Defenders of Islam will claim that the Koran prohibits forced marriage. They’ll say, “yes, it allows ‘arranged’ marriage, of children, as long as they consent” --- and, by the way, silence counts as consent.
In reality, forced marriage is sewn into the culture of many Islamic traditions. Muhammad married a six-year-old and consummated the marriage when the girl was nine. (In Islam, the girl’s father and husband determine when the girl is ready for consummation.)
And it’s happening here in America.
Last year, two Iraqi immigrants in Texas allegedly arranged for a grown man to marry their 15-year-old daughter. The man would pay them $20,000 and take his new bride to a new city. When the girl protested, her parents choked her --- choked her until she passed out. They beat her with broomsticks. They threw scalding oil onto her body.
In January, she vanished. People wondered if her parents had murdered her --- a so-called “honor killing.” Earlier this month, the girl reappeared. She and her five siblings were put in the custody of Child Protective Services, and their parents were hauled off to jail --- and as police led them past a huddle of journalists, her father yelled, blaming his daughter for everything.
Of course, the mainstream media has largely ignored the story --- ignored the girl’s protests --- in favor of a narrative that views Muslims as supreme victims or harmless, peaceful sages. The campus feminists and Hollywood celebrities who rant about consent and women’s rights have likewise been quiet about it.
I thought they believed in women’s rights.
Maybe a hashtag will make the terrors of Islam trendy enough for progressives to care about.
Will the #MeToo movement stand up for this young girl’s cause? Will campus feminists and Linda Sarsour and FEMINIST Beyoncé rally in her name? Will anyone protest and march for her?
When are American feminists --- who are some of the most privileged people on earth --- going to use their power and privilege to stand up for women’s rights? Sadly, it doesn’t seem likely to happen anytime soon.
But, who knows, maybe a hashtag will make the terrors of Islam trendy enough for progressives to care about. For now, they’ll continue to focus their hatred on conservatives, Christians and basic biology.