A pan-Arab newspaper picked up the quote by the country’s grand mufti, which made its way to the London-based Al-Hayat newspaper. The remarks were made during a lecture Monday, in which the cleric also stated that those who believe women should not marry before 25 are following a “bad path.” His comments come in response to recent attempts by Saudi human rights groups to put an end to marriages involving children. The National Human Right Commission has condemned the practice of marrying off young girls as an “inhumane violation.”

Report: Senior Saudi Cleric OKs Girls To Marry [MSNBC, via AP]

The man allegedly sold his 14-year-old daughter into marriage in exchange for $16,000, 100 cases of beer and several cases of meat. Police learned of the deal after the man went to retrieve his daughter because he was not paid as promised. An 18-year-old man (who we can only assume was the "husband") has also been arrested on suspicion of statutory rape. The girl claims that she went willingly with her older neighbor, but since she is too young to consent under California law, her "husband" will still be charged. Sadly, cases of arranged marriage involving underage girls have become increasingly common in this small farming community. [MSNBC]