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To
know about the issue of "Jariya" or slave girls, after Television Maldives
announced it. But numerous times I have heard that a certain socially isolated
group of people actually support the idea of slave girls. Reportedly the issue
surfaced when a girl (under 18 years of age) consulted a doctor in IGM hospital
in Male'. The doctor who consulted her reports that the girl was sexually
abused and she is pregnant. The Doctor also reports that the women who
accompanied the girl informed that the girl was a "Jariya". But why
would she say that? Interestingly IGM hospital had no records of her.
An article covering the story on "Haveeru" website showed a woman in
black clothes, which made me wonder whether there is any connection between the
issue and black clothes. To the best of my knowledge many Muslims around the
world wear black clothes including Saudis and Iranians, but it is not known
that slavery is practiced in either of these countries.
Slavery
This case is under investigation by the Maldives Police and Human rights
commission. So far Maldives
police remained silent about the issue, but Human Rights Commission of Maldives
confirmed that "Jariyas" or girl slavery exists in Maldives.
In Maldives,
the valid minimum age for marriage is 18 years. However, once in a while,
illegal marriages (officially) are carried out by separatist groups in the
society. So it is also possible that illegal marriage could be mistaken as girl
slavery.
Slavery lasted in USA
for as long as 3 centuries. Children, Men and Women were brought from Africa and sold for money. Slavery was ended in US by the
amendment to the United States Constitution in 1865. If you read history you
probably know the unspeakable suffering of children, men and women from Africa
who served the US and Europe as slaves. Every human being has full rights to
live free, as any other human being. SAY NO TO SLAVERY.
codexero.blogspot.com, Global Voices
