As we noted in Part One, some Muslim men — in the U.K. that means mostly Pakistanis — also go abroad to find a wife selected by family members. Often the girl chosen is a cousin of the man, unsurprising in a culture that places such value on cousin-marriages. Having been raised in a Muslim land, the girl selected will, it is believed, be suitably docile, meek and mild, not having been influenced, as Muslim girls in the U.K. have been, by Western ways.
As for the girl in Pakistan who has been chosen by her family to marry a cousin from the U.K., for her an arranged marriage was inevitable, and she may see little difference between an arranged marriage with someone in Pakistan or with someone in the U.K., but should come to realize that there are benefits to living in the U.K. British law provides a limit to Muslim misogyny: the husband cannot “beat” his wife for her supposed “disobedience.” Her children will receive Western educations, rather than being limited by a school syllabus saturated with Islam. Polygamy is forbidden. A husband cannot divorce merely by uttering the triple-talaq; under British law, a wife has the same rights to divorce as does a husband. All of this improves the wife’s condition.
These cousin-marriages, however, weigh heavily on health care in Great Britain, for they result in many more children with congenital defects, that cost the NHS (National Health Service) huge sums for lifetime care. Shouldn’t those marriages be discouraged by the British government?
At the very least, why doesn’t the Home Office engage in an information campaign, to discourage those marriages where it is the girls and women who are sent to Pakistan to be married? It could threaten to prosecute the family members who force girls and women to enter into arranged marriages abroad. It could spread the word that any girls or women who fear being the victims of such an arrangement can contact the Home Office for support, which would include warning family members not to proceed with forced marriages. It could take a hard line on “sham” marriages — marriages, that is, where the girl or woman had no say in the matter, and where wives are forcibly made pregnant (i.e., raped), to legitimize the marriage in the eyes of British authorities.
The Home Office could declare its willingness to prosecute the “husbands” in these marriages for sexual crimes, should they continue to force themselves on their “wives” once they are in the U.K. It could announce, too, that it is prepared to refuse to grant spousal visas to the “husbands” in these marriages, but instead will either deny them outright or, at most, provide a short-term visa that will remain valid only as long as it takes to investigate the legitimacy of such a marriage, to find out if it real or sham, and whether it violates any British law as, for example, would be the case with an underage bride.
How can the Home Office determine which marriages are “sham”? It can take the testimony of the girls and women involved, who can describe every step in the process of the forced-marriage, from their being selected to marry, sight unseen, a Muslim man against their will, to the marriage abroad, and the quick, forced consummation of that marriage, and then the return of the couple, to the U.K. What was the difference in age between the girl and her husband-to-be? Was the girl raped, or was the sex consensual? If she was raped, was it done in order that she would become pregnant, to “legitimize” the marriage?
The demographic jihad proceeds all over Europe, with both legal and illegal Muslim migrants. The “marriage jihad” is a small part of this larger phenomenon. These marriages could be reduced if the Home Office is willing to brave charges of “islamophobia” and to stop handing out spousal visas, but instead to thoroughly investigate these marriages. How did the “husband” first make contact with the family of his would-be wife? How long did he know her before they were married? What payments, if any, did he make to her family? Were those payments contingent on his receiving a spousal visa? These are some of the obvious questions. These marriages where young girls are sent abroad to marry men, including those who are much older, in order that those “husbands” may receive spousal visas that allow them to settle in the U.K., are especially deplorable. Muslim women should be able to count on the protections of the Home Office. At this late date, why, one would like to know, can’t they?
BARBARA says
The UK should ban first and second cousin marriages and not recognize those made abroad. For those bringing in foreign spouses from areas with lots of cousin marriages, a DNA test should be required, and if it shows a close relationship (must be defined by scientific data), then the spouse should be rejected for a visa. It should be made a crime to have sex with a first or second cousin unless the woman is past childbearing age. If a child is born with birth defects, then there should be an investigation if a cousin marriage is involved, and then give the couple a choice of sterilization or breaking up. Education is needed, but the strong arm of the law must come against this practice. If the taxpayers knew how much these marriages cost taxpayers in medical bills for defective children and in productivity from lowered IQ’s in normal offspring, they would want this practice banned outright.
Bavak says
A spiral into hell. Incest, reduced iq, birth defects, then more incest.
Dawne says
Excellent articles. All of these things could and should be done, but it’s easier for the government and ministers to look the other way and pretend all this isn’t happening. Take the 30 year old “asylum seeker” who posed as a 15 year old child on entry to the UK and ended up in an Ipswich school where it was the CHILDREN at the school who pointed out that he was an adult. He’s been withdrawn from the school, sure, but apparently is STILL being treated as a minor by the government. It’s completely ridiculous. I genuinely worry for the future of this country.
Dara says
I thought the taxpayer-funded Forced Marriage Unit was supposed to stop this insanity? https://www.gov.uk/guidance/forced-marriage#how-the-forced-marriage-unit-can-help
BC says
Re. Fitzgerald’s last two paragraphs. It is very idealistic to suggest such measures given the autocratic even sometimes tyrannical nature of Muslim family life, where the father is regarded as a little ‘allah’
laying down all the rules (the mothers are sometimes as bad) and not afraid to enforce them. It is hard to imagine girls especially young ones standing up and testifying against the parents. In fact in the case of girls in Pakistan I would suggest it would be very rare. Young people there are frequently subject to ‘honour killing’ for marrying against the parents’ orders. Cooperation from the authorities would also be problematic, although I believe it has happened. The same problem arises with FGM cases making them very difficult to prosecute when the victim is not willing to cooperate with the prosecution
balam says
U.K Government can never manage to stop Muslims entering U.K .They are too smart. The Pakistani women born in U.K marry Pakistanis who enter as student in the Mosque with Nikkah ceremony and apply for indefinite stay in the country. Cash is paid to the girl or her parents which allows the man to stay and work in the country .Later ,he gives the girl triple TALAQ and marries a girl of his own choice ,usually his first cousin from Pakistan .Later ,the woman would find another client to make easy money .How clever scheme !!!!