Syrian Khalid, 5 years old, popped the big question to Hala, 3 years old. “Will you marry me?” during a vacation with family and friends in Latakia, Syria. Well now they are officially engaged and they are completely “inseparable by love” as their parents say. Too young for love? Their parents don’t think so. Khalid’s father says that since Khalid was born, he had known that he will get engaged at such a young age and specifically at the age of 5. Khalid met Hala at a family vacation gathering in Latakia, Syria and they immediately fell in love.
After they came back to their hometown Homs, Khalid refused to go to his nursery because he missed his love so much. So the parents immediately moved a step further and arranged the engagement. Both parents agreed that the marriage will take place after 10 years when Khalid is 15 and Hala is 13 as it is clear to the kids and the parents that this is meant to be as they are completely in love.
I don’t really know how to react to such matters! I found it cute and amusing, however, it shows lack of education and social experience. It is cute when she calls their house phone and asks for her “cianfe.” But seriously?? Fiancé?? 5 and 3 years old? I don’t know, maybe I am ignorant regarding this matter. Anyhow, I am including pieces from other places on the web that delivers more of the story in their own way.
Their story has become the talk of the country.
“I vowed to have my child engaged at the age of five if he was a boy and to marry him to a women of his choice at the age of 15,” he said. He has also agreed to bear the education expenses of both children until they graduate.
Child marriage continues across the globe as many cultures remain bound by tradition, but there are very few cases when it comes to big cities in this Middle Eastern country. Syria is not among the United Nations list of 30 countries with the highest incidents of child marriage. Perhaps the unusual nature of the betrothals has increased the disapproval and displeasure voiced in Syria's newspapers and online discussion forums.
“How can these idiotic and clearly blind parents not see that they are merely encouraging the destruction of their children's childhood? It's beyond me why they're not just shrugging it off with a 'don't be silly' attitude," wrote another concerned woman in Damaspost. "These imbeciles have taken this too far already, and it should be stopped before something stupid happens.”
However, according to Syria's English-language Forward Magazine, Syrian marriages are traditionally arranged at an early age for both males and females. When a boy reaches puberty, his female relatives begin searching for a suitable wife, who generally will be a few years younger than him.
Some tribal elders also see nothing wrong in committing young girls to marriage. They believe early marriage protects their daughters from premarital relationships, arguing that Islamic law in fact permits such matrimonies.
Several international human rights agreements protect children from underage marriage, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the Convention of Eradication of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (1979), the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (1990).
The UN recommends that countries adopt a minimum age for marriage of 18 for both sexes, saying child marriage reinforces low education, high fertility, and poverty.
While their peers are still focused on playground games and cartoons, a pair of Syrian children have become the talk of their country as possibly the youngest couple ever to get engaged.
Though the pre-pubescent union was undoubtedly arranged by the children's parents, family members say both Khalid and Hala are in love and have consented to the betrothal.
Though Syrian marriages are traditionally arranged at an early age for both boys and girls, the country does not rank among the UN's list of countries with the highest rates of child marriage, according to CBS.
