Forced marriages may seem to belong to the past, but actually still are a reality in European societies. Young people, both girls and boys, are being forced to marry someone their parents or family have chosen for them and are not being given the opportunity to say ‘no’. It happens amongst groups of different ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds, also amongst Muslims. As far as Muslims are concerned, it is often thought – by Muslims and non-Muslims alike – that forced marriages are a part of Islam. However, Islam actually forbids forced marriages. A marriage is only valid according to Islam when both man and woman enter it of their own, free will.

For SPIOR, the Muslim umbrella organisation in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, the fact that Muslim girls were running away from home out of fear of being forced to marry, was the reason to start a project against forced marriages in 2004. The goal was the prevention of forced marriages by raising awareness about the issue, changing attitudes and promoting better communication between Muslim parents and children. To this end, meetings were organised with hundreds of young women, men and parents, also involving imams and scholars. Educating people about the Islamic view on forced marriages and choice of a partner in general was an important part of the project. The fact that Islam actually forbids forced marriages turned out to be an eye-opening message for many of the people involved.

The results of the project were published in a booklet with the same title: ‘Joining hands against forced marriages’. The booklet further contains information about the cultural background of forced marriages, about the Islamic view on marriage and forced marriages and about the relationship between marriage and the concept of ‘honour’. Also, the booklet provides a step by step plan for detection of force, taking actions and some advice for setting up preventative projects.

This issue is not unique for Rotterdam, or the Netherlands. That is why now SPIOR and the Rotterdam Municipality, in cooperation with Professor Tariq Ramadan (visiting professor on ‘Citizenship and Identity’ at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam), have started a European campaign against forced marriages. To this end, the aforementioned booklet will be translated into English, French, German, Italian and Spanish and distributed in the UK, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Of course, SPIOR can not do this alone. For this purpose, we will team up with Muslim organisations and (local) authorities in these countries, who will put the issue of forced marriages on the agenda in their own communities and in their own way. SPIOR’s experiences, as described in the booklet, will ahopefully serve as means of inspiration for others.

The campaign will start with launch meetings in several capitals:
15 May – Rotterdam
16 May – Brussels
19 May – London
21 May – Berlin
22 May – Madrid
23 May – Paris
26 May – Rome

For more information, please contact Marianne Vorthoren at SPIOR:
+31 (0)10 – 466 69 89
or m.vorthoren@spior.nl