Lebanese singer Rami Ayash has faced a significant wave of criticism on social media after expressing his support for child marriage.
During his appearance on the program "Jaafar Show," which airs on DW German channel, Ayash responded to host Jaafar Abdul Karim’s question about whether he supports a law prohibiting girls under 18 from marrying. He stated that he opposes setting the marriage age at 18, supporting the age of 16 instead, claiming that girls at this age understand more than adults. He added that religions permit this type of marriage.
Ayash defended himself on Twitter, replying to a critic: "To the ignorant, I say, in many countries the age of 16 is not considered minor. So why should there be a decision to prevent some if their parents and they agree? Once there’s a global decision, we’ll abide by it. And who brought up the mention of children?" He further tweeted, "Personally, I definitely do not advocate the idea of early marriage; this is my personal opinion, but I am against suppressing those who see it as appropriate."
