Now why would he think that there was no problem with this action?

The BBC reported very quietly in April that:

'A Nigerian senator accused of marrying a 13-year-old Egyptian girl says he has done nothing wrong.

Ahmad Sani Yerima, 49, told the BBC that his fourth wife was not 13, but would not say how old she was.

He denied breaking the law but said he would not respect any law that contradicted his religious beliefs.

The Nigerian senate ordered an investigation after complaints from women's groups but the senator said he did not care what the groups thought. '

It is interesting how the BBC lead with the Nigerian senator's defence when most other reports that I have read of this case start with the accusation before moving to the defence.

The BBC report does manage to allude to the reason why Senator Yerima thinks he is encouraged to do take a 13 year old bride:

'The senator said he had followed "standard rules for marriage in Islam".

"I don't care about the issue of age since I have not violated any rule as far as Islam is concerned," he said.

"History tells us that Prophet Muhammad did marry a young girl as well. Therefore I have not contravened any law. Even if she is 13, as it is being falsely peddled around.

"If I state the age, they will still use it to smear Islam," he said. '

And it would seem that Senator Yerima takes an odd position for a secular law maker:

'"As a Muslim, as I always say, I consider God's law and that of his prophet above any other law," Mr Sani said.

"I will not respect any law that contradicts that and whoever wants to sanction me for that is free to do that."'

and may, as they say, 'have previous:

'Newspaper reports have also accused the senator of having previously married a 15-year-old girl in 2006. '

So what is the historical precedence that is referred to? Well the very reason for the persistence of behaviour like the Senator's is that it is not a "supposed aspect of his religion," but an imitation of the Muslim prophet Muhammad - indeed a "beautiful pattern of conduct" see Qur'an 33:21.


More on this area of Islamic law and convention over the weekend...