Yemeni Child Bride Tied up, Raped…
Posted by Michelle Moquin on April 12th, 2010
This was e-mailed to me to post, because the person who tried to post it was not able to blog it here.
Saturday, April 10, 2010 (AP)
Dead Yemeni child bride tied up, raped, says mom
By AHMAD AL-HAJ, Associated Press Writer
(04-10) 06:39 PDT SHUEBA, Yemen (AP) –
A 13-year-old Yemeni child bride who bled to death shortly after marriage was tied down and forced to have sex by her husband, according to interviews with the child’s mother, police and medical reports.
The girl’s mother, Nijma Ahmed, 50, told the Associated Press that before her daughter lost consciousness, she said that her husband had tied her up and forced himself on her. “She looked like she was butchered,” she said about her daughter’s injuries.
Elham Assi, 13, bled to death hours after she spoke to her mother and just days after she was married to a 23-year-old man. She died on April 2 in the deeply poor Yemeni village of Shueba, some 200 kilometers northwest of the capital. Her husband, Abed al-Hikmi, is in police custody.
The practice of marrying young girls is widespread in Yemen where a quarter of all females marry before the age of 15, according to a 2009 report by the country’s Ministry of Social Affairs. Traditional families prefer young brides because they are seen as more obedient and are expected to have more children.
Legislation to ban child brides has been stalled by opposition from religious leaders. There has been no government comment over the case. The girl — one of eight siblings — was pushed into marriage after an agreement between her brother and her future-husband to marry each other’s sisters to avoid having to pay expensive bride-prices — a common arrangement in Yemen, the poorest country in the Middle East.
According to police notes from the interrogation of the husband, he was upset because he could not consummate their relationship and felt under pressure to prove his manhood.
Assi’s mother said she also tried to persuade her daughter to have sex with her husband so as not to shame the family.
Al-Hikmi took his young bride to a nearby medical clinic, asking a doctor there to administer her tranquilizers so she would not resist his advances. The clinic said it refused.
Al-Hikmi then obtained performance enhancing pills, according to the police interrogation, and that night completed the act while she screamed.
The next day, he returned to the same medical clinic carrying Assi because she could not walk.
“I told him not to go near her for at least ten days,” said Dr. Fathiya Haidar. She said Assi’s vaginal canal was ripped.
A forensic report obtained by the AP showed that Assi’s injuries were much more extensive, including extensive tearing around the vagina and rectum, suggesting that there might have been additional intercourse after the clinic visit.
Her mother said she visited Assi later that day, where she found her daughter fading in and out of consciousness. ”She whispered in my ear that he had tied her up and had sex with her violently,” she said. “I said to her husband, what have you done, you criminal?”
She said al-Hikmi told her that the young bride was just possessed by spirits and said he would take her to a folk healer to cast them out.
Hours later, Assi was dead.
“She asked me to stay beside her,” her mother said.
The practice of marrying young girls is widespread in Yemen and has drawn the attention of international rights groups seeking to pressure the government to outlaw child marriages.
“Early marriage places girls at increased risk of dropping out of school, being exposed to violence, abuse and exploitation, and even losing their lives from pregnancy, childbirth and other complications,” said UNICEF’s regional director Sigrid Kaag, in a statement Wednesday condemning the death.
A February 2009 law set the minimum age for marriage at 17, but it was repealed and sent back to parliament’s constitutional committee for review after some lawmakers called it un-Islamic. The committee is expected to make a final decision on the legislation this month.
The issue of Yemen’s child brides received widespread attention three years ago when an 8-year-old girl boldly went by herself to a courtroom and demanded a judge dissolve her marriage to a man in his 30s. She eventually won a divorce.
In September, a 12-year-old Yemeni child-bride died after struggling for three days in labor to give birth, a local human rights organization said. Associated Press Writer Diaa Hadid contributed to this report from Cairo.
Copyright 2010 AP
Readers: What is the deal with men? How is sex enjoyable when you’re making someone else suffer for your pleasures? This isn’t just rape, which is bad enough, where the man could care less about the woman or child. This is a man who is married to this child…a man who is sharing his life with this child and this is how he treats her. It is just simply disgusting.
What this says is that men really don’t care about women, and I’m not just talking about men in the Middle East. Our country, too accepts this kind of behavior, this so-called ‘culture’. “How?”, you may ask. Well…as I’ve pointed out before, this says a lot about the western man because they continue to do business with these countries even when they know that these countries treat their women badly. Only if something horrific is done to someone in our country do we make noise about it. Otherwise who cares what happens to these women in these countries? – I want my oil, or whatever goods I need.
What does that also say? It also says that if we had oil or something as valuable as oil in our country, some men wouldn’t hesitate to treat the women here badly if it meant more money in their pockets. When it comes to money, to men (not all), women are not only considered second class citizens but second even to a commodity. Again, disgusting.
Thoughts? Blog me.
Helen: Thanks and I hope that you enjoy them as much as I do.
Roger: Thank you for being so open. Reading the books made me think so I am grateful that I could pass that knowledge along to you. I do hope that whatever was started for you continues and you end your path of destruction, and decide to choose a path that is more friendly with life. I wish you the best.
Madhu: Thank you for your comment. I am not very familiar with Kumbh Mela but I do know it is going on presently. How exciting. I would love to accept your very generous offer, and if it were at all possible I would take you up on it. I have always wanted to visit India.
Manorama: As I mentioned to Madhu, I would love to come if I could. Thank you too for the kind invite. I wish you both a beautiful and enlightening gathering at Kumbh Mela.
Cindi: I know your story is not an uncommon one. I too am sorry for what happened to you and your family. The atrocities that whites’ commit are never ending.
Emily: I like that one.
Doug: Thank you. I always appreciate and look forward to your support.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my ‘loyal’(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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April 12th, 2010 at 12:37 pm
Testosterone Trouble: Act Now to See that Yours Isn’t Too Low
Abraham Morgentaler, MD
Harvard Medical School
It used to be that men could blame their lack of energy and decreasing libido on getting older. But not any more.
If you’re a man age 50 or older who is tired for apparently no reason or has diminished sex drive, there’s a good chance that your levels of the hormone testosterone are lower than normal — and you could benefit from testosterone therapy.
Until recently, many doctors didn’t fully understand the importance of enough testosterone. But now, most physicians are aware that low testosterone (also called “low T”) has many negative effects that go well beyond reduced energy and libido.
Getting a testosterone test is easy and inexpensive. If your T levels are low, testosterone treatments are highly effective at relieving specific symptoms and improving overall health.
BENEFITS OF TESTOSTERONE THERAPY
Giving testosterone to men with low T has been shown to…
Improve libido by acting on T receptors in brain regions associated with sexual desire.
Improve erection quality by activating T receptors in the penis. In one study, 60% of men on T therapy reported improved erections.
Boost energy. Men report an increased sense of drive and well-being.
Improve body composition by increasing muscle mass and reducing body fat. In one study, men who used T gel, a testosterone treatment, for six months and did not exercise or change diet, added an average 4.4 pounds in muscle and lost 1.75 pounds of fat.
Increase bone density. Studies show that men with low T are at increased risk for bone fractures and that bone density improves measurably in men with low T who get testosterone therapy.
Prevent disease. Normal T levels reduce the risk for diabetes and coronary artery disease.
Increase longevity. Studies show that men with normal T levels live longer, on average, than men with low T.
Testosterone therapy is safe for most men. For decades, it was believed that increasing testosterone made prostate tumors grow.
That’s recently been disproven, in part by research that I’ve conducted personally. If you have low T and no signs of prostate cancer, such as an elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level or enlarged prostate, the data suggests that there’s no risk in testosterone therapy.
Even men with abnormal PSA levels may receive testosterone therapy if a biopsy is negative. I also offer testosterone treatment to men with low testosterone after they have been successfully treated for prostate cancer.
GETTING TESTED
In my opinion, all men age 50 and older should have their testosterone level screened as part of their annual physical exams.
I also recommend screening when men have significantly reduced sex drive… low energy for no apparent reason… difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection… decreased muscle mass and/or increased body fat, especially around the midsection (declining testosterone may play a role in the normal changes that come with aging)… loss of height (a sign of tiny fractures in the vertebrae due to osteoporosis)… increased irritability… and/or lack of motivation.
Important: Be sure to ask for both testosterone blood tests…
Total testosterone is the standard test that’s been used for decades. It will indicate if your total testosterone is subnormal (less than 350 nanograms/dL). But it does not indicate the amount of testosterone available to the body. That’s why it’s important to also get a second test.
The analog free T test is the most common and reliable test to measure free testosterone, the amount of testosterone that is in the bloodstream and biologically available (not bound to any carrier proteins).
A level less than 1.5 picograms/dL indicates that you have low T and could benefit from testosterone therapy.
Note: The tests are not affected by diet, exercise or sexual activity prior to having blood drawn.
TESTOSTERONE TREATMENTS
If you have low T, there are several effective treatments that can be administered by your primary care doctor or by a urologist…
Testosterone gel (AndroGel, Testim) is the most widely used treatment, and the one I prescribe first. The usual starting dose is five grams, rubbed into the upper arms and shoulders once a day.
It takes about two hours for the gel to be absorbed, during which time men should avoid skin-to-skin contact with others.
The gel is completely absorbed, but the amount of testosterone that actually enters the bloodstream varies from person to person, so you must have your T levels checked a few weeks after starting treatment so the dosage can be adjusted if necessary.
If this test still shows low T, upping the dosage or switching brands can often help. Gel therapy costs about $300 per month. Insurance may cover the cost, depending on the state you live in.
Injections. Some men don’t absorb testosterone from the gel even in high doses. In these cases, I usually prescribe testosterone injections — typically 200 milligrams every two weeks.
They’re usually injected in the buttocks by a physician, although men can learn to self-inject into their thighs. While injections aren’t as convenient as gel, they’re less expensive — about $5 per shot.
A longer-acting injection called Nebido, which lasts 10 weeks, is currently under review by the FDA.
Pellets. Extended-release testosterone pellets are a relatively new option. Six to eight pellets, each the size of a rice grain, are inserted under the skin of the buttocks (a painless procedure using a local anesthetic and done in the doctor’s office).
They are gradually absorbed into the body and maintain T levels for three to six months. Pellets are a good option for men who don’t like applying gel daily. Cost is about $500 for a three- to six-month application and is usually covered by insurance.
Once you begin testosterone therapy, it may take a month or two for T levels to rise to the point where you experience noticeable benefits.
As long as they continue to benefit, most men can stay on the therapy for many years.
Bottom Line/Retirement interviewed Abraham Morgentaler, MD, associate clinical professor of urology at Harvard Medical School, Boston, and founder of Men’s Health Boston, a center focused on sexual and reproductive health for men, Brookline, Massachusetts. He is author of several books, including Testosterone for Life (McGraw-Hill).
April 12th, 2010 at 2:29 pm
Mischa, this one made me sick, all the stories about young girls being subjected to this treatment makes me sick, I’m ready for Madaline to just take them all (well, OK, not all but most) out, I’m talking about wicked and evil men.
I read yesterdays post and wow, it was touching, and I’ve had calls with you over the last year, there is something in your voice that belies this disclosure I just had a hard time attempting to articulate a question that sounded better than, ‘you don’t sound so good, everything OK?’ bc that doesn’t come close to what I would want to say and convos like that are best had in person anyway.
This past year has been almost the exact opposite for me, I can’t stress the yoga/exercise path for also becoming the ‘stay here now’ staple of my life. I also felt that I needed to remain flexible about everything and so I have felt that scheduling/goaling anything past next week would be just a futile exercise for me.
I do know that I’ve chatted with myself over my ego : ) regularly bc I am fed by outsiders all the time and it’s so easy to think ‘that’s right, uh-huh, I’m all that’ but really what is it other than compliments based mostly on outward appearances (last week in Palm Desert an old man called me a ‘stone cold fox’ – hahaha – when was the last time you heard that one?) when the compliments are about more than physicality I have to be even more on guard bc it’s easy to buy in and make your decisions about interaction with them (and others) based on this input to your ego.
It’s a humbling experience to just think about how important I am and yet how insignificant I am as well, how different and yet not unique (although I am constantly told otherwise)…it’s a process and I have my little spoeakers set up here on my laptop so I can have a chat with Eckhart Tolle via youtube any time I need to hear it. The book is great and so is creative visualization, my other fave is ‘Living in the light’ by Shakti Gawain also.
Whatever drama my pain body wants to run is fine with me, it’s all white noise now, I just ask myself right out loud, ‘but right now, whats in the way of feeling great in THIS moment?’ actually today my hip hurts bc I tweaked it learning a jui jitsu manuever this morning : ) but other than that I feel great.
I know it’s not always this easy but the attempt to make it so is well worth trying it, no?
MaQin, thanks for thinking of me, I’m fine just had my girl home for school break and got caught up in the fun and action last week.
I was going to write in to talk about summer/bikini countdown exercises and I will do that tomorrow or later (have to roll in 10 minutes) but I also have been sitting on this gem which I want to share right now bc it’s something I have been playing around with since I read it and I would love to give credit to correct website and/or author (I read a ton and often forget to site specific sites/peeps, sorry) – before you go to bed or before you go anywhere in the am (preferably both) stand in front of your mirror and focus on your eyes, look deep in there, you’re the only one who knows what and who is really lurking in there : ) and say right out loud, ‘I love you, (your name)’ I guarentee you this will feel weird as hell the first 5x’s and maybe more, keep at it, there’s lots to love inside there but you are the first one who must feel that love and then…well, I thought I’d just love everyone so much more (gush gush) but it’s better than that, you will feel immediate compassion for yourself and others, you will let go of unimportant stuff to the degree that you will find it hard to listen to anyone else talk about unimportant stuff and you’ll want to say, ‘but aren’t you just perfect in THIS moment with all that going on?’ (or something to that effect)- try that, you get puzzled looks first and then interesting convos occur…
Ok, I’ve spoken long enough, bikini days are just ahead and MaQin I am always working on getting a coin to bounce off my ass : ) btw, I hear (someone told me this yesterday) it is just a given that French men have mistresses, is that true? If so, are they also that magnanimous towards their women when they have mister-sess?? Just curious… : ) I ask bc I believe you mentioned a hubby before and in this comment a women, it got me thinking and you all know what I’m often thinking about ; ) I can’t help it and if it’s an illness I do not want a cure. hee hee. No, don’t need one : )
caio, Luv, Zen Lill
April 13th, 2010 at 7:49 am
Michelle :
We as women who are forced to be part of that evil cult called Islam are tortured on a daily basis. We arise each morning as slaves of our male masters.
It is not unlike the slavery whites forced upon your black Americans, we are to a female subservient to the will of any male regardless of age.
Now intelligent female under Islam believes that Allah made His male children superior to His females. But the men force us to accept this premise my doing what your Christians do in the Western world.
They forbid any disagreement with what they say in in the Koran as you do about what is in the Bible. This a man’s way of keeping what he put in those books the religious law of the land.
I am for Madaline coming and destroying all these men. I would start even younger than 12. I would start at six. If Madaline is squeamish about such a young age, then she can stop at 12 and allow us women to put the little monsters to the boot.
I would not hesitate to stomp my 8, 9 and 12 year old sons to death. They are dead to me now. They and their father killed my 11 year old because she was raped and was too afraid to tell about it. They heard about it from others a week after it happened.
So they stoned my child to death. Those evil men 8,9,12, and 43, father and sons and other male relatives who joined in stoned my terrified child to death. I would crush them under my foot without a tear of pity.
I was sold into marriage when I was 11. I bore my first abomination when I was 13. I could not read or write until I was 20. It is forbidden for women to do these things. Does that sound familiar? That is because those who would maintain control over their slaves need to keep the slaves ignorant.
I would still be ignorant if not for Shir Khan and her secret society of women who work to educate us females. I have secretly taught others to read and write. We await Madaline’s return. Give us weapons so that we may kill these abominations that walk among us as human beings.
Sar-e-Pol
April 13th, 2010 at 7:53 am
I have lost my belief in the mercy of God as I am forced to live under the tyranny of islam.
April 13th, 2010 at 8:11 am
Islam is an invention by men enforced by men for the benefit of men.
Replace the title of that sentence with Christianity, or Judaism and you have the state of Religion and its chief purpose .
Religion is a man’s tool to enable him to control the female sexual organ. With it he gets to decide who can have access to it.
Religion gives him control of the reproduction properties of the female body. He gets to decide when she must give birth. With it he gets to decide who lives or dies between the life of the mother or the child.
If a woman”s in in danger and the choice if between a male heir and hers, she is as good as dead. That would be true in almost and male dominated culture the world over.
Women are cheap. Male heirs are scarce. Why this continues in my world is because those in the Western world continue to trade with the beast that practice suck atrocities in my world.
Why it exist in the Western world is two fold: The men are just being men, they don’t care. But the women of the Western world have little spunk, they accept the concept that a man should have imput on what women do with their bodies.
If reproduction was a condition of a man’s body women would have as much say as they do about when or how often a Viagra commercial can be run.
Nazwad
April 13th, 2010 at 9:39 am
Zen Lill
We are so excited to have you back. It’s good to know that you were just enjoying life.
September 26th, 2011 at 5:22 am
swedish university found new treatment for prostate cancer…
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