By Muhammad Ameen Phulpoto
I cannot shake the memory of a girl I saw recently—a child of fourteen—being married to a twenty-five-year-old divorced man. The scene was haunting. She stood silent and trembling, her small frame dwarfed by the heavy weight of a life imposed upon her. While girls her age worry about school projects, friendships, or the next chapter in a storybook, she was being ushered into adulthood before she had the chance to understand what it meant.
The man she was forced to marry was known in the community for violence toward his former wife. Yet, despite this, the marriage went ahead under pressure, sanctioned by her father, who seemed trapped between poverty, social expectations, and limited awareness of the law. One could not help but ask: when did daughters become perceived as burdens rather than blessings?
Even more troubling was the complicity of a local religious figure who agreed to solemnize the union. The act raised urgent questions about morality, responsibility, and the misuse of faith. Religion, in its essence, calls for justice, protection of the vulnerable, and dignity. It does not condone exploitation or silence in the face of harm.
The girl’s tear-filled eyes reflected confusion more than rebellion. At fourteen, most children cannot grasp the lifelong responsibilities that marriage entails. Childhood is meant for learning, playing, and dreaming—not for bearing adult burdens. UNICEF reports that millions of girls worldwide are married before they turn eighteen, with devastating physical, psychological, and social consequences. In Pakistan, the law is clear: marriage requires a legal age and proper documentation. Child marriage is not merely a social problem; it is a violation of basic human rights and legal protections.
Islam, like many faiths, emphasises justice, compassion, and the protection of the weak. The teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) championed the dignity of women and children. History offers lessons in courage against oppression, from the sacrifices of Imam Hussain in Karbala to countless acts of defiance against injustice. When a society stands silent, it is complicit in perpetuating harm.
The tragedy extends beyond the marriage itself. It is also in the silence that surrounds it—the quiet acceptance that allows children’s lives to be subsumed by outdated traditions and fear. Communities hesitate to confront injustice, to name it, to challenge it. And so, young girls continue to lose their childhoods behind wedding veils.
This is not an isolated story. It reflects a pervasive problem that demands urgent attention: collective courage, legal enforcement, and widespread awareness. Families, religious leaders, and communities must acknowledge the harm that child marriage causes. They must uphold the rights of children over social pressures and financial hardships. The protection of the most vulnerable is the true measure of a society’s moral compass.
For every girl forced into a marriage, there is a lost opportunity to learn, to play, to dream. There is the quiet erasure of her voice, her agency, and her future. Until we confront these realities openly, until we hold accountable those who exploit children and those who remain silent, more childhoods will continue to vanish in the name of tradition. We must remember that courage is not only in grand gestures but also in speaking out, in standing up for what is right, in refusing to let fear or custom dictate the fate of our daughters. If we fail to protect them, we fail the very society we claim to cherish. Every child deserves the chance to be a child—to grow, to learn, to hope. Anything less is a betrayal of our collective humanity.
(The writer is a student and has instinct to comment on social issues, particularly on taboos, can be reached at editorial@metro-morning.com)
