Child marriage in Gaza

Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation - Fri, 11 Oct 2013 10:00 AM
Author: Maria Caspani More news from our correspondents
hum-peo
  • One morning, Reuters photographer Mohammad Salem received a phone call from a friend asking if he was interested in covering a wedding in the north of the Gaza Strip. “At first I said no, that I wasn't interested because I thought it was a regular wedding, but (then) he told me the groom was very young,” he told Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone from Gaza. “How young?”, he asked his friend. After learning that the groom was 15 and his wife-to-be just 14 years old, Salem darted off to the couple’s neighbourhood to meet them. One morning, Reuters photographer Mohammad Salem received a phone call from a friend asking if he was interested in covering a wedding in the north of the Gaza Strip. “At first I said no, that I wasn't interested because I thought it was a regular wedding, but (then) he told me the groom was very young,” he told Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone from Gaza. “How young?”, he asked his friend. After learning that the groom was 15 and his wife-to-be just 14 years old, Salem darted off to the couple’s neighbourhood to meet them.

    One morning, Reuters photographer Mohammad Salem received a phone call from a friend asking if he was interested in covering a wedding in the north of the Gaza Strip. “At first I said no, that I wasn't interested because I thought it was a regular wedding, but (then) he told me the groom was very young,” he told Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone from Gaza. “How young?”, he asked his friend. After learning that the groom was 15 and his wife-to-be just 14 years old, Salem darted off to the couple’s neighbourhood to meet them.

  • At first it wasn’t easy to persuade the kids’ family to have them photographed. Salem sat down with the parents and at last they agreed. “I've known the family for a long time, I went and took pictures for them on other occasions,” he said. “They know my face, they know me.” At first it wasn’t easy to persuade the kids’ family to have them photographed. Salem sat down with the parents and at last they agreed. “I've known the family for a long time, I went and took pictures for them on other occasions,” he said. “They know my face, they know me.”

    At first it wasn’t easy to persuade the kids’ family to have them photographed. Salem sat down with the parents and at last they agreed. “I've known the family for a long time, I went and took pictures for them on other occasions,” he said. “They know my face, they know me.”

  • Ahmed Soboh, the bridegroom, and Tala Soboh, are cousins. They grew up together and have been neighbours all their lives, separated only by a door. A marriage like theirs is “not something that happens every day,” Salem said, although child marriage is legal in the Palestinian Territories, under both Islamic and secular law. Salem said the legal minimum age for marriage is 15 for boys and 14 for girls. However, other sources differ and some have contradictory information on the matter. Both sets of parents were keen for Ahmed and Tala to marry young so that they could have children soon and the grandparents could enjoy their grandchildren, Salem explained. Ahmed Soboh, the bridegroom, and Tala Soboh, are cousins. They grew up together and have been neighbours all their lives, separated only by a door. A marriage like theirs is “not something that happens every day,” Salem said, although child marriage is legal in the Palestinian Territories, under both Islamic and secular law. Salem said the legal minimum age for marriage is 15 for boys and 14 for girls. However, other sources differ and some have contradictory information on the matter. Both sets of parents were keen for Ahmed and Tala to marry young so that they could have children soon and the grandparents could enjoy their grandchildren, Salem explained.

    Ahmed Soboh, the bridegroom, and Tala Soboh, are cousins. They grew up together and have been neighbours all their lives, separated only by a door. A marriage like theirs is “not something that happens every day,” Salem said, although child marriage is legal in the Palestinian Territories, under both Islamic and secular law. Salem said the legal minimum age for marriage is 15 for boys and 14 for girls. However, other sources differ and some have contradictory information on the matter. Both sets of parents were keen for Ahmed and Tala to marry young so that they could have children soon and the grandparents could enjoy their grandchildren, Salem explained.

  • Salem managed to photograph both the groom and the bride before the wedding ceremony, although he was granted access to the boy’s wedding party only. Salem managed to photograph both the groom and the bride before the wedding ceremony, although he was granted access to the boy’s wedding party only.

    Salem managed to photograph both the groom and the bride before the wedding ceremony, although he was granted access to the boy’s wedding party only.

  • “They (the couple) are very happy, they were smiling all the time...especially when they went to the beach,” he said. Child marriage is illegal in most countries, but there are still pockets of resistance to abandoning this tradition, which experts say hampers the physical and psychological development of both girls and boys. “They (the couple) are very happy, they were smiling all the time...especially when they went to the beach,” he said. Child marriage is illegal in most countries, but there are still pockets of resistance to abandoning this tradition, which experts say hampers the physical and psychological development of both girls and boys.

    “They (the couple) are very happy, they were smiling all the time...especially when they went to the beach,” he said. Child marriage is illegal in most countries, but there are still pockets of resistance to abandoning this tradition, which experts say hampers the physical and psychological development of both girls and boys.

  • “Are other people going to see these photos?” the father of one of the newlyweds asked Salem. “When I told him that people from all over the world were going to see them, he said that it was ok for him, that it wasn't a problem,” Salem said. “Are other people going to see these photos?” the father of one of the newlyweds asked Salem. “When I told him that people from all over the world were going to see them, he said that it was ok for him, that it wasn't a problem,” Salem said.

    “Are other people going to see these photos?” the father of one of the newlyweds asked Salem. “When I told him that people from all over the world were going to see them, he said that it was ok for him, that it wasn't a problem,” Salem said.

promotion
Most Popular
LATEST SLIDESHOW

Latest slideshow

See allSee all
FEATURED JOBS
featured jobs
View full desktop version
Thomson Reuters Foundation is a charity registered in England and Wales (registration number: 1082139) Copyright © 2014 Thomson Reuters Foundation