OK, if you feel happy applying the term paedophile to men who married 12, 13, 14 or 15 year-old brides, fine.
I do not find it either accurate or helpful.
I do think that Aisha's age is a very important issue to raise when discussing whether Muhammad was a role-model for all time. But I always avoid using the word paedophile as I don't believe it helps strengthen my argument at all.
But we aren't talking about someone who married a twelve year old. We're talking about someone who married a six year old and started fucking her when she was nine. That's a bit more extreme, don't you think?
I am of course not disputing that a 50 year-old man marrying a 9 year old girl is totally wrong.
I am saying that I don't think the term paedophile is appropriate for people who married young brides at a time or in a society that accepted such things as normal.
There is a difference between going along with the norms of one's society and going against them.
If I remember rightly someone here mentioned that their grandmother - could have been mother - was married at 14. I remember my mother telling me that her grandfather (a Yorkshireman) married his wife when she was 14 too. It is more than likely that many more of the posters here have great grandfathers that married wives in their early teens. It was quite acceptable in Victorian England.
If it is not right to call our grandfathers paedophiles - then it is not right to call those who lived in an even more distant past, paedophiles.
This has no bearing on the unacceptable morality of it - nor does it stop us from pointing out to Muslims that the age of Aisha at marriage is an indisputable sign that Muhammad is not a role model for all times.
It was certainly one of the issues that contributed to me rejecting the belief that Muhammad was in any way an "Excellent example" for mankind.
But I don't think the term paedophile is correct or historically accurate - or helpful when discussing Muhammad with Muslims.
I have no problem with those who disagree. This is simply my view and I am certainly not saying others should not use the term if they feel it is appropriate.
Topic: Mohammad, the Pedophile