A good article bringing this controversial issue into light. It doesn't only happen in Pakistan, India, other South Asia countries, & Africa, but also in Canada & US. It's also not necessarily prevalent in any one religious community but other communities, too.
Why do I say that this is a controversial issue?
"Forced marriage" needs to be defined. Many, especially in the West, consider "arranged marriage" as "forced marriage". That's the wrong label associated with arranged marriage.
If girls are getting married off by families, sometimes to such an old man, that any reasonable person would say that they will never have any understanding, or for some other reason the potential couple looks to be severely "mismatched" or if there are other issues with either both or one of the candidates, then it seems "forced". But usually -- from a Muslim & Pakistani perspective -- if parents are choosing a suitable suitor for their son or daughter, in terms of age, education, looks, family etc., then it's not forced, but an arranged marriage.
Candidates tell what they prefer to their parents & parents look for those criteria in matching them. Sort of like job searching process. Job candidates tell recruiters what they are looking for & recruiters try to match the candidates with the right jobs in the market.
Whereas, the West's or even modern world's (East & West) idea is everyone chooses a partner him/herself after falling in love. Well, we can see the effect of that in the West, where, as per some statistics, almost 50% people live alone (due to divorce or being single & not getting married in the first place).
The internet is now inundated with online matchmaking websites, catering to every societal niche & demographics, but AshleyMadison.com & Tinder are far more popular because "falling in love" phase phases out after honeymoon & the real faces of both partners is revealed after all that flirtatious & lustful period of dating has passed. Everyone is left to "mend their own garden", which in turn creates more isolation, depression, & feelings of loneliness & sadness for single people. Then they turn to online matchmaking sites where looks are all the rage or swear off all notions of marriage, & either go celibate or turn to Tinder (for casual relationships). Married people who apparently married for love are busy setting up dates on AshleyMadison.com.
Some of the real cases defined in the article do indeed seem cases of "forced marriage" but the article still blurs the line between "forced" & "arranged" marriage, never clearly defining the differences.
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It may seem strange, even impossible, that someone could be forced to marry against her will. But, like sexual assault—&, more recently, human trafficking—the curtain is being pulled back on what has been happening in Canada, & around the world, for centuries. In some nations, such as Norway, Belgium, Pakistan & the United Kingdom, forced marriage is a crime. Next year, Canada is expected to join that list when Bill S-7, which adds forced marriage to the Criminal Code, is approved.
The people, the vast majority of whom are women, came from a wide range of religious groups: 103 were Muslim, 12 Christian, 44 Hindu, 24 were unsure of their religious affiliation, & five had none. Almost half were Canadian citizens &, in most cases, family members were the perpetrators. People were taken out of Canada to get married in 57% of cases.
Forced marriage always involves pressure to wed against a person’s will, under physical or emotional duress, or without free & informed consent, according to definitions from international law & human rights groups. The main reason people submit to a marriage is because they do not want to disobey or disappoint family or church.
Very little data exist on forced marriage in Canada, but numerous court cases & anecdotal evidence suggest it’s been happening for more than a century, from coast to coast.
On Nov. 5, when Citizenship & Immigration Minister Chris Alexander announced S-7, the “Zero Tolerance for Barbaric Cultural Practices Act,” he introduced a three-pronged piece of legislation to address the problem at home & abroad. Bill S-7 would ban people in polygamous & forced marriages from immigrating to Canada. The second piece will amend the Civil Marriage Act to make 16 the minimum age of marriage across the country.
It would also enshrine forced marriage in the Criminal Code. “Everyone who celebrates, aids or participates in a marriage rite or ceremony knowing that one of the persons being married is marrying against their will” would be guilty of a crime punishable by up to 5 years in prison.
Toronto’s Barbra Schlifer Clinic started a support program for forced-marriage victims in 2009, & the caseload has been increasing ever since. “I’ve had Irish clients who have experienced forced marriage; Roma clients, Saudi, South Asian, European & Christian clients. It’s pretty much across the board,” says Farrah Khan, who has been counselling victims since 2006. “We see different economic backgrounds, as well. We see it happening in communities that are isolated, in communities that have a fear about losing their connections to culture, to faith.” Rape must also be brought into discussions about forced marriage, because couples are expected to consummate the marriage.
For Mattoo, Canada already has robust laws that deal with abuse, & she feels victims are more in need of a place to live, counselling to deal with the psychological trauma, & help getting back on their feet after they leave their marriages &, sometimes, their family members.
That’s why SALCO & 13 other activist groups & social service agencies, including the Schlifer clinic & the Woman Abuse Council of Toronto, are opposed to Bill S-7. “The proposed legislation exposes the underlying racist agenda that this government harbours,” their statement reads, referring to the name of the bill & the fact that they feel it singles out non-Western communities where polygamy is accepted. Mattoo’s main criticism is that the new law allows the federal government to wash its hands of the problem. “I’m not saying that any criminal action should go unreported, but criminalizing will not help prevent it.”
Why do I say that this is a controversial issue?
"Forced marriage" needs to be defined. Many, especially in the West, consider "arranged marriage" as "forced marriage". That's the wrong label associated with arranged marriage.
If girls are getting married off by families, sometimes to such an old man, that any reasonable person would say that they will never have any understanding, or for some other reason the potential couple looks to be severely "mismatched" or if there are other issues with either both or one of the candidates, then it seems "forced". But usually -- from a Muslim & Pakistani perspective -- if parents are choosing a suitable suitor for their son or daughter, in terms of age, education, looks, family etc., then it's not forced, but an arranged marriage.
Candidates tell what they prefer to their parents & parents look for those criteria in matching them. Sort of like job searching process. Job candidates tell recruiters what they are looking for & recruiters try to match the candidates with the right jobs in the market.
Whereas, the West's or even modern world's (East & West) idea is everyone chooses a partner him/herself after falling in love. Well, we can see the effect of that in the West, where, as per some statistics, almost 50% people live alone (due to divorce or being single & not getting married in the first place).
The internet is now inundated with online matchmaking websites, catering to every societal niche & demographics, but AshleyMadison.com & Tinder are far more popular because "falling in love" phase phases out after honeymoon & the real faces of both partners is revealed after all that flirtatious & lustful period of dating has passed. Everyone is left to "mend their own garden", which in turn creates more isolation, depression, & feelings of loneliness & sadness for single people. Then they turn to online matchmaking sites where looks are all the rage or swear off all notions of marriage, & either go celibate or turn to Tinder (for casual relationships). Married people who apparently married for love are busy setting up dates on AshleyMadison.com.
Some of the real cases defined in the article do indeed seem cases of "forced marriage" but the article still blurs the line between "forced" & "arranged" marriage, never clearly defining the differences.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
It may seem strange, even impossible, that someone could be forced to marry against her will. But, like sexual assault—&, more recently, human trafficking—the curtain is being pulled back on what has been happening in Canada, & around the world, for centuries. In some nations, such as Norway, Belgium, Pakistan & the United Kingdom, forced marriage is a crime. Next year, Canada is expected to join that list when Bill S-7, which adds forced marriage to the Criminal Code, is approved.
The people, the vast majority of whom are women, came from a wide range of religious groups: 103 were Muslim, 12 Christian, 44 Hindu, 24 were unsure of their religious affiliation, & five had none. Almost half were Canadian citizens &, in most cases, family members were the perpetrators. People were taken out of Canada to get married in 57% of cases.
Forced marriage always involves pressure to wed against a person’s will, under physical or emotional duress, or without free & informed consent, according to definitions from international law & human rights groups. The main reason people submit to a marriage is because they do not want to disobey or disappoint family or church.
Very little data exist on forced marriage in Canada, but numerous court cases & anecdotal evidence suggest it’s been happening for more than a century, from coast to coast.
On Nov. 5, when Citizenship & Immigration Minister Chris Alexander announced S-7, the “Zero Tolerance for Barbaric Cultural Practices Act,” he introduced a three-pronged piece of legislation to address the problem at home & abroad. Bill S-7 would ban people in polygamous & forced marriages from immigrating to Canada. The second piece will amend the Civil Marriage Act to make 16 the minimum age of marriage across the country.
It would also enshrine forced marriage in the Criminal Code. “Everyone who celebrates, aids or participates in a marriage rite or ceremony knowing that one of the persons being married is marrying against their will” would be guilty of a crime punishable by up to 5 years in prison.
Toronto’s Barbra Schlifer Clinic started a support program for forced-marriage victims in 2009, & the caseload has been increasing ever since. “I’ve had Irish clients who have experienced forced marriage; Roma clients, Saudi, South Asian, European & Christian clients. It’s pretty much across the board,” says Farrah Khan, who has been counselling victims since 2006. “We see different economic backgrounds, as well. We see it happening in communities that are isolated, in communities that have a fear about losing their connections to culture, to faith.” Rape must also be brought into discussions about forced marriage, because couples are expected to consummate the marriage.
For Mattoo, Canada already has robust laws that deal with abuse, & she feels victims are more in need of a place to live, counselling to deal with the psychological trauma, & help getting back on their feet after they leave their marriages &, sometimes, their family members.
That’s why SALCO & 13 other activist groups & social service agencies, including the Schlifer clinic & the Woman Abuse Council of Toronto, are opposed to Bill S-7. “The proposed legislation exposes the underlying racist agenda that this government harbours,” their statement reads, referring to the name of the bill & the fact that they feel it singles out non-Western communities where polygamy is accepted. Mattoo’s main criticism is that the new law allows the federal government to wash its hands of the problem. “I’m not saying that any criminal action should go unreported, but criminalizing will not help prevent it.”
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