USA Africa Dialogue Series - Re: MUHAMMED,CHILD MARRIAGE AND ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION

Mohammed like all great teachers had a message, belonged to a community, and acknowledged and practiced the customs, traditions, and values of his community. It is not too difficult to see that his embrace of the mundane social and economic practices and interests of men in his community, contributed to, enhanced and facilitated his success as the founder of one of the world's great religions.

Mohammed like all great ancient teachers, knew not to needlessly challenge the established interests and place of men in his community if he was going to be successful and have his message endure. History is replete with records of what became of great teachers who challenged these practices and interests in their societies.  

Every serious study of any religions is awash in evidence that customs and traditions play a central role in the behavioral aspects and diktats of that religion. Men were traditionally dominant in most early and still many contemporary societies. Men therefore defined and determined customs and traditions following experience yes, but mostly to maintain and sustain male dominance and interests. Is it not the case that in most societies, women usually got the short end of the stick?

Men considered and held women and their daughters to be not only property necessary for preserving their genes, and furthering the tribe, but also sources of pleasure. It was thinking in the above lines that helped to justify in men's minds only, the unequal treatment of women and their daughters by men through history, including such questionable practices like child marriage.

Mohammed it seems, believed in and practiced the social customs and traditions of his people. Given who he was historically, what he is reported to have said and done have therefore been codified by men, as essential elements/components (some may say doctrine)  of the religion that he founded, but also used to preserve and entrench the privileges that men have always enjoyed at the expense of women and their daughters. These codes over time become gospel and quite difficult to change.

If the goal/objective of Islam and its adherents is the salvation of believers, who in good conscience today, would argue that a consummated child marriage of an adult male and a female child, or men having as many as four wives, would help to get the adult man, female child, and up to four women, to paradise?

Successful great teachers were invariably adept  strategists. They knew their environments (communities/societies) well.  

 

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