Hidden Crime Affecting Hundreds of Women | 60 Minutes Australia

May 15, 2018 • As a teenager, Rania Farrah was taken captive and held against her will by her father's family in Syria. A prisoner in the secretive and sinister world of young women who face the prospect of forced marriage. But refusing to be defeated, she secretly plotted and pulled off a daring escape back to Australia on the day she turned 18. On 60 Minutes, Rania very bravely speaks to Liz Hayes in the hope of lifting the veil on a hidden crime that affects hundreds of Australian women.

I Wed Aged FIVE… in the UK
Shocking story from a British town
THE SUN: DRESSED in a fancy new outfit, little Samina Shah thought she was getting ready for her birthday party.

Instead she was being married off — having just turned FIVE.

The Islamic ceremony effectively ended her childhood and paved the way for years of abuse.

Just as shockingly, this was not happening in a remote Third World village — but in a large town in the north of England.

Samina has decided to speak out after Britain’s Forced Marriage Unit revealed that last year the 1,468 cases they investigated included another girl of five.

There are thought to be another 6,500 cases that went unreported.

Samina — not her real name as she is too scared to be identified — told The Sun: “I was denied the right of childhood, play and innocence.

“When you are married at the age of five you no longer live like a normal child. I was deprived of my basic human rights. » | Anila Baig | Exclusive | Sunday, April 08, 2012

THE MAIL ON SUNDAY: I was forced to marry at five » | Rebecca Seales | Sunday, April 08, 2012

Pakistan Supreme Court to Decide Fate of Hindu Woman in Muslim Marriage Row

THE GUARDIAN: Rinkle Kumari, 19, claims she was kidnapped, converted to Islam and married against her will

The fate of a Pakistani Hindu woman who claims she was kidnapped, forcibly converted to Islam and married against her will is to be decided this week, after weeks of campaigning by the country's Hindu minority.

The case of 19-year-old Rinkle Kumari has outraged Hindus from her small town in the south of the country, where community leaders accuse Muslims of preying on Hindu girls of marriageable age.

Some claim similar cases are helping to fuel a steady outflow of Pakistan's tiny Hindu community as families choose to move to Hindu-majority India instead.

In a hearing beginning on Monday, the supreme court in Islamabad will try to get to the bottom of the hotly contested versions of events. » | Jon Boone in Islamabad | Sunday, March 25, 2012

Forced Marriages in Germany More Prevalent than Thought

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: A new study has revealed that thousands of young women and girls in forced marriages seek help every year in Germany. The vast majority of victims come from Muslim families, and many have been threatened with violence or even death. The numbers involved are much higher than previously suspected.

More women and girls living in Germany are being forced into marriage under the threat of violence than previously thought, according to a new study released by the German government on Wednesday.

In 2008, the most recent year for which statistics are available, 3,443 people sought help at counseling and information centers because they had already been, or were being, forced into marriage. The vast majority of those victims were women or girls, but 6 percent were young men, who, like many of the women, sought help because they were threatened with violence if they did not go through with the marriage.

The new study was presented Wednesday in Berlin by Family Minister Kristina Schröder and the federal integration commissioner, Maria Böhmer, both members of Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democratic Union. "Those who force their children against their will to marry someone they don't love, or who is a complete stranger, are committing brutal violence against them," Schröder said in a statement.

The German human rights organization Terre des Femmes had previously estimated that in Germany more than a thousand women and girls from immigrant families seek help from counseling centers each year. Schröder has called for the issue of forced marriage to be discussed more in German schools. » | mbw -- with wires | Friday, November 11, 2011

Forced Marriages Could Become a Criminal Offence under New Immigration Plans
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Forcing someone to marry against their will could become a criminal offence under plans set out by Prime Minister David Cameron today.


Mr Cameron announced he was making it a criminal offence to breach an order issued by the courts to prevent a forced marriage and he has asked Home Secretary Theresa May to consult on whether the practice should be made an offence in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The cross-party Commons Home Affairs Committee called earlier this year for forced marriage to be criminalised, but its recommendation was rejected by the Home Office in July for fear that it would discourage victims from coming forward.

The Prime Minister announced today he was asking Mrs May to rethink the decision in a speech in central London in which he outlined measures to get immigration under control, including "stricter and clearer" tests on those claiming the right to settle in the UK to be with their spouses.

"Forced marriage is little more than slavery," said Mr Cameron.

"To force someone into marriage is completely wrong. And I strongly believe this is a problem we should not shy away from addressing. But I know that there is a worry that criminalisation could make it less likely that those at risk will come forward. » | James Kirkup, Political Correspondent | Monday, October 10, 2011

Germany Moves to Ban Forced Marriages
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Germany's government has proposed criminalising forced marriage in an attempt to wipe out the traditional Muslim practice.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's Cabinet agreed to a proposed law that would make forced marriage in Germany a crime that can be punished with up to five years in prison.

The legislation still needs to pass parliament.

"Forced marriages are a serious problem in Germany," Thomas de Maiziere, the interior minister, said, adding that by criminalising them Germany would make clear that this is no longer "a tradition from olden times or different cultures that is ... tolerable."

About 4.3 million Muslims live in Germany, and forced marriage is still fairly common, especially among Turks and Arabs.

There are no official figures on the number of forced marriages, but rights groups say that increasing numbers of young immigrants who grew up in Germany and identify with Western values and the right to choose their own partners are rebelling against the tradition. >>> | Thursday, October 28, 2010

Yémen : Nojoud Ali, une fille d'exception
Photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO – BLOG – CHRONIQUES ORIENTALES: C'était il y a presque deux ans. Par un matin d'hiver, une enfant de 10 ans, à peine, allait briser l'un des plus grands tabous du Yémen : le mariage précoce des jeunes filles. Mariée de force à un homme trois fois plus âgé qu'elle, Nojoud Ali, eut l'audace de s'enfuir au tribunal et de demander le divorce. A l'époque, ses mésaventures firent la une des journaux, de Sanaa à New York, en passant par Paris... >>> Par Delphine Minoui | Mercredi 10 Mars 2010

Cultural Sensitivity, Forced Marriages, Honour Killings, & Murder
TIMES ONLINE: Tulay Goren’s death won’t be the last so long as misplaced cultural sensitivity stops us acting against forced marriages

Twice, in the weeks before she was murdered by her father, Tulay Goren told the police that she feared for her life. And twice she was ignored. Mehmet Goren, who was convicted of murder yesterday, killed his 15-year-old daughter because she had fallen in love with an “unsuitable” older man. To Mehmet, the affair made her a “worthless commodity” who could not be married off for a £5,000 dowry. The authorities did nothing to protect her, even though the police became involved when her father attacked her boyfriend, and even though Mehmet demanded in front of police officers that his daughter take a virginity test. Only a decade after her murder in 1999 has justice been done.

“Honour killings” in Britain? Impossible. To many people the case of Tulay Goren will come as a shock, but not to me. I know from personal experience, and from working with victims, that such “honour” crimes are a huge social problem in this country. The shame is not just that it is happening on such a large scale, but that it is so often covered up for fear of upsetting cultural sensibilities. Serious crimes are being treated as a matter for diversity officers rather than for the police and the courts.

There are measures in place to help potential victims of honour crimes, but they are not being used to anything like the extent that they should be. In 2007 Parliament passed the Forced Marriage Act, which enables magistrates to issue protection orders to stop women and girls being married against their will. If necessary, victims, a third of whom are under 16, can be taken into care. Passports can be confiscated, and parents can be forced to reveal the whereabouts of daughters who have gone missing from school, most likely because they have been taken abroad to be coerced into marriage. According to a recent Home Affairs Select Committee report, 2,500 British girls have gone missing from schools and are believed to be at risk. It is not part of anyone’s culture to be abused >>> Jasvinder Sanghera | Friday, December 18, 2010

TIMES ONLINE: Special protection orders save nine-year-olds from forced marriages >>> Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent | Friday, January 08, 2010

Islamic Fundamentalism: Honour Killings Up by 40%
MAIL ONLINE: Police have seen 'honour' crime surge by 40 per cent due to rising fundamentalism, new figures show.

Honour-based violence, including crimes like murder, rape and kidnap has rocketed in London during the past year.

Reported instances of intimidation and attempts at forced marriage have also increased by 60 per cent.

A report into the scale of the problem by Scotland Yard found there were 161 honour-based incidents recorded in 2007-8, of which 93 were criminal offences.

But in 2008/9 the number of incidents had risen to 256, with 132 being criminal offences.

The latest figures indicate that the trend is continuing, with 211 incidents reported in the last six months until October, of which 129 were offences - more than double the number in the same period last year.

Police define honour crimes as offences motivated by a desire to protect the honour of a family or community.

Diana Nammi, of the Iranian and Kurdish Women's Rights Organisation, said the group is now dealing with four times more complaints relating to honour than two years ago.

She said: 'More women are coming forward. They are becoming more aware of their rights in the UK, that there is help available and they feel confident enough to report matters to the police.

'But I also think cases and violence are increasing.

'One reason is the rise in fundamentalism. The problem is increasing in communities around the UK.

'We are seeing a rise not only in honour killings, but also in female genital mutilation and polygamy.' Honour crime up by 40% due to rising fundamentalism >>> Rebecca Camber | Monday, December 07, 2009

Studie: Hunderttausende Türkinnen heiraten minderjährig
WELT ONLINE: Eine Studie bringt schockierende Details über die Ehepraxis in der Türkei ans Licht. Demnach werden mindestens sieben Prozent der jungen Türkinnen aus der Schule genommen und verheiratet. Zwei Drittel aller Frauen können sich nicht aussuchen, wen sie heiraten. Auch nach der Eheschließung gehen die Zwänge weiter.

In der Türkei gibt es rund eine Million „Kinderbräute“. Das geht aus einer neuen repräsentativen Untersuchung hervor, die die Zeitung „Hürriyet“ in Auftrag gab und aus der sie vorab berichtete. Mindestens sieben Prozent der türkischen Mädchen werden demnach von ihren Eltern vorzeitig aus der Schule genommen, um sie zu verheiraten.



Zwei von drei Frauen könnten sich ihre Ehemänner nicht selbst aussuchen, 60 Prozent der Türkinnen müssten ihre Ehemänner fragen, wenn sie aus dem Haus gehen wollten. >>> AFP/cn | November 25, 2008

BBC: New Laws against Forced Marriages

Image courtesy of the BBC
Laws to prevent forced marriages and protect those who have already fallen victim have been introduced in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The laws mean anyone convicted of trying to force someone into marriage could be jailed for up to two years.

A victim, friend or police can apply for a Forced Marriage Protection Order.

These court injunctions will forbid families from actions such as taking people abroad for marriage, seizing passports or intimidating victims.

Penalties for breaching an order include up to two years' imprisonment.

The legislation is the first to specifically target the problem of forced marriages.

Previously the issue had been dealt with through existing measures, such as those contained in the Children's Act, and immigration laws.

Clear message

Justice minister Bridget Prentice said: "This new law is a powerful tool that will help ensure that no-one is forced into marriage against their will and those already in such marriages will receive protection." >>> | November 25, 2008

Listen to BBC audio: Forced marriage reaction: ‘Its not going to work’ >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Dust Jacket Hardcover, direct from the publishers (UK) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback, direct from the publishers (UK) >>>

UK: Nine-year-old Girls Forced to Marry in Muslim Weddings
MAIL Online: British children as young as nine are being forced to marry against their will by their families, campaigners have warned.

Charities supporting victims of forced marriages report growing numbers of young teenagers and children seeking help.

They are urging schools to take tougher action where they suspect pupils are at risk, and to monitor their rolls carefully and raise the alarm when children disappear.

Thousands of Britons - mainly young women from the Asian communities - are thought to be victims of forced marriage each year, but concerns are increasingly focused on the plight of underage girls who are being offered for marriage to foreign men when they have barely left primary school.

No accurate figures exist for the scale of the problem, although the Government's Forced Marriage Unit has helped rescue around 60 children aged 15 or under in the past four years - including 11 so far in 2008 - and experts fear that may represent only the tip of the iceberg.

Typically victims are taken overseas by their families on a false pretext and forced to marry. Extreme cases where women rebel against their family's plans and try to run away have led to so-called 'honour killings' or suicides.

Ministers angered campaigners two years ago by dropping plans to make it a criminal offence to force someone to marry, after Muslim groups objected strongly to the plans. British Children as Young as Nine ‘Forced to Marry against Their Will in Muslim Weddings’ >>> By Matthew Hickley | September 29, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Dust Jacket Hardcover, direct from the publishers (UK) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback, direct from the publishers (UK) >>>

Pakistan: Judge Ratifies Marriage and Conversion of Kidnapped Christian Girls
ASIANEWS.IT: The district of Muzaffargarh rules in favour of the Muslims, rejecting the request from the family that wants to bring home the two sisters - 13 and 10 years old - kidnapped last June 26. Christian associations charge that they could end up as prostitutes.

Islamabad - District judge Mian Muhammad Naeem, of the section of Muzaffargarh, has ruled that the two Christian sisters "have converted in a legitimate manner to Islam", and for this reason they cannot be "restored to their family of origin". Setting aside the request from their father to regain custody of his daughters, the judge also admitted the "validity" of the marriage of the girls to two Muslims.

Saba Younas, aged 13, and her sister Anila were kidnapped last June 26 in the village of Chowk Munda, in the province of Punjab, where they had gone to visit their uncle, Khalid Raheel. This is the same uncle who in recent days reported their kidnapping, asking for help from news organisations and human rights groups. According to Raheel's account, a Muslim fruit vendor named Muhammad Arif Bajwa kidnapped the girls, and then handed them over to a friend, Falak Sher Gill, who then organised the marriage between his own son and the older of the Christian sisters, Saba. In court, moreover, father and son both stressed the "complete willingness of the girl to contract marriage".

The girls' uncle does not conceal his preoccupation, and denounces to AsiaNews that the Muslims involved in the kidnapping are acting as a "gang", recruiting the girls in order to "make them work in a bordello". This alarm has also been heard by the Catholic commission for justice and peace (NCJP) in the country, which confirms the words of Khalid Raheel: the kidnappers are believed to be human traffickers linked to prostitution, known to the police and under the protection of some local politicians. "For these unscrupulous people", charges Naeem Asghar, local coordinator of the NCJP, marriage is a pretence in order to control the girls, run their lives and exploit them for their own business purposes". Kidnapped Christian Girls, Judge Ratifies Marriage and Conversion >>> By Qaiser Felix | July 16, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Dust Jacket Hardcover, direct from the publishers (US) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback, direct from the publishers (US) >>>

Baroness Warsi Calls for Forced Marriages to Be Criminalized
Photo of Baroness Warsi courtesy of Google Images
DAILY EXPRESS: Forced marriages are not a culturally sensitive issue but an abhorrent act, a Tory Muslim peer has said.

Baroness Warsi, shadow minister for community cohesion and social action, has called for such marriages to be treated as crimes to send a clear signal that they are intolerable. 



She said the same arguments had been previously used to tackle domestic violence.



Speaking on GMTV programme, she said that society had realised that domestic violence was not a taboo subject and that what was needed now was for the state to step in to give protection against forced marriages. "As a society we draw a line in the sand," she said. Action on Forced Marriages Urged >>>

Mark Alexander (Paperback)
Mark Alexander (Hardback)

3,000 Women a Year Forced into Marriage in UK, Study Finds

Although this article does not mention the group by name, we all know who the greatest offenders of forced marriages are. Political correctness triumphs again. For heaven’ sake, don’t mention who the offenders are lest they themselves be offended!

Have you noticed how the term ‘South Asian’ is so often used to avoid the ‘M’ word? And then we have the “problem spread across different ethnic minorities” frequently so stated!

To my knowledge, the practice of forced marriages is far more widespread in the Muslim communities, so for God’s sake just let’s say so. Let’s stop the pussyfooting. - ©Mark

THE GUARDIAN: At least 3,000 young women in Britain are the victims of forced marriages each year, with the scale of the problem far bigger than originally thought, according to a groundbreaking report out this week.

The first study ever conducted in the UK into the prevalence of the custom shows that there are far more victims, spread across different ethnic minority communities, than official figures suggest.

Teachers should be given a key role in talking confidentially to young girls whom they believe may be at risk of being coerced into marriages, particularly if there is suspicion that an older sister has been married off against her will, the report recommends.

But there also needs to be more determined effort within communities to end the practice, so that forced marriages become a matter of shame and humiliation for parents, instead of being a matter of pride.

The Home Office-funded study calls on authorities to take the institution more seriously, so that it is treated as an issue of illegality, domestic violence and bullying.

The study, which looked at cases in Luton, a town with a large south Asian community, found at least 300 cases where victims had contacted community organisations. Yet the government's forced marriage unit, set up to tackle the problem three years ago, handles only 300 cases a year nationwide. 3,000 women a year forced into marriage in UK, study finds >>> By Jo Revill and Anushka Asthana | Saturday March 8 2008

TIMESONLINE:
Forced marriage fear prompts a national count of missing girls By Lucy Bannerman

Mark Alexander (Paperback)
Mark Alexander (Hardback)