The religious perspective
It is important to know that NO MAJOR RELIGION will accept a marriage that does not have the consent of both parties, i.e. a forced marriage. Forced marriages are a development of cultural practices and are not accepted in any religion. This can be proven by the teachings of any mainstream faith, be it Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism or Sikhism.
In a three year consultation with 1000 Pakistani women, the majority of which were aged between 30 and 55, we discovered that 85% believed that forced marriage is a part of their religion. This is something that the campaign attempts to address, often bringing along a community faith leader who is knowledgeable to help understand the texts.
It might be common for you to be told that it will be a ‘sin’ if you do not agree to a marriage, but this is not true. If you have any questions regarding forced marriages and your religion, please call us on our helpline for further information.