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Forced marriages ‘against Islam’
Reporter: Gillian Potts
Date online: 03 February 2012
AN Oldham community was today poised to meet a Pakistani official as part of a campaign to end the “brutal and unacceptable” tradition of forced marriages.
District Mufti of Mirpur, Hafiz Nazir Ahmed, was due to visit the borough to discuss moves against forced and early marriages among Oldham’s Pakistani families.
The event — backed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office — was one of five to be held across the UK this week.
Also taking part were members of the Khari Sharif Welfare Society, an organisation set up to offer support and advice to Pakistani communities and families on a range of issues including forced marriage.
“There is no concept of forced marriage in Islam,” said Mr Ahmed.
“People think that marriages without the consent of a man or a woman are in accordance with Islam. This way of thinking is against the teachings of Islam, rather it is a tradition and cultural practice in the Asian subcontinent.
“In some parts of Asia and in many developing countries forced marriages are common. I hope my visit to the UK will be useful for improving relations between Pakistan and the UK, and discouraging forced marriages. I will continue to co-operate on this issue with the British Government.”
The UK deems forced marriage to be a form of violence against women and men, domestic/child abuse and a serious abuse of human rights.
Last year the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s forced marriage unit provided advice and support to 1,468 cases related to possible forced marriage.
More than half involved individuals of Pakistani origin.
The oldest victim was 87 years old and the youngest was only five.
Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt said: “Forced marriage is an appalling, brutal and unacceptable practice. It is recognised in the UK and around the world as a serious abuse of human rights.
“The visit of the Mufti and his colleagues is an important opportunity for that message to be reiterated in communities around the UK.”
For advice and support call the forced marriage unit on 020-7008 0151 between 9am-5pm Monday to Friday or email fmu@fco.gov.uk.
For out of hours emergency advice call 020-7008 1500 and ask for the FCO Global Response Centre.
Further information can be found at www.fco.gov.uk/forcedmarriage.
Comments
Good on them for having the guts to discuss a "taboo" topic with the asian communities. however, they need to make a clear distinction between an "arranged" and "forced" marriage. Plenty of forced marriages have taken place because the parties concerned have been emotionally blackmailed into them, yet they class them as "arranged" - and i say that from experience having grown up in the asian community.
when i say blackmail i'm referring to cases where the parties concerned are told their parents will lose
"face" and "respect" if they don't marry, that it's "unislamic" to disobey your parents, the fear of being disowned or being treated like a pariah if you're still unmarried at the age of 20+.
Marriage is for people in love--not forced or arranged for some form of gain.
Agree with Nisha . There are varying degrees of force. Young asians need more support to stand up to this outdated and unacceptable practice so they can choose a partner of their choice. This would also help society as a whole, reducing the costs of the knock on effects of inter family marriages and would bring about the true integration that can never be possible until we share everything
I wonder if Mr Ahmed would care to comment on how Islam views Muslim men or more pertinently Muslim women marrying non Muslims?
Is a Muslim woman free to choose the husband she wants?
So long as there's the incentive of UK citizenship this will go on. The time has come to not allow foreign spouses in arranged marriages to come to the UK and gain citizenship. It isn't breaking up a family, it's quite possible to establish a family life in a different country. Take away the incentive and the rate of forced marriages will fall dramatically. In many of these cases the parents have been paid to sell their daughter, little better than slavery.
@ Flake - You don't half come out with some bigoted rubbish. Paid to sell their daughters indeed! Their reasons for "arranged" marriages are the same as they used to be here before laws were changed & women were given rights - that of keeping the land/money in one family, of creating "stronger" ties with certain families & communities. i believe the English royal family used to do the same, don't fool yourself that Diana & Charles had a "love" marriage!
Have Your Say
Yet another aspect of the schitzophrenic nature of the loony left who tell us that under multiculturalism we must respect other peoples cultures. We are then told that forced marriage is part of the culture of the Asian subcontinent.
Are we to respect this part of the culture? Probably not, but where is the definitive list of what we should accept & what we should not? Who would write such a list and what happens to those who don't agree with it.
Just more evidence multiculturalism isn't workin
By Flake @ 03/02/2012 16:55:51