NGO foils Sheikh's marriage to 15 year-old girl

BY WATIPASO MZUNGU JNR

  Happy she's rescued: Khadija

Human rights activists are the last crop of people Sheikh Abdulrashid Denis Nawani of Mangochi would set his eyes on because they prevented him from marrying a 15 year-old girl having clinched a deal with the girl’s parents.

But National Coordinator for Islamic Information Bureau (IIB) Sheikh Dinala Chabulika has condemned Nawani’s action describing it as irresponsibility not worthy coming from a religious leader who is supposed to be exemplary.

Sheikh Nawani is said to have enticed Khadijah Hashim’s family with financial and material support if they offered him to marry their daughter and a Standard Eight pupil at St. Augustine 3 Primary School.

YouthNet and Counselling (Yoneco) Youth Development and Human Rights Officer, Matthews Malunga, said Tuesday that in December last year, Sheikh Nawani was due to marry Khadijah Hashim of Mosiya Village, Traditional Authority Chowe in the district after making arrangements with her parents.

Khadijah was, however, not aware of the deal until when marriage counsellors started planning for the big day—engagement ceremony.

Malunga stressing a point to Watipaso

According to Malunga, the man of God approached the Hashim family where he expressed his desire to marry Khadijah. Nawani confirmed this but explained that discussions were being held behind the girl’s back.

In their verbal agreements, Sheikh Nawani committed himself to look after Hashims’ social and financial needs. He also promised to keep Khadijah in school while at the same time attending to the pressing duties and responsibilities of the family.

“He lured the family by promising to render financial support to the family if they gave in,” said Malunga.

Khadijah’s sister, Habiba, confirmed that the family entered into agreements with Nawani where the Hashims were to marry off the teenager “because our father in South Africa cannot provide for us”.

“We cannot provide for her school needs hence the agreement we made with the Sheikh,” said Habiba.

Marriage counsellors from both sides were identified to facilitate and steer the engagement and eventual wedding ceremonies of Sheikh Nawani to Khadijah.

But the religious leader got a shocker of his life when counsellors rang him in the last minute informing him the cancellation.

Sheikh Nawani blames the human rights activists for foiling his marriage and blames Hashims’ u-turn on the Teacher Counsellor, Jenipher Jeremiah-Salapa, who facilitated the foiling of the marriage.

“I still believe that was not the decision from the girl’s family, but some people from an NGO who had told her parents not to marry off their daughter,” said Nawani.

The Sheikh argues and feels his rights have been violated saying as a man he had all the right to marry a woman of his choice without people interfering with his private life.

“Everything was set until this other day they rang to tell me that what I did not expect from them. I don’t know what exactly happened. I loved my girl and she loved me,” explained a seemingly disappointed Sheikh Nawani who ministers at Mosiya Madrassah and passes by the girl’s home every time he is going to serve at the mosque.

But Khadijah contradicted the Sheikh’s sentiments saying “all the arrangements were done by my sister”.

“I’ve never met him personally. He’s never proposed love to me and I never consented to be her wife,” she said. Habiba corroborated what her younger sister said.

In his remarks, Malunga said Mangochi continues to register increase in cases of child abuse and violation of child right to education as most parents encourage their children to do domestic work instead of sending them to school.

Yoneco has embarked on a project aimed at sensitizing the local people on the need to send their children to school, but the project has met some resistance from parents as well as chiefs.

“Our efforts are heavily resisted. We received resistance from Khadijah’s uncle, sisters and village headman Mosiya, as well because they wanted Khadijah to marry Nawani because he had promised financial assistance,” said Malunga.

“It is disheartening to find that parents are the masterminds of these pre-arranged marriages,” he added.

Khadijah’s father and brother are currently in South Africa, but do not send financial or material assistance back home.

Teacher counsellor: Jeniffer Salapa

The teacher counsellor, Jenipher Salapa disclosed that the idea behind the practice was the families desire to pull themselves out of excruciating poverty since most suitors come with promises some of which are unattainable.

“In this case, the idea was that the family could be benefiting from Sheikh’s benevolence if he was allowed to marry the girl,” explained Salapa.

“This practice is rampant here in Mangochi. In Mosiya alone, we had three cases. We rescued two; one got married with parental backing,” she said adding that the teen-family ran disappeared from the district because they feared human rights activists could separate them if they remained in their [activists’] sight.

But Sheikh Abdulrashid Denis Nawani does not see any reason why Yoneco had to come in to stop the mariage on the basis that Khadijah’s right to education was being violated.

According to him, the girl would still be in school and he would be providing all the required support for her succes in education.

But National Coordinator for Islamic Information Bureau (IIB) Sheikh Dinala Chabulika has described Nawani’s argument baseless and irresponsibility.

Chabulika said on Wednesday that what Nawani did was pure irresponsibility and violation of the girl’s right to education.

“Islam teaches us to be responsible. You cannot just marry a girl of that age [15]. We expect girls of such age to be in school and not in marriage,” stressed Chabulika.

END