A Saudi Arabian Princess is outraged over her country’s practice of child marriage, where a young girl is married off to a much older man. Princess Adela bint Abdullah, the influential daughter of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, had this to say about the practice.
“I, personally, and many specialists in social and education fields, share the opinion” that it is in violation of children’s rights, Al-Riyadh newspaper reported.
“A child has the right to live her childhood and not be forced to get married. Even an adult would not accept that.”
The Princess said this after a 12 year-old girl suddenly dropped her divorce petition from her 80 year-old husband. She had accused her husband of rape, but now says she wants to obey the wishes of her father.
Saudi Arabia has no laws against child marriage. However human rights groups are trying to set a minimum marriage law to 16 or older.
Jordan’s Queen Noor was one of the 200 attendants at Tuesday’s Global Zero World Summit in Paris. The Summit targets a ban on nuclear weapons, with UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon leading the disarmament.
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Iran was on the minds of the participants, especially since the country has been making headlines with its nuclear program. But Queen Noor warned on signaling out the Islamic Republic.
“There is no benefit in selective targeting. Exceptions fuel tensions,” she warned. “You have to hold all states accountable.”
That also meant Israel, which never formally acknowledged its nuclear arms but its neighbors in the Middle East are well aware of it. The Queen’s comment was immediately shot down by George Shultz, the former U.S. Secretary of State under President Reagan.
“You can’t start by telling Israel to get rid of its weapons,” when it is in a region surrounded by people “who question its right to exist.”
The summit is to last for three days. Noor, the widow of King Hussein, is expected to take part for all days since she is one of the biggest campaigner for nuclear disarmament.
