Picture courtesy of different media.
An Indonesian rich muslim cleric has triggered a heated debate by marrying a 12-year-old girl last August.
Syekh Puji, 43, the founder of Pondok Pesantren Miftakhul Jannah - an Islamic boarding school - in Bedono Semarang, has admitted to an Indonesian media that he liked young girls. In realisation to that, he decided to marry Lutfiana Ulfa, 12 now, a girl coming from the poor family.
His first wife, 26 years old, was allegedly said that she was okay with that, and was even "encouraging" the cleric to take other brides.
The choice fell onto Ulfa, being said as a smart, good at English language and beautiful among the other 20 "candidates".
When asked why he married the 12-year-old Ulfa, Puji said that he was following Prophet Muhammad's lead. The prophet married his wife Aisyah when she was 7, but he gave her back to her parents until she was mature enough to be bedded.
Aries Merdeka Sirait from Komnas Anak - National Commission for Children - claimed that Puji should have been jailed for marrying an underage child, who was obviously having no consent of the real decision for the marriage. It is also, he continues, violating the Indonesian marriage law which pushes the youngest age for a girl to marry is 16, and boy 19.
Hilman Rosyad Syihab, member of Indonesian parliament from PKS party, backs Syekh Puji in his action and states that it is allowed in the Islamic law to set up a marriage with younger girls, as long as they are not "touched" before they menstruate.
Hilman also remarks that the marriage law is to "suggest" the age to marry, but it is not compulsory.
However, Hilman continues, if it is found that it was actually a human trafficking action - father selling his daughter to Puji - it will be a different case. Then both the father and Puji could be taken into charges.
There is no evident so far if it was a trade marriage contract. Although making Ulfa as the director of PT Silenter - Puji's company - has already been a suspicious act that displeases certain groups.
"It is an underage child labour!" Mr Sirait said.
In the mean time, Pujianto Cahyo Widianto - Syekh Puji's real name, is thinking to take 2 other brides, each aged 9 and 7.
-CBA-
