Read more of the Shaikh's interview in Speaking Their Peace.
Shaikh Ahmed Yemen
Do you have a family? Do they fear for your safety?
When I was eighteen years old, I got married to a thirteen-year-old girl. Today, I call for the prevention of marriage of underage girls. I believe that a law should be enacted so that a girl may not get married under the age of eighteen years, because marrying younger leads to disasters. But my wife got married to a judge, and therefore he was merciful and treated her like his own daughter.
My wife and I have five children: four boys and a girl named Manal. My love for the girl is 90 percent and the remaining 10 percent is for the boys [laughs].
They fear for my safety because of my job in the judicial system and because they hear in the media about assassinations and killings. I appear on television often, give statements and interviews in newspapers; fame has its own price, it is not for free. But when they feel fear, I ask them to pray to God for protection.