Selling a daughter, 12, for 600 $

“I am not happy with this marriage. My father sold me to Asef. He is “daughter seller”. Mohammad Asef is a wild man. He has destroyed all my dreams,” says Shabana while her husband is outside room talking on mobile phone.
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by Eltaf Hussayn in Kabul

(March 27, Kabul, Sri Lanka Guradian) A small bearded-man with bluish-grey eyes, Mohammad Asef, 52, has married a 12 year old girl in exchange of his loan on his father-in law.

“I am married to my first wife fourteen years ago. I am a farmer,” says Asef. “I was a farmer in Shebirghan city, in northern Afghanistan, with a man two years ago. We worked jointly and grew wheat and poppy on our lands.

“After we collected the harvest of the year, I came to Mazar-e-Sharif for two days to see my family. When I returned to Shebirghan, the man had lost all the money of the harvest in a gamble.

“He promised me to repay my money in a month, but he couldn’t find it. I knew he was very poor and that he couldn’t find my money. In exchange of my money, I married to her 12 years old daughter”

It was only 600 dollars.

Mohammad Asef is celebrating his 52nd, while his new wife, Shabana, is suffering her 14th spring of her life.

Shabana is neither happy with her husband, nor his father. She also suffers family problem with the first wife of her husband.

However, she has the whole life before, but it seems she is fed up of life, and does not care anything. She insults her father and husband.

“I am not happy with this marriage. My father sold me to Asef. He is “daughter seller”. Mohammad Asef is a wild man. He has destroyed all my dreams,” says Shabana while her husband is outside room talking on mobile phone.

She requests the government not to let fathers sell their daughters.

Shabana has finished secondary school. She was not permitted to pursue her studies after she was married. She is a housewife now. She sometimes read old newspapers and novels.

Northern Afghanistan in particular, Fariab, Takhar and Balkh provinces have witnessed many cases like this.

Dealing daughters (girls) is common in Chahi District of Balkh Province. The rate is around 5 to 10 thousand dollars.

Abdul Raheem is from Chahi District and works in Mazar-e Sharif city. He collects every single penny he earns, because he loves a girl in his village, whose rate, according to him, is 6 thousand dollars.

He has earned only 2 thousand dollars so far.

“It’s very difficult for me to find 4 thousand dollars. I am just a servant in this police department. My salary is around 60 dollars,” says Abdul Rahim, “I have a sister in Chahi District. She is around 14 years old. I want sell her (marry her to a rich person) and buy my girlfriend (marry to her).”

Abdul Raheem sometimes thinks of starting girls trading.

“Sometimes I am thinking of going to Konduz Province and buy girls from there.” He says he has heard it is much cheaper than his district.

But he is afraid of police and some families of girls.

“Because I have to first marry to girls there and then bring them here. If their families know about it, I will be in problem”

Age is not much important in such marriages. An old man can easily marry a young girl with his money.

“I would be happy to marry my sister to an old man, so that he die soon, and I marry my sister to anther person for second time,” says Abdul.

Independent Humans Rights Commission in North of Afghanistan based in Mazar-e-Sharif confirms cases of forced marriage, and that old men get married to younger and even underage girls.

“I agree that there are some families that forcedly marry their daughter against her well for money, but getting money from bride’s family which is a tradition is called QALEEN,” says Qazi Mohammad Sami, the director of Independent Human Rights Office in Afghan north.

Qaleen is a tradition of taking money from bride’s family.

Mr Sami adds, “Family of girl received thousands of dollars under the name of Qaleen from boy’s family. However, most girls are not satisfied with their marriage with old men, but their fathers force them.”

According to Mr Sami, one of the reasons of committing suicide and escaping from home is forced marriages.
- Sri Lanka Guardian