Husband Of Child Bride Said He Had Wanted To Marry Her Since She Was 7 Years Old
"I told myself, 'One day I will take this girl as my wife,' and I did so four years later."
By Katrina Khairul Azman — 17 Jul 2018, 11:13 AM
Che Abdul Karim Che Abdul Hamid, who caused controversy by marrying an 11-year-old girl in June, revealed that he has wanted to make her his wife since she was 7 years old
The 41-year-old, who already has two wives and four children, told Berita Harian that, "When news of our marriage spread, only outsiders were shocked because most of the villagers and my friends knew about it for a while."
He said the he had informed his friends of his intentions and even showed them a photograph of Ayu while he was in the holy land of Mecca. His friends agreed to the idea of a union as she was not in school and came from a poor family.
On why he wanted to make Ayu his child bride, Abdul Karim claimed that his motivation was not based on desire but wanting to provide for her financially
"I knew Ayu since she was small because we were neighbours, and I also taught Al-Quran lessons to her... It was then I told myself, 'One day I will take this girl as my wife,' and I did so four years later," he explained.
"Believe me death and jodoh (soulmate) comes from Allah. Insult me if you must, but I am not scared or dissuaded from going through with the marriage because my new responsibility is teaching her to be closer to Allah."
The 41-year-old reiterated that he will not to 'touch' his wife until she turns 16 years old, since his intention is to "take care of her without sinning"
"I realised many are scolding and criticising me but they are outsiders who don't know me or Ayu's family," he said, Malay Mail reported.
Abdul Karim added that, "I promise to steer our household well. Stop insulting us, but instead pray for our happiness together."