ABBOTABAD:
The brother-in-law of a runaway Afghan woman has claimed that she was already married to him before her elopement.
Mariyam Marjman Molouda, the Afghan woman, had tied the nuptial knot in Pakistan a month ago with a fellow Afghan named Hewad against the will of her family back home.
The couple claimed to have fled Kabul because the woman’s family tried to marry her (Mariyam) with Abdul Rehman, the invalid husband of her deceased sister.
The family of Abdul Rehman, however, rejected the couple’s claims on Sunday.
It alleged that Mariyam has committed a Gunah-e-Kabeera (cardinal sin) by solemnising a new nikah without rescinding her previous one. Saying that the act violated the Afghan law as well as the Shariah, the family demanded that she be extradited to Afghanistan.
Speaking to local media on Sunday, Rehman’s paternal nephew Khan Muhammad said Mariyam married his uncle following his second wife’s (her elder sister’s) death. He produced a nikahnama showing Mariyam consented to marriage with Rehman in the year 1986 according to the Afghan calendar, corresponding to 2006 in the Gregorian calendar.
Khan Muhammad also claimed his uncle had a total of 10 children from all three wives including Mariyam. He said the two girls accompanying Mariyam – two-year old Husna and three-year old Sana – were her and Rehman’s real daughters. Mariyam maintains the girls are her elder sister’s daughters.
Muhammad revealed that Rehman was alive and suffered from paralysis, citing that as a reason behind Mariyam’s relationship with Hewad. He alleged that she took US $95,000, 20 tola of gold and 800,000 Afghani from his uncle’s house while making off to Pakistan. He added that he will present all records before the court in order to secure her extradition.
Muhammad sought to allay fears that they might be stoned or executed by a jirga upon returning to Afghanistan. Responding to a question, he said the matter would be resolved in a Kabul court, adding that the Afghan capital’s judicial system was functioning effectively.
Meanwhile, the couple will be presented before Peshawar High Court (PHC) Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan on Monday, July 23.
The couple has rejected claims that Mariyam was married to Rehman. They maintain she had been living with Rehman’s family for the last three years after her sister’s death to care for his children since he was an invalid himself. Mariyam maintains she was neither married nor engaged to anyone before Hewad, whom she says she married of her own will. She says she fled home after she got an inkling of Rehman’s interest in her and her parents’ willingness towards the marriage. Regarding the girls, Husna and Sana, Mariyam claims they are her nieces and that she took them along due to their attachment with her. Sana has been repatriated to Afghanistan while Husna remains with Mariyam.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 23rd, 2012.
COMMENTS (29)
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I would like to point out that popularity of an idea does not make it logically true; this is a very common logical fallacy that Pakistanis suffer from, stunningly illustrated by the commentators here. According to Logic, argumentum ad populum is an invalid and fallacious argument that holds the same value as garbage.
@Aamir: ''The reason they are running away is so that they are not bred like cattle, and forced to produce the kind of livestock that you are.'' What is wrong with breeding people like cattle, when a) according to credible biologists we are biological machinery just slightly superior to animals; in fact we are nothing but mammals-biological animals and b) when it would ensure (hopefully) that the progeny would be intelligent and obedient enough to study in King's College London to become highly qualified health-care professionals earning tens of thousands of pounds a year as physicians? There are no religious objections to this and neither any scientific, so I suggest to that you think before you write!
they should be given permission to live in pakistan. we have helped extremists in afghanistan for long time, it is time to help the people who deserve our help. may ALLAH protect this family from the wrath of the heinous society.
@hakim khan
Lol your stretching that too far but I do agree that men and women need to be put under control
Pakistan welcomes you!
They should be allowed to Live in Pakistan....
The fact that this story makes news and that there is so much editorial activity about it demonstrates how crazy so many Pakistanis, Afghans and muslims in general are about religion.
This isn't news. This is a personal situation for 2 people and should be left as such. No one has the right to tell them it is right or wrong or interpret how they practice their religion. Once everyone figures out that they just need to take care of themselves and not worry about anyone else, the sooner you will have peace and can make progress on important issues like educating your children (including females), vaccinating your children against polio, developing a self sustaining economy and infrastructure...
Most of the commentors seem level headed, especially Anwer Chughtai and Mwaqar.
Hakim Khan is a zealot that makes no sense. Here is one reason: women are your equal and their pursuit of a peaceful productive life benefits the entire society they live in. Subjugating women undermines that. Unfortunately, you have to have an open mind and think to understand that.
@@ Akshay:
Islam also gives women equal rights including the right to choose their own destiny. Akshay is absolutely correct. I totally agree with him that this conversation is no place to bring in sisters and mothers.
The brand of Islam being promoted in Pakistan is exactly the reason why Pakistan and Pakistanis are being looked upon with hate and are being branded as extremists. While the fact of the matter is that MOST Pakistanis are very decent folks who practice religion but also have tolerance in their daily lives.
I think it is about time for the Pakistanis to rise up against these illiterate Mullahs who have hijacked the religion and twisted it to fulfill their own agendas.
Why this has been blown out of proportions? There are so many Afghans who left homeland and taken refuge in Pakistan. This couple is not an exception unless there is threat to family honour of some well known family in Kabul!. Story of girl looks strong and reliable. Another question, how they let her live in brother in law house for so long without any marital bond? Acording to sharia, He is also a stranger to her!
The government must ensure the protection of people irrespective of their of their country of origin and let the due process complete in light of the law of the land.
@@ Akshay: Listen, you made the assertion to the 'Afghan' that ''you just want to control women''. Where is the conclusive evidence for this bold assertion? Furthermore even if we do, so? Whats wrong with controlling our women? Give me one Darwinian reason as to why we should not control who our females reproduce with especially if our intervention would ensure that genetically healthy progeny would be the end result? Give one darwinian/biological reason which is within the established framework of modern scientific data and I will give you ten for that! Control equals to Power and so consequently the more control we have, the more power we have and the more influence and now tell me how is that not logical? There is not a single a logical argument against controlling women that you could present; this excludes arguments about 'love' and 'emancipation of women' etc because these are nothing but cliches that have no intrinsic logical force or strength.
It's not our problem. It's Afghanistan's problem.
@afghan the woman should have the right to do as she pleases the same goes for the man. nobody has the right to interfear in the lives of others.
@AFGHAN: Only cheap people like yourself bring in sister-mother argument. For the record, my sisters and mother is not my property, they are free to do what they want. You just want to control women. Shame on you.
The couple will recieve Taliban style judgement if they return to Afghanistan...
Gunah-e-Kabeera was committed by Abdul Rehman (invalid, father of 10 children by marrying a healthy young girl). Story of Mariyam make much sense, older sister died/younger one became a scape goat. Presenting a false Nikah Nama should have no validity (such nama's) could be made in no time. We pray Pakistan Judge will not allow their extradition n let them live in peace in Pakistan or any other country they wish to go n live.
They should be provided with adequate security and also be allowed to stay in Pakistan as long as they wish. We know what can happen to them if returned, they should also move to a safer city in Pakistan.
@Akshay:
No offence buddy. Your sisters and mothers could have that right to live with any man with or without marriage but we won't allow our females to stay with our neighbors overnight.
Let her live the way she wants . Enough of ghairat Brigade .
95K USD is a lot of amount to keep in the house and more so to run away with....
A woman has the right to live with a man with/without valid marriage. Even if her marriage is not recognised, she can still live with him. Hope Pakistan government gives a strict message to these primitive tribes that human rights and sexual freedom can not be compromised.
I lost interestest after the first threading of this relationship......
First ,I congratulate this newly wed couple,media should keep their privacy so they don't become victim of ignorance,these are two humans who fall in love and made decision on their mutual understanding and nothing is wrong with that,all of sudden their decision is labelled as (Gunah-e-Kabeera),this makes me laugh when I hear the stories of rape of minor boys and girls by these champions of Islam.Once again, media should keep their privacy and I wish this couple a happy future.
too confusing!
they should be sent to afghanistan for justice according to thier law