13/02/2026
ئپستین بە مافی خۆیی دەزانی دەستدرێژی بکاتە سەر ئەو هەموو منداڵ و نەوجەوانە؛
ئەمەش هەڵگری بیر و باوەڕێکە کە مۆڵەت بەو کار و کردارە قێزەونانە ئەدات.
I have had a video removed from my Facebook profile following a complaint submitted by the individual appearing in the video, allegedly on the grounds of intellectual property rights. The video in question is publicly available and was shared within a clear public health and societal context.
I shared the video solely for the purpose of expressing explicit, professionally grounded opposition to the statements made therein. In the recording, arguments are presented in support of the legitimacy of marriage involving nine-year-old girls, alongside the claim that there are no medical or professional arguments against such practices. These assertions stand in direct contradiction to extensive and well-established international medical and public health evidence.
As a consultant specialist in obstetrics and gynecology, I consider it necessary to emphasize the following:
Medical and Public Health Evidence
International health authorities unequivocally document that child marriage and pregnancy in very young girls are associated with:
• Increased maternal morbidity and mortality
• Higher incidence of obstetric complications, including obstructed labor and obstetric fistula
• Elevated risk of preterm birth and neonatal mortality
• Significantly increased exposure to intimate partner violence
• Severe psychological, social, and educational consequences
Organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) recognize child marriage as a serious violation of children’s rights and as a global public health concern.
Purpose of Sharing the Video
The video was shared exclusively in order to:
• Document and clearly highlight deeply problematic statements
• Express a firm, evidence-based professional objection
• Contribute to an informed public discourse on the protection of children
As a physician, I carry both a professional and ethical obligation to respond when harmful and scientifically unfounded claims are disseminated publicly.
A Matter of Principle
When content that critically examines and opposes health-damaging and rights-violating viewpoints is removed, this raises a broader concern regarding freedom of expression and the integrity of professional discourse. Such actions risk limiting the capacity to counter misinformation in an area where the consequences for children and adolescents are well-documented and profoundly serious.
My position is unequivocal:
• Child marriage is harmful to health.
• There exists substantial medical and public health evidence against it.
• The normalization of marriage involving minors must not go unchallenged within a professionally and ethically responsible public sphere.
