According to the Catholic-Encyclopedia: at the Time of Jesus (Peace be upon him) & even prior to his Lifetime, Females were considered marriageable via Age-12, yet Marital-Ages varied circumstantially. Marriages were preceded by the Betrothal, after which the Bride legally belonged to the Bridegroom, though she did not live with him till about 1-Year later, when the Marriage used to be celebrated.(https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15464b.htm)
This is agreed upon, as per Judeo-Christian/Religio-Historical Sources & practiced in Palestine even up until the early 20th-Century, C.E. According to Alma White (A Biblical-Historian) & confirmed by W.M. Thompson (The Land and the Book, W.M. Thompson), “Some Customs of ‘Biblical-Palestine’ continued through the Centuries.”-After her Trip to the Middle-East (Circa 1910, C.E.): Alma White made Commentary on the Age-Of-Marriage in Palestine, “A Female is usually married via her 12th/10th-Year, and sometimes as early as via her 10th-Year.”.
According to James Neil (Everyday Life in the Holy Land, James Neil), Women of that Time-Period (in Palestine) were even married as young as Age-9:
a. https://garethbryant.wordpress.com/2013/11/17/thechildmarriageissue
b. https://www.truthortradition.com/articles/mary-a-teenage-bride-and-mother
Now, how/why do I bring this up: I’ll tell you. Oftentimes, many of the Fiercest-Islāmophobes, especially via Academia, are in fact Judeo-Christian. Yet, there’s literally what I’ve aforementioned which none of these Judeo-Christian Islāmophobes wish/want to come to Terms with. One will in fact wonder how/why do I say this: I’ll tell you.
As per Judeo-Christian Religio-Sources, as those which I’ve already cited…according to these Sources, it’s claimed/assumed that Mary (Peace be upon her):
a. Had Several-Children with a Man named “Joseph”.
b. Never had Children with anyone named “Joseph”, yet was “married” to him (completely denying that she gave Birth to Jesus-Christ without Sexual-Intercourse).
c. Gave Birth to Jesus-Christ, yet had no Other-Children thereafter.
d. That she was between 12 & 16 Years-Of-Age when this took place.
e. That “Joseph” was Significantly-Older than she was, anywhere between his Late-Teens to Late-Sixtees.
Which brings us to the Issue of Islāmophobia: according to general Islāmophobic-Rhetoric Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is accused unjustly of being a Child-Molester, as per their Marriage to `Ā’ishah (May Allah be pleased with her), after she reached al-Balāghah/Puberty.(https://garethbryant.wordpress.com/2019/01/08/survivinghypocrisy)
Now, if one strictly goes by the Judeo-Christian Narrative, especially if one is a “Christian”, while believing in the “Divinity” of Jesus-Christ: the Logic of the Islāmophobic-Slander against Muhammad by definition must also apply to the Judeo-Christian Persona of the “Husband-Of-Mary”. And, by definition, thus assuming that either “Joseph” is the Bio-Father vs. Stepfather of Jesus-Christ, you’d basically also be accusing the Father/Stepfather of your “God” (as Christians do in fact worship Jesus-Christ) is a Child-Molester. I can humanly guarantee you, that Judeo-Christians have never ponder upon the Hypocritical-Irony of this.
Gareth Bryant
1442, A.H./2020, C.E.