Dear Editor,

The news, passionate letters, involvement of GHRA and women's groups, and discussions on the internet of the Reeaz Khan-Ms Hamid case send a resounding message to the law-makers of Guyana to raise the age of consent.

The age of consent means that a person is capable of legally giving informed consent to sexual acts (heterosexual) with another person. It is a crime when a male engages in sex with a child below the age of consent. This is called child sexual abuse, statutory rape, or carnal knowledge of a minor.

I am fully aware of the laws of the Shari'a and do not seek to compromise any of them. Guyana is not an Islamic state, therefore Muslims have to use the state laws and make the best of existing agencies and circumstances. We have to live with reality.

The age of consent in Guyana is thirteen, and in Suriname and Trinidad it is sixteen. The age of consent in New York, which can be considered a more permissive society, is seventeen. The US Congress under the Clinton administration passed a law making it a criminal offence if US citizens travel abroad and had sex with minors. (This may appear as joke to Guyanese.) A similar law exists in the Netherlands.

Child sexual abuse occurs in Guyana, but in the absence of any statistics, the public cannot know the frequency and the extent to which children and women have been ravaged and abused.

The attacks of the electronic media on the society have devastated and corroded our culture, values, morals, and religious teachings. This has resulted in radical behavioural changes re what is acceptable and unacceptable, what is moral and what is immoral.

Further to this, children at a far younger age are exposed to materials with strong sexual connotations. It is now imperative that laws be passed to accommodate the social and cultural changes and to protect children. There must also be a system of education to deal with the changes in society. It stands to reason that Guyana must raise the age of consent.

I am sure President Jagdeo, ministers of the government, the Commissioner of Police and top-ranking officers, and members of the judiciary have been reading the papers. They may be more informed than the public. It must definitely have occurred to them that a child of thirteen is quite incompetent to give her consent to have sex. Therefore, all religious and non-governmental organizations must form a pressure group to ask that the age of consent be raised. The days of child marriages ended a long time ago.

This case reflects the inability of the authorities to enforce the law. Reeaz Khan has allegedly ignored a court order. If so, is he above the law?

Now we need to consider the application of the Islamic law, and to impress upon leaders and organisations that it is obligatory (Fardain) upon them to exercise the powers and authority vested in them.

Reeaz has shown total disrespect to his business associates, the Jamaat and Muslim organisations to which he belongs and is associated. It is incumbent upon people of his status to be models of goodness, of high moral conduct, and a pillar of strength in the society. People like him have been commanded (Quran) to take care of the orphans, poor and needy, and spend on projects that promote growth and development.

Reeaz has dishonoured his name, and brought shame and disgrace upon the Muslim community. His act is against society, not just a girl and her family. The least the Muslim leaders and organisations can do is to ostracise him. This will not undo the wrong, but it will demonstrate the authority of the leaders to exercise the law. Don't make comparisons with non-Muslims who commit such acts. Take the case of the primary school teacher who caused his student to become pregnant. He petitioned to marry the child, but the wise judge changed the order and sent him off to jail.

What explanations can the leaders and organisations give for not speaking out? Take the case of the two Muslim 'scholars' (SN, 1.6.04). Their explanations show an inability to deal with a sensitive issue. They have made a mockery of Islam by misrepresenting the laws. What they explained is not the intention and spirit of the law with regard to minors and the seduction or abduction of young girls. They give the impression that Islam promotes child sexual abuse and a child could 'run away' with whichever man she pleases. That is utter nonsense. This is what we get when the learned and those in authority remain quiet. This is a grand opportunity for all Muslim organisations to truly represent the values and morals of Islam. To say at Quranic functions that Islam champions the rights of women is merely lip service. This has to be translated into action as is required in Guyana right now. By the way, I would like to meet those 'scholars' for a little chit-chat.

Yours faithfully,

Ahmad Hamid