Saudi Scholars: Forced marriages against Islam

Forced marriages are entirely against Islamic teachings, scholars told Makkah daily on Tuesday.

The scholars said the United Nations has classified these types of unions to be a serious violation of human rights.

Mohammed Al-Suhali, director of the Islamic studies center at Umm Al-Qura university and member of the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR), said such marriages are rejected both religiously and socially.

“This type of marriage has nothing to do with the religion and is nothing more than a social norm,” he said.

Al-Suhali said forced marriages have become a phenomenon in some conservative societies that do not give any value to the opinions of the would-be husband or wife.

He said: “There is no religious text that permits forced marriages. It is only considered permitted by people with personal interests or hidden agenda.”

Under the Saudi system, any woman who is forced by her male guardian to marry against her wishes can go to the court to revoke the marriage contract.

In the Western media forced marriages are always associated with Muslims and Islam. It is true that some Muslims indulge in such practices under the guise of arranged marriage but then so do many other communities. Forced marriages are unlawful in Islam. This has been declared to be so even by Saudi scholars who are upholders of the very conservative tradition and interpretation of Islam.

Original Source: SaudiGazette