Muslim Man To Wed 12 Year Old Bride Under Sharia Law According to recent reports, when a Lebanese Muslim man traveled to Australia on a student visa, he ended up walking away with more than an education. On one day of his trip, while he was on his way to the local mosque, he met a 12-year-old Australian girl who he deemed his future wife. Not surprisingly, he is now facing abuse charges. The 26-year-old man married the minor in a ceremony at his mosque, before moving back home with her and engaging in sexual relations 25 times. When, to no surprise, the new marriage was met with outrage, the man insisted that he was doing nothing wrong. In fact, he claimed, his religion permits him to take a child bride of his choice. Authorities saw things a bit differently. You have to take religion and culture out of it and see it for what it isa sexual assault of a 12-year-old-child, claims Detective Inspector Peter Yeomans of the Child Abuse Squad. In the end it is a 12-year-old child and no matter how we look at it and how he wants to sway it culturally, ceremonies or anything elsehe has been charged with numerous accounts of sexual assault. I was astonished in relation to the background information. According to reports, the abuse was discovered when the man tried to enroll his wife in school, but was unable to do so without legal guardianship. The girl has since been place in the care of authorities, where she has been receiving medical care and counseling services. They are unsure of where to place her from here, since her parents clearly condoned the marriage. Whatever the cultural practice, whatever the religious practice, there is no law in Australia above Australian law, claims Community Services Minister, Pru Goward. In this country, little girls have rights and in particular they have the right to a childhood free to this sort of abuse. That is what we are here as a community to uphold. Unfortunately, this story of abuse is just one of many when it comes to the Muslim faith. What do you think about this? Should the man be punished to the full extent of the law? 