Last month a religious leader in Morocco, Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman al-Maghraoui, received a question on his website about whether a woman can get married before reaching puberty. He responded by issuing a fatwa, or religious ruling, saying it was lawful for a Muslim man to marry girls as young as nine years old.

In February of 2002 I completed my first Sahara Marathon. While the event is fresh in my mind, I want to write down my thoughts and suggestions for those considering this event in the future.

See what life is like for the Sahrawi in this photo essay.

History of Western Sahara from the 1400s to 2004.

The Sahrawi women are among the most liberated of the Muslim world, and their status is characteristic of the well- organized, egalitarian society that has developed in the refugee camps over the past three decades.

WIDE ANGLE presents the story of a unique marathon that is staged annually in the hope of drawing attention to the plight of the Sahrawi people.

List of countries that recognize Western Sahara's independence.