Happens in islam all the time. This is not only in Afghanastan. This is everywhere in muslim countries. Women are not respected. They are bought and sold and gifted. Like objects.
Its horrendous. And even more horrendous that few people speak out against it.
I agree. But it's not just Muslims. Child brides are a traditional Christian thing too and some sects (mormon traditionalists, I'm looking at you) still practice that crap in hiding here. And only around a hundred years ago, europeans would sell/send their kids to mills, rich families, and workhouses if they couldn't afford to feed them. I believe it fell under indentured labor.
This crap comes from economic pressures created by inequality and indifference from the ruling class. One of the things that makes me cringe when you see the war on entitlements here. We're not far removed from forcing a reality like this on America. European industrial history, European servitude and transportation (like a prison sentence), slavery and how kids were bartered during the great depression showed us that much.
These Muslim child marriages, I believe the kids are supposed to be cared for until they are of marrying age, then forced to actually perform the wife's duties (sex). But I think the age is 13 or 14 for that, if I'm not mistaken. Also, I believe second wives are more slave/sex slave than wife in these cultures. And these parents are so ignorant as to feel this is the best they can do. I hate all religion, and anyone involved when it comes to crap like this.