[river rat]

At the official exchange rate today - the 5000 Afghani down payment is roughly $100.54.

In Islamic culture - this is a sufficient sum to turn your 10 year old daughter over to another family as "wife" ---- can you say sex slave?

In my opinion, a family that would sell their children to put food in their own mouthes -- isn't worth feeding.

Semper Fi

[penelopesire]

Wonder what is worth more in that culture....an AK47 or a ten year old girl?

[SauronOfMordor]

"Bride price", otherwise known as Mahr is Arabic, is the dower that the husband is supposed to pay the wife. In theory, this is supposed to be the property of the wife, and is to be used to support herself if he divorces her

In practice, this is a payment to the bride's father for him turning over his daughter. And now you understand why they perform "honor killing" when a girl goes off with a guy not of her father's choosing -- likely the money was agreed upon in advance, and now daddy has to cough up a refund. For example:

Mahr is a wife's right, which becomes binding upon the husband once the marriage is contracted. It is fully payable after the consummation of marriage but if divorce occurs before the consummation of marriage then half of the Mahr is required to be paid unless the wife or her guardians waive it.

The contract could be done well in advance of the actual consumation (For example, Mad Mo "married" his child bride at the age of 6, but consumated at 9)

[Mordacious]

In my opinion, a family that would sell their children to put food in their own mouthes -- isn't worth feeding.

Exactly. Why don't these so-called parents prostitute themselves to put food on the table?