ENGLISH GIRLS AS MOSLEM WIVES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3110, 14 June 1917, Page 3

ENGLISH GIRLS AS MOSLEM WIVES

GIRL OF 17 WHO FIXED HER DOWRY AT £101. "The taking of English girls and making them Moslem wives is a very serious mutter," remarked the Common Serjeant (Sir-P. A. Bosanquet) at the Old .Bailey on March 23, when sentencing. Ahmed Hnjar Allam, a medical-student, aged 23, to two months, in tho.second division for making a false, declaration for the purposo of a. marriage- between himself and lv.v Abrey. It was alleged that in a notice .of-war-, viago at the Islington-registrar's-he said Miss Abrey was 21, whereas she was only 17.. Tho following day he cancelled the notice, and a few, days later called on; Miss Abrey's father at Heme Hill and produced a document saying that lie and the girl had been married; in accordance with Islamic rites, and that tho brido's dowry had been fixed at VfilOl. Allam gavo evidence, and was asked by counsel: — "Ts (he wife, according to th,e Moslem faith, entitled to get a divorco from her husband?" —She can get no divorce until every penny of her dowry has bcon paid.

"You can divorco a wife hy the Mohammedan law by a single word, 'Talak'?"—Yes, in the presencoof a witness. ■ Ivy Abroy (now Allam), called for tho defence, said sho told tho prisoner • sho was 20. • • "I did not want Mr. Allam to think T was quite a baby," added the witness. When she went before tho registrar she said she was 21.. Afterwards she told the prisoner she was only 17, and he was Very angry. Sho had, she said, thon embraced Islam.