Summary Omar's father also defended his decision and said that 'he is a free man and did nothing wrong.'
CAIRO (Web Desk) - The engagement photos of two young children Omar, 12 and his fiancée Gharam, 11 has sparked anger, particularly among child and women’s rights activists.
The pictures of Omar in a blue suit, heavily made-up Gharam in a white dress, high heels, and wearing a tiara were the highlight in every newspaper.
The boy’s father Nasser Hassan decided to “double the joy” by getting the couple engaged at the wedding of his eldest son, held in a province about 75 miles north of Cairo.
Reda Eldanbouki, the head of the Women’s Centre for Guidance and Legal Awareness, reported the incident to the National Centre for Childhood and Motherhood, a government agency.
He also filed a complaint with the attorney general to investigate the incident and hold the parents accountable for this "crime," he said in a statement.
The engagement of Omar and Gharam “will only lead to an early marriage in which the girl will be deprived of equal chances to education, growth, and will isolate her from social spheres,” he said.
The Egyptian law also forbids the official registration for marriages for anyone under the age of 18 but the practice still remains common especially in rural areas.
However; the guests at the wedding find nothing ‘inappropriate’ and said that it was ‘an engagement and not a marriage.’
Omar’s father also defended his decision and said that ‘he is a free man and did nothing wrong.’
The article originally appeared in Independent.
