Forced Marriage: A Big Problem for the UK's Littlest Muslims

[Lance]

Many Britons would be surprised to learn that people they might see on the streets of their own cities and towns are forced to marry. How much more disturbing must it be to discover that some of those marriages involve children?

The Telegraph reports that since the government’s Forced Marriage Unit opened in 2005, it has rescued almost sixty kids aged fifteen or younger — drawn primarily from the nation’s Pakistani Muslim population — who were being forced by their families to wed. According to Jasvinder Sanghera, director of the Karma Nirvana charity:

“The youngest child we have dealt with was nine years old,” she said. "The girl told her teacher she was going to be forced to marry someone and initially she was not believed.

“Ultimately, with the help of the Forced Marriage Unit, she was dealt with through child protection procedures. She was assessed and, thankfully, taken into foster care.”
islamist-watch.org/blog/2008/10/forced-marriage-a-big-problem-for-the-uks.html?tr=y&auid=4078946

 

[Sister_Amy]

That’s clearly a cultural and not religious problem.

 

[SuriPatty]

That’s clearly a cultural and not religious problem.

How can YOU a muslim say that?

Clearly muhammad married Aiesha at 9 yrs; he clearly condoned it. Muhammad; the speaker for allah, the one ALL muslims follow, the one who has the #1 example to lead a “allah’ aproved life in the eyes of muslims.

 

[Sister_Amy]

How can YOU a muslim say that?

Clearly muhammad married Aiesha at 9 yrs; he clearly condoned it. Muhammad; the speaker for allah, the one ALL muslims follow, the one who has the #1 example to lead a “allah’ aproved life in the eyes of muslims.

When you figure out what you’re talking about, I might considering answering you.

When you see a problem not in Muslims worldwide, not in Muslim cultures worldwide, but in a specific cultural subgroup, it’s clear that the problem is cultural, and not religious.

 

[JimG]

That’s clearly a cultural and not religious problem.

When 9 year olds are forced into marriage it becomes a legal problem, and a criminal problem. And it should.

 

[LDNCatholic]

Jasvinder Sangherra is a Sikh name (not Muslim). Karma Nirvana was set up for Asian teenagers who are being forced to marry, not just Muslims.

Amy is right. This is a cultural problem. It is a part of South Asian culture, not Islam. That said the people perpetrating this are despicable.

 

[Sister_Amy]

When 9 year olds are forced into marriage it becomes a legal problem, and a criminal problem. And it should.

I agree. Thank you.

 

[Sister_Amy]

Jasvinder Sangherra is a Sikh name (not Muslim). Karma Nirvana was set up for Asian teenagers who are being forced to marry, not just Muslims.

Amy is right. This is a cultural problem. It is a part of South Asian culture, not Islam. That said the people perpetrating this are despicable.

I agree.

 

[Lance]

That’s clearly a cultural and not religious problem.

So you are saying that with Mohammid it was cultural? I thought you guys believed everything he did was OK.

 

[Sister_Amy]

So you are saying that with Mohammid it was cultural? I thought you guys believed everything he did was OK.

You guys? You’re talking about Pakistanis, and I’m not Pakistani. If you read through the thread you will see that this is an issue among Hindus, among Sikhs, and Muslims–do you think they are all the same thing? Or do you realize that this is an issue specifically happening in the Indian subcontinent? That makes it a cultural problem, which has crossed religious lines.

Do you think Sikhs and Hindus refer to the marriage of Muhammad to Aaisha to justify their practice? Of course not.

As much as you might like to pretend you know the answer, you don’t see this happening so much with Muslims from other cultural backgrounds–Chinese, Malaysian, Indonesian, North African, South African, East African, West African, Egyptian, Palestinian, Saudi, Yemeni, Iraqi, Syrian, Jordanian, ETC.

So your analysis is flawed. That’s all. It has to do with subcontinent culture, and it’s a problem for more than just Muslims, but Sikhs and Hindus as well, as it’s not related to Islam.

 

[Sister_Amy]

You might not realize this either, but Mecca and Medina are not in Pakistan.

 

[Lance]

You guys? You’re talking about Pakistanis, and I’m not Pakistani. If you read through the thread you will see that this is an issue among Hindus, among Sikhs, and Muslims–do you think they are all the same thing? Or do you realize that this is an issue specifically happening in the Indian subcontinent? That makes it a cultural problem, which has crossed religious lines.

Do you think Sikhs and Hindus refer to the marriage of Muhammad to Aaisha to justify their practice? Of course not.

As much as you might like to pretend you know the answer, you don’t see this happening so much with Muslims from other cultural backgrounds–Chinese, Malaysian, Indonesian, North African, South African, East African, West African, Egyptian, Palestinian, Saudi, Yemeni, Iraqi, Syrian, Jordanian, ETC.

So your analysis is flawed. That’s all. It has to do with subcontinent culture, and it’s a problem for more than just Muslims, but Sikhs and Hindus as well, as it’s not related to Islam.

Nice try but you did not answer my question about Mohammid. Don’t throw up strawmen. Just answer the question, was his marriage to a 9 year old cultural?

 

[Sister_Amy]

Nice try but you did not answer my question about Mohammid. Don’t throw up strawmen. Just answer the question, was his marriage to a 9 year old cultural?

Yeah actually I’ve heard scholars say that it falls into the category of 'urf. Meaning it applied to that time/place/culture.

But that question is actually irrelevant because you’re talking about South Asians, and Muhammad was in Arabia. Check a map. The culture is not at all the same. This isn’t really strawmen either, but rather you’re missing the whole point that you’re arguing. I’m trying to help you out.

 

[Lance]

Yeah actually I’ve heard scholars say that it falls into the category of 'urf. Meaning it applied to that time/place/culture.

But that question is actually irrelevant because you’re talking about South Asians, and Muhammad was in Arabia. Check a map. The culture is not at all the same. This isn’t really strawmen either, but rather you’re missing the whole point that you’re arguing. I’m trying to help you out.

Actually I am talking about all Muslims. When I want you help I will ask for it. I will put my knowledge of geography against yours any day. You are the one either missing the point or deliberately trying to obfuscate.

The Sharia Council of the Darul Uloom London even appears to assume the possibility of child marriages, as there are instructions on its website for how to deal with the divorce of a girl who has not yet reached puberty.

 

[Sister_Amy]

Actually I am talking about all Muslims. When I want you help I will ask for it. I will put my knowledge of geography against yours any day. You are the one either missing the point or deliberately trying to obfuscate.

Why did you say for the “UK’s Littlest Muslims” and ignore all the Hindus and Sikhs and other South Asians who suffer from the same cultural problem?

You mentioned only Pakistanis in your original post.

But not Egyptians, Syrians, Jordanians, Palestinians, Indonesians, Somalis, Iraqis, Iranians, Yemenis, Omanis, Kuwaitis, Libyans, Tunisians, Algerians, Moroccans, South Africans, Gambias, Nigerians, Chinese, Japanese, or Malaysians. Only Pakistanis.

If it’s related to Islam… then why not? Why is a problem you see among South Asians who aren’t Muslim?

 

[Lance]

If it's related to Islam... then why not? Why is a problem you see among South Asians who aren't Muslim?

It is quite obvious that you and I are never going to see eye to eye on anything regarding Islam. You love it while I believe it to be a religion made up by a pedophile and the root of 50% of the world’s problems today.

 

[Sister_Amy]

It is quite obvious that you and I are never going to see eye to eye on anything regarding Islam. You love it while I believe it to be a religion made up by a pedophile and the root of 50% of the world’s problems today.

Did I stump you with my question?

Do you think that girls marrying at puberty accounts for 50% of the world’s problems today?

How do you feel about teen pregnancy, I wonder?

 

[Lance]

Did I stump you with my question?

Do you think that girls marrying at puberty accounts for 50% of the world’s problems today?

How do you feel about teen pregnancy, I wonder?

Stawmen!! As I said we have nothing to discuss. I fogot to add that IMO Mohammid was a war monger too.

 

[SuriPatty]

When you figure out what you’re talking about, I might considering answering you.

When you see a problem not in Muslims worldwide, not in Muslim cultures worldwide, but in a specific cultural subgroup, it’s clear that the problem is cultural, and not religious.

Sorry I DO know what I am talking about.
I was a muslim and I am married to a muslim man.
I am now raising my child as a catholic due to the lies of Islam.
Thankfully God has shown me the true path.

ETA: I am currently writing a book about my ordeal as a muslim in Pakistan. That will be a interesting read for you!

 

[Psalter]

That’s clearly a cultural and not religious problem.

It IS a religious problem. Mohammed married the pre-pubescant Aishia when she was only 6; he “consummated” the marriage when she was 9. (I wonder if that was rape or just stauatory rape? ) Moslems are supposed to follow Mohammed’s example, since he’s considered the “greatest leader the world has even known” and had “exemplary morals.”