It's not completely clear
what actually happened.
On the face of it 450 grooms were "married" to an equal number of pre-pubescent girls
(and their new husbands each apparently given $500 by Hamas), however
as news of this spread and many around the world acted with revultion there were those who
defended the organisers
saying that the "real" brides were all over 16 (or alternatively 14) years of age and the ones photographed were just dressing up and play-acting (not that any of the "real" brides have
so far been seen by westerners and also please note that there is no tradition of "brides maids" in mainstream Islam).
Whatever was going on we do know that hard-core believers in the doctrines and ideology of Muhammad generally accept paedophilia as "reasonable" (after all, their "prophet" practiced it), and
one of the first things that Ayatollah Khomeini (coincidentally mentioned below) did on gaining power in Iran in 1979 was to abolish the recently introduced minimum age for both marriage and by
implication 'consent' as he considered any such laws contrary to the "teachings" and practice of Muhammad.
Please click here to find a few links to interesting articles about "
Children's rights in Islam".