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Egyptian Children’s Engagement Photos Spark Outrage, Deemed An ‘Assassination Of Childhood’

By Jessica Dafoe
Published on: 03:33 PST, Oct 23, 2016

It was while celebrating his eldest son’s lavish wedding that Nasser Hassan decided to top the evening, which included performances by a number of famous singers and belly dancers, with an announcement that his son Omar was engaged and would marry his cousin Gharam.

The wedding was held in a province about 75 miles north of Cairo, and those in attendance did not find the announcement strange, even though Omar is only 12 and Gharam is just 11. As the Washington Post shares, many guests later spoke of the news with a local Egyptian newspaper, Al Watan, stating that there was “nothing inappropriate” about it, adding that it was only “an engagement, not a marriage.”

Although Egyptian laws prohibit official registration of marriages for anyone under the age of 18, the practice of underage marriage remains prevalent. According to UNICEF, 17 percent of Egyptian girls are married before the age of 18, with the majority of such unions taking place in rural areas.

However, in the case of Omar and Gharam, outrage was sparked mainly among children’s and women’s rights activists. The photos, which show the youths all dressed up as if adults and Gharam in a white dress, full makeup, high heels and a tiara, appeared in newspapers all over the country, which only heightened activists’ anger.

The incident also prompted Reda Eldanbouki, head of the Women’s Center for Legal Aid and Counseling, to report it to the National Center for Childhood and Motherhood, which is a government agency. He also filed a complaint with the attorney general, urging an investigation into the matter and to hold the parents accountable.

In a statement, Eldanbouki insisted that a union between Omar and Gharam at such a young age “will only lead to an early marriage in which the girl will be deprived of equal chances to education, growth, and will isolate her from social spheres.”

It is unlikely, however, that such complaints and actions will stop child marriages in Egypt, as it has been a prevalent practice in many nations within the Middle East, Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Most efforts to halt the practice have resulted in little effect or has simply caused individuals to manipulate the law. In rural areas of Egypt, children are married off at young ages, but the family delays the official registration of the marriage until the couple reaches the legal age of matrimony to avoid any legal punishment. A consequence that goes along with an underage marriage, if discovered, includes that any children born of the marriage will not be issued a birth certificate until legal age is reached by the parents.

A backlash came from the controversial incident, and Omar’s father spoke to the local paper, stating that he “is a free man and did nothing wrong.” He then defended the engagement.

“‘Omar has always loved Gharam so much that he used to say he will marry her when they grow up.’ He added that both children acted ‘beyond their years’ and developed ‘strong feelings for each other’ through Facebook and other social media and ‘wanted to get engaged.'”

Omar’s father went on to state that he decided to announce the engagement now “before any other man asks for her hand in marriage when she is older. They will get married when they reach the legal age,” he continued.

Within the same province, in June of this year, a 10-year-old bride donning a pink dress, sat next to her 12-year-old groom after celebrating their wedding. The marriage was deemed “an assassination of childhood” by the National Center for Motherhood and Childhood.

Omar’s father went on to explain that his decision was a means to “shield” Omar and Gharam, noting “We have to protect them in their early years before they reach the age of deviation.”

[Featured Image by Facebook]

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