 Community
Perceptions of Forced Marriages
Dr Yunas Samad has
explored the community perceptions of forced marriages for the Foreign
& Commonwealth Office.
The report has been
prepared in conjunction with the University of Surrey Roehampton's John
Eade for the Government's Community Liaison Unit (CLU).
The report explored
the problems and the perceptions of the Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities
of forced marriages, combining a comprehensive analysis of existing evidence
with new research.
It examined the local
context within the two communities in Bradford and Tower Hamlets and the
marriage practices amongst both communities within the context of marriage
and Britain generally. Yunas is keen to make the distinction between forced
and arranged marriage.
He said: "Arranged
marriages are not contracted between individuals but between families,
who invest in the stability and success of marriages because divorce and
separation can result in inter-family feuding. There are various forms
of arranged marriages and the social class and educational backgrounds
of parents are closely linked to the degree of choice that is offered
to children.
"The distinction
between forced marriages and arranged marriage lies in the right to choose.
In arranged marriages, as in traditional western love marriages, both
parties ultimately have the right to say no."
The report examines
the causes of, and the debates on, forced marriages within the communities,
considering the issues such as parental love, duty and reciprocity, denial
about forced marriages, gender and ethnicity and 'honour and men' in the
public sphere.
Yunas said: "While
the motivations involved in forced marriages are complex, the research
shows that liaisons with the opposite sex are an important trigger for
instigating the process of forced marriage.
"Communities have
become reflective about the issue and realise that forced marriages do
not work. Divorce, separation and running away from home are some of the
consequences. The elderly are being forced to adjust and adapt in reaction
to their children's demand for greater choice. While they want young people
to accept their marriage decisions, the elderly are aware they can not
force them. In addition, young people are concerned that community leaders
have not adequately and seriously addressed the issue of forced marriage
and show little confidence in them.
"Middle-aged participants
believe that forced marriages will die out because they realise the un-Islamic
nature of the practice. The general consensus is that force is unacceptable
but community understanding of coercion does not include emotional and
psychological pressure. This issue crops up in delicate situations such
as inter-personal relation. Women, due to socialisation, are important
enforcers for patriarchal norms and in many cases are the active agents
in the process of forced marriages."
11 February
2003
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