Nada Al-Ahdal, an 11-year-old Yemeni girl, recently fled her parents' home in order to avoid being married off against her will. Recounting her story in an impromptu video recorded in a car, she said that she would rather die than enter a marriage at her age. In her video message, which was posted on YouTube on July 8, 2013, she made an impassioned plea: "What about the innocence of childhood? What have the children done wrong? Why do you marry them off like that?"
Al-Ahdal, one of eight siblings, had lived with her uncle in the capital of Sanaa since she was a toddler. She is a singer who has participated in musicals.[1] She reportedly had been sent back to her parents a month ago at their request, only to discover that they had arranged a marriage for her with a Yemeni man in his twenties, who works in one of the Gulf states.[2]
Child marriage is common in Yemen, with many girls married off by their families as early as age eight, frequently to older men. The motive of the families is often financial, and indeed, Al-Ahdal recounted that her parents had received money from the groom-to-be.[3] "I'd rather die," she said in her video message. "I'd rather live with my uncle than with these people. They threatened to kill me if I went to my uncle. What kind of people threaten their children like that?"
Al-Ahdal added that her sister had been married off at age 11 and that a maternal aunt had committed suicide by self-immolation at the age of 14 after having been forced into marriage. She said defiantly: "My mother, my family, believe me when I say: I'm done with you. You've ruined my dreams."
After Al-Ahdal fled her parents' home, the Yemeni Ministry of the Interior entrusted her uncle with her guardianship.[4]
In 2009, MEMRI released a clip in which 10-year-old Nujoud Ali, another Yemeni girl, made headlines when she appealed to the courts for a divorce.
The following are excerpts from 11-year-old Nada Al-Ahdal's video. To view the MEMRI TV clip, click here.
"What About The Innocence Of Childhood?"
Nada Al-Ahdal: "Salaam Alaikum. Allah's mercy and blessings upon you. Hello to you all. I'd like to thank Mukhtar Al-Sharafi and Amal. I'd like to thank all the journalist and you as well. It's true that I ran away from my family. I can't live with them anymore. Enough. I want to go live with my uncle. What about the innocence of childhood? What have the children done wrong? Why do you marry them off like that?
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"I managed to solve my problem, but some innocent children can't solve theirs, and they might die, commit suicide, or do whatever comes to mind. They're just kids. What do they know? They didn't have time to study, or anything. It's not our fault. I'm not the only one. It can happen to any child. There are many cases like that. Some children decide to throw themselves into the sea. They're dead now. This is not normal for innocent children."
"It's true that I fled to my uncle, but he wasn't home. So I called Abd Al-Jabbar [Ziad, Al-Ahdal's band manager] to come and get me. Abd Al-Jabbar sent me a woman to travel with her back to Al-Hudaydah. When my uncle heard about it all, he came for me. I filed a complaint with the police against my mother. I told them that I am only 11 years old and she wants to marry me off.
"I would have had no life, no education. Don't they have any compassion? What kind of upbringing did they get?"
[...]
"I'll Kill Myself" If They Marry Me Off
"I'm better off dead. I'd rather die. I'd rather live with my uncle than with these people. They threatened to kill me if I went to my uncle. What kind of people threaten their children like that? Would it make you happy to marry me off against my will? Go ahead and marry me off. I'll kill myself, just like that. I won't go back to live with them. I won't.
"They have killed our dreams. They have killed everything inside us. There's nothing left. This is no upbringing. This is criminal, simply criminal. [...]"
My Aunt Committed Suicide At Age 14
"My maternal aunt was 14 years old. She lasted one year with her husband, and she poured gasoline over herself and set herself on fire. She died. He would beat her with metal [chains]. He would get drunk. Would it make you happy to marry me off?!
[...]
"My mother, my family, believe me when I say: I'm done with you. You've ruined my dreams. [...]"
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