Re: Yerima And Meimuna-Maryam Uwais Fires Back

@sadeeque Abba said "1. VVf is not a function of early marriage, but rather poor nutritional status of the victim. A failure on leadership to provide good food to the citizenry."

Comment- Can you provide references as to the link between VVF and Nutrition? Is this comment medically based?

The truth is more likely that due to a relatively big baby descending through a small or even in/adequate pelvis (underdeveloped due to youthfullness) and with labour lasting too long(sometimes 3 to 5 days) the head of the baby presses those tissues against the pelvic bones, thus stopping the blood supply to the bladder or rectum leading to pressure necrosis; the affected tissue dies in 4 to 5 days so the constant leakage of urine and feces occurs! Guess what happens after? These shameless husbands throw them out of their homes and into the streets! I know this, as I lived with the problem (helping to solve it) for years!

VVF is more likely to happen if the woman has poor health care or is married to an ignorant man as yourself who will then keep her at home instead of taking her to a health center with the capacity to deal with such a health challenge. It is highly preventable by marrying women who are mature and have fully developed pelvis! Nutrition is only remotely linked. You can imagine the double jeopardy if a malnourished child is being married away at such a young age!

@sadeeque Abba "2. I dont think Saudi Arabia is a model in matrimony, over 70 percent of their wedding age are still singles."

Comment - What exactly are you trying to say here?

@sadeeque Abba "3. Finally, those apostles of satanism and westernization should please hold their breath, what yerima did was not wrtong, illegal or sinful. How many Nigerian men can really be free of this blame(sleeping with minors)?"

Comment - What do you mean by 'Westernization'?
If I may ask, how are you communicating presently except by a computer, a product of the western world? Do you use a wrist watch, brush your teeth and drink Coca cola? Why would the likes of you utilize all that is convenient, comfortable and western; espouse 'satanic' principles and way of life in your daily lives such as by the car you drive, the language you communicate in and yet deny your womenfolk of what you think is their legitimate right?

What Hypocrisy!

By the way, who said that 2 wrongs make a right?

If you can argue that what Yerima did is 'not wrong, illegal or sinful', would you do the same or give out your 13 year old child to such a pitiful and morally bankrupt man such as Yerima? Is it moral? Does islam enforce this type of practice? You cannot in any way justify what Yerima did as civilized, moral and acceptable especially a Federal Government of Nigeria SEANTOR.

With people like you espousing such primitive and retrogressive ideas, no wonder Nigeria is still operating as a 19th Century slave post whilst Dubai, Saudi Arabia and all other Arab lands Islam originated from, are ways ahead of Northern Nigeria with its multitudes of Almajiris swarming everywhere with not a single state Government(remember Yerima was a Governor) having its conscience pricked by doing something about another evidence of the crass inequity in our society.

Mallam,
You need to travel round the world and get both educated and exposed. There is no society in the world where small girls are forced into early marriage that had developed. Girls who would have contributed to development have their dreams destroyed. Girls like that dont make good wivies because they are still children. They cannot take care of their husbands or children, That is why you see men who marry young girls divorce them after sometimes and marry another younger one because they are looking for a wife who can care for them and a small girl can never be a wife.
Muslims get sensitive because the prophet of islam did it but that was the practice 2000 years ago. Even Mary mother of jesus was very young. This is 2010 and islam is not static, it is for all times. Why dont muslims refuse flying to mecca by plane, using loud speakers to call prayer,listening to quran on CD, watching Islamic progams on TV etc because it was not used during the time of the prophet and only insist on living the way he did some 2000 years ago. Please lets be realistic. The world is moving on. You said north is disdvantaged educationally, is it by marrying off 13 year old that we can bridge the gap.The prophet married an older woman for twenty five years, he was 25 and she was 40 and he was faithful to her alone for twenty five years, why is this not emulated. A young girl marrying an older man will eventually look for younger men as the old man can not understand her needs. Generational gap.This a fact. Early marriage is not solution to prostitution . Financially empowered girls will kill prostitution and adultry.

I get amused by the sheer pretence or servitude of our brothers and sistgers on the issue of early marriage. First, iam sure all those anti early marriage dudes are themselves victims of their own war. How many of them went to their husbands as virgins? How many fifteen year olds in Nigeria are still virgins? Is it better to have sex outside wedlock or in wedlock as a fifteen year old?
1. VVf is not a function of early marriage, but rather poor nutritional status of the victim. A failure on leadership to provide good food to the citizenry.
2. I dont think Saudi Arabia is a model in matrimony, over 70 percent of their wedding age are still singles.
3. Finally, those apostles of satanism and westernization should please hold their breath, what yerima did was not wrtong, illegal or sinful. How many Nigerian men can really be free of this blame(sleeping with minors)?

Where does Atiku, Buhari, Sarah Jubrin, IBB, Sambo etc etc stand on this issue? Our so called journalists, go after each of the aspirants in the land and get them to tell us their stand immediately. Publish their stand in the daily and let hold them responsible for the lives of all Nigerian girls.

All aspirants, where do you stand on this debate? Can you articulate your position as clearly as this daughter of Africa has done?

Its time to lift the veil. This simply shows that the north like the rest part of Nigeria has been unfortunate to have been represented by the worst sets of people in their mist. The system that throws up this sort of individuals must be destroyed!

Where does Atiku, Buhari, Sarah Jubrin, IBB, Sambo etc etc stand on this issue? Our so called journalists, go after each of the aspirants in the land and get them to tell us their stand immediately. Publish their stand in the daily and let hold them responsible for the lives of all Nigerian girls.

All aspirants, where do you stand on this debate? Can you articulate your position as clearly as this daughter of Africa has done?

Its time to lift the veil. This simply shows that the north like the rest part of Nigeria has been unfortunate to have been represented by the worst sets of people in their mist. The system that throws up this sort of individuals must be destroyed!

@Legal Eagle, I believe you are right that she is Justice Uwais wife, but she is not as young as you think. She has one of those forever young face. Believe it or if she is the Mrs. Uwais, she has been a lwayer since around 1980. Go figure. All I can say is that she is a beacon of hope ad light.

May God bless the womb that bore this woman! Very articulate & concise article. I hope that more knowledgeable women (& men) in Islam will rise up to fight this cause.
God bless you Mrs Uwais.

I had earlier posted a comment on Tilde's pathetic spin on paedophilia, so I will not waste any more words on his excuses. At least we know whose side he is on.

The more enlightened and progressive reply by Mrs Uwais gives hope that there is a flicker of light at the end of the tunnel.

Now to take it to the next level, this is what should happen:- A Sovereign National Conference. Issues as touchy and urgent like this will be vigorously debated, both as a group(national) and as a section(regional). There will be no hiding place for people like Yerima and Tilde because they will be intellectually exposed by the likes of Uwais.

Another interesting debate will be between advocates of Sharia law and secular supporters (who would prefer to build research centres for the eradication and treatment polio). Who would win the debate? Your guess is as good as mine.

Finally and still on SNC, Nigerian women generally, and of Northern extraction in particular will rediscover their voices and break free from the enslavement of the ignorant men.

This video shamefully demonstrates how Sharia treats poor black women - Yerima & Tilde style.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdmi_G6QQXw

Mr Legal Eagle, your comments on Looking at Madam's photo and wondering who she is or if she was a child bride herself are totally unjustified and i feel the height of ignorance. The fact might be who you think she is, but her central issues are directly focused and her works are central to these issues she has raised. Sometimes it is best to keep our ignorant comments to ourselves.

Excellent and well argued and written piece. Maryam Uwais is the voice of millions of voiceless girls and young women whose rights are violated so consistently in the name of religion and culture in Nigeria. This may have a flare for Islam as practised in the north of Nigeria, but it applies to the Nigerian context more generally where women must suffer all kinds of humiliations and abuse whether young or not in the name of marriage. Women are equal to men and increasingly more equal so need to be respected. Period.

This is an article that makes my hair strand stand. well written meaniful article.

I had earlier posted a comment on Tilde's pathetic spin on paedophilia, so I will not waste any more words on his excuses. At least we know whose side he is on.

The more enlightened and progressive reply by Mrs Uwais gives hope that there is a flicker of light at the end of the tunnel.

Now to take it to the next level, this is what should happen:- A Sovereign National Conference. Issues as touchy and urgent like this will be vigorously debated, both as a group(national) and as a section(regional). There will be no hiding place for people like Yerima and Tilde because they will be intellectually exposed by the likes of Uwais.

Another interesting debate will be between advocates of Sharia law and secular supporters (who would prefer to build research centres for the eradication and treatment polio). Who would win the debate? Your guess is as good as mine.

Finally and still on SNC, Nigerian women generally, and of Northern extraction in particular will rediscover their voices and break free from the enslavement of the ignorant men.

Religion is not meant to be a prison, see how much fighting Mrs Uwais and others like her have to undergo just to get us out of PRISON........let religion remain in the mosques and churches etc and leave us alone.....In Turkey ( a predominantly muslim country) religion is not allowed to play any role in government.....Turkey once ruled the world and their current secular policy arose from their experience with History.......Get religion out of my Face......Get religion out of my public life......Religion causes great inequality amongst peoples......Imams, Bishops, Prophets etc, at top of the pye, others wallowing in self inflicted prison........Outa my face.

Inasmuch as I completely disagree with Dr Tilde's views on early marriage, I respect the fact that he is open to healthy debate on the subject. His insistence on publishing this rejoionder shows that he's open minded and willing to consider other opinions.

Let's remember that this was a personal email to him. He did not have to seek permission to publish it. I strongly believe that as long as we encourage healthy debate on pertinent social issues and discuss them with understanding of all opinions, we will not move forward as a nation. This is why a soverign national conference is essential to Nigeria's progress.

As a nation, we need to respectfully consider all opinions on any subject before deciding on the best course of action to chart. Our opinions are formed by a myriad of events including our culture, parental upbringing, life experiences etc. This varies for every single individual. Therefore, to get common buy-in on any subject, these opinions must be considered, and exhaustively debated. That way mutual acceptance can be achieved. Or at least, opponents are appeased that the agreed upon action is being upheld by the proponent majority. Afterall, we all know that we can not agree on everything all of the time.

thanks for this article. we need educated women like you to educate northern men who only understand sharia in terms of their trouser no matter how educated. Look at the situation of northern nigeria today. poverty,ignorance and divorce women everywhere. yet when the northern man look into the quran he can only see marry four wivies, marry them young, divorce them and marry younger ones. The universal message of the quran of equity, love , justice, forgiveness, peace, tolerance, charity is not important. The prophet of islam who married forty years old khadija alone for twenty five years is never emulated because living in a monogamous marriage for twenty five years is not worthy of emulation. Allah will judge everyone accordingly

Madam Maryham you are the light of the north, a true Nigerian and I am proud to call you a national hero for the truth. May God protect and guard your going in and out.

Your voice and the few voices from the north will tell the truth to begin our healing process and enable us make clear the laws of the land and the application of sharia as a tool of oppression of the poor.

We need a change to benefit black people and not religion to divide us, we have to emancipate ourselves from the mental slavery of religion and define the best for ourselves.

We must build our nation by empowering our men and women to be self sufficient to enable productivity, prosperity for the nation.

This article only confirms one thing to me, the way we have ldiots in the southern part of Nigeria i.e Ojo "the clown" Madueke, Alao "the yellow pawpaw" Akala,Chris and Andy "Okija" Ubas, Aremu " the GORILLA" Obasanjos, Patience"the Hippotamus" Jonathans, is the way we have them in the north i.e Sani"the pig" Yerima, Aliyu"the Cow" Tilde, Jubril"the goat" Aminu, Adamu "the monkey" Ciromas, Tanko "the sheep" Yakassai and the Turai "the undertaker" Yar'adua. And the way we have brains and integrity in the south i.e the Soyinkas, the Bakares, the Anyaokus, the Justice Oputas, is the same was we have them in the north i.e the Umar Dangiwas, the Balarabes, the Jegas, the Buharis and of course the writer of this article Maryam Uwais. This is just to tell us that there are two type of Nigerians, the good ones and the bad ones.

MADAM UWAIS HAS SPOKEN, ALTHOUGH SHE DID NOT DWELL ON THE HEALTH IMPLICATION OF THIS EARLY MARRIAGE "SCOURGE" ............WHICH IS VVF. WHY IS IT PREVALENT IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTRY.

I am moved and really overwhelmed with this article. This is true Jihad and ibadah. Auntie Maryam, may Allah (SWT) reward you like a true jihadist. Hypocrazy of our supposed leaders especially those in-quote muslim leaders that uses the scriptures out of context to justify their inordinate intentions and deeds.Allahu said in the quran (mani amila solihan fali nafsi wama asa afa aleha wama robuka bil solamin lih bid). They deceive no one but themselves cus Allah is just.

I pray for you with barakat Habibullah that yours shall be Allah's mercy here and hereafter. Thank you.

I have contemplated writing something on this topic because of the damage some ignorant people are doing to the religion of Islam. I salute the courage of Mrs Maryam Uwais for picking up the gauntlet in defense of this young girls being married at very young age.
Parents who, for economic reasons, marry off their daughters at very young age to amorous suitors are to blame largely for the proliferation of Almajiris on our streets. People with almost no income at all marry four wives and breed children like rats without any care for them.In the long run, these parents abdicate their responsibility by sending those children to so-called Islamic "schools" in the cities where the Malams, in whose care they are placed, send them to streets to beg and make money for them. Four-year old kids can be seen begging in major cities of the North. They are subjected to all kinds of abuses; they do not know what compassion or love is all about; they feel neglected and wonder why they are treated as outcast; they grow up with only hatred in their hearts. That is why any time opportunities in the form of religious or ethnic riots occur they are at the forefront looting and unleashing mayhem on innocent people because compassion, love and sanctity of life mean nothing to them.
I pray to Allah to strengthen Mrs Uwais' resolve to continue to help these helpless girls.

Looking at Madam's photo, one wonders whether she is Justice Uwais Rtd's wife or daughter. Was she a child bride herself, I ask myself ...

Madame, we need more of this. I would loathe islam if not that I am aware of its spirit and intents. The only problem is that we have continued to witness twisted and self serving interpretations to its values. It was the same in christianity the pharisees and sadducees suppressed the general public with such interpretations and even today, some doctrination in some churches yeild the same results but gracefully, lies can't hold for much since christianity allows us to question all such authority.

Tilde is like some of our leaders in Nigeria, Educated, but Anti Intellectual, he is simply a disgrace. That being said, Islam like Christianity is a foreign religion, our people will never progress, unless and until they recognize that they are African first.

I am always alarmed at the kind of actions and inactions of our northern people (elites). The kind of arguments they advance on national issues and the way they go about it worries me a lot. How they resort to religion all the time in order to continue to hold on to power without anything to show for it. How on earth can the Yerima of all sharia people justify his marrying a minor? Has he given out his own minors out for marriage? I always watch how their people divorce with impunity and I wonder if nobody can check this. It's unfortunate that we all belong to the same nation where state laws in the name of sharia supercedes national laws. That's why northern leaders will always drive Nigeria backwards anytime they are in power thinking that the rest of the country is as backward as some of the laws and practises they have in the north. Let me tell our northern brothers that we are moving forward in the south while they are either marking time or moving backward with this their so-called sharia laws. I thank God that we can count on this Hajia Uwais. At least, I have seen one person that could bring hope to the hopeless and abandoned street urchins in the north. This amazon deserves commendation from every right thinking Nigeria. As far as the north is not progressing, Nigeria will never progress going by the crooked type of federalism we are practicing. The sharia champions will always draw us back for their selfish ends. Bravo Hajia Uwais. May God raise more forward thinking individuals in the north so that the whole Nigeria can move forward.

thank you mrs uwais for this article. i was filled with pain to hear of what these evil pedophiles hiding behind religion to commit their heinous and wicked deeds.

how can a man marry and divorce 19times and still claim he is religious? it is share wickedness and the painful things that the girls they marry and divorce like this are minors whose sexual organs have not fully developed to cater to sex and childbirth. these men are beasts and animals.

the northern Nigeria has serious issues like these facing the success of its future, the leaders better know what they are doing because if these early marriage and other issues like education is not addressed in the north, it will affect every Nigerian because we are all one nation.

we in the south have our own vices which need to be dealt with like scam, drug crime and other cases to deal with.

these are what our elected leaders should be addressing rather they are busy stealing money.

mrs uwais i pray that you will succeed in this issue you are against because i can see the pain you are going through from this article.

You guys need to free urself from that bondage called religion.Sharia,Veil,early marraige,all this stupidness as part of islamic code. This the 21st century you guys to get on the bus or risk been left behind.

Maryam Uwais don finish this mallam o!
Good for you. I could not make much sense of what Tilde was trying to say before!

Stupid yeye Tilde guy, i have always known u to be a retard, and a religious zealot. YOU SEE YAH SELF.
Na woman come disgrace u for SR. I know say na through quota system u take get that Yeye fake chicago DR. title wey u dey use............

This is the first time I have had the privilege to read a comment on any issue by Mrs. Uwais, and I am constrained here to note that, given her well articulated point of view, and the prevalent misapplication of the spirit and letter of many Islamic and Shari'a precepts in Northern Nigeria, with the twin consequences of perpetrating and exacerbating injustices across the region and denying us of the benefits of stable, cohesive family units through educated and focused motherhood,we must support her group in ridding the region of this canker-worm, if the region is to move forward with the rest of the world. Besides, to insist on the interpretation of the Shari'a without regard to time and circumstances will be counter-productive and, therefore, against Islamic precepts of a healthy, well adjusted, family-focused society.
I am encouraged by Mrs. Uwais's arguments and believe the Ummah stands to benefit more by using the likes of her to advance and promote an effective change in society, which can only further the cause of Islam. May Allah guide us aright.

You´re much smarter than Mallam Tilde!