Afghan Sexagenarian Cleric Arrested Marrying 6Yo Child

Afghan authorities arrested a 60-year-old Muslim cleric for marrying a young girl of only 6 years old in a village in the Ghor province.

The religious leader, Mohammad Karim, however has denied of any wrong doing claiming the girl was gifted to him as religious offering by the parents, who were well aware of the marriage.

The cleric was arrested on Wednesday and as claimed by the cleric the wedding was held in the holy month of Ramadan in the presence of about forty people, after approval by both the father and mother of the girl.

Karim said, “The girl was given to me as a gift and we were married so I could raise her… After the parents gave their daughter to me, they said, ‘you can take her wherever you want.”

However, parents are claiming their daughter was kidnapped from western Herat province.

According to deputy police commander of Ghor, Mohammad Zeman Azami, the parents have denied the version of cleric adding they were not present at the wedding.

The child is currently at woman’s shelter in Ghor and the parents have headed to the facility to take her back home.

Head of the women affairs department in Ghor, Massom Anwari, said the girl only said she is afraid of the man.

Medical examination of the girl reports no physical or psychological harm.

Government spokesman Abdul Hai Khatibi said the cleric is in jail and investigation in the matter is under process