and his current wife both agreed that he could take a second wife. Marriage is a contract and fucking a 17 year old girl who is still in school would probably be breaking that contract. Marrying the 17 year old does not suddenly mean that the first marriage is no longer being violated.
SN won't survive on lurkers alone. Write comments.
(Score: 2) by bradley13 on Friday May 22 2015, @06:24PM
The thing is: even if a journalist had talked to a male family member, who would believe him? It is entirely normal for fathers in Islamic culture to marry their daughters off. Whether or not the daughter wants married off is not a factor in the equation. I mean, who asks property what it wants?
Women are essentially slaves in that culture. Read the police chiefs comments, they are pretty explicit.
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
(Score: 2) by tibman on Friday May 22 2015, @07:05PM
I think it would still matter even in that context. If the girl was property then the father's consent was absolutely required, not optional.
SN won't survive on lurkers alone. Write comments.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 23 2015, @12:17AM
That's nothing inherent in or unique to Islam, its an "old world" thing (Christian countries were the same, until very recently); many Islamic countries aren't socially 'modern', but Islam isn't exactly to blame for that, abusive, power-hungry, exploitative scumbags are, Islam is just their excuse.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 23 2015, @12:20AM
inb4 "the Quran says...!", because The Holy Bible says the same thing and probably worse. Its nothing specific to Islam.