A Reuters report from Scandinavia tells that a number of migrants and refugees have come to the Nordic countries with brides who are below the age of consent.  The article does not mention the words “Islam” or “Muslim,” but it does note that these refugees were “fleeing wars in nations such as Afghanistan or Syria.”  Four of those who were described as married had children of their own.

Norway has a relatively low age of consent of sixteen years of age.  In Denmark the age of consent is even lower, at 15.  Nevertheless there is a strong cultural revulsion against the practice of child marriage, as demonstrated by a recent publicity stunt in which an activist group set up a fake blog purporting to be by a child bride.

The resulting outrage shows that this practice is alien to their native culture.  “If the girl is aged under 16, the minimum age for sexual intercourse in Norway, the child bride refugee should be separated from her husband even if they have children together and even if they say they want to stay together,” said Kjell Erik Oie, head of the group that created the fake blog.

However, the practice of child marriage is widespread in the Islamic world.  Those who engage in it are inspired by the Prophet Muhammad, who is said to have married his wife A’isha when she was only six.  Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, retired lieutenant commander in the United States Navy and an Islamic reformer, was asked about this issue during a debate on Islam.  He gave this defense:

ZUHDI JASSER:  The issue of a child bride, you know, the apologetic I learned – and I call it an apologetic because I have no way to prove this – but the apologetic I learned is that there were marriages that happened to prevent wars and that ultimately he may have married her, but the question – cause pedophilia is a psychiatric disorder. So the question is, is at what age did he consummate that marriage and most Muslims believe that that happened when she was much closer to adulthood at seventeen and eighteen.

FRANK GAFFNEY:  So there is some tradition of it being nine, too, so I mean – I guess what –

ZUHDI JASSER:  [OVERLAP] And that, yeah, those are the hadith that we reject.

Even the discussion of the issue can offend Muslims in Western countries.  Random House books once pulled a planned novel that focused on the life of A’isha, citing the advice of security professionals.  In the Islamic world, it is not as controversial.  Kjell Erik Oie’s organization estimates that there are as many as 39,000 child marriages a day worldwide.  As immigration shifts Scandinavia’s ethnic balance, who knows how long the laws against the practice will hold?