Anti-dhimmitude from the British High Commission, as it steps in to protect British citizens' right to self-determination. From AP:
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Her father said it would be a two-week holiday to learn about her Pakistani heritage. But the British woman soon found herself captive in a remote tribal village for over a year and promised in marriage to a first cousin she'd never met.
With the British High Commission's help this month, the woman escaped Pakistan shortly before her planned wedding, avoiding the phenomenon of forced marriage that befalls scores of foreign women, including Americans, annually in this deeply conservative Islamic country.
"My dad made me believe it was just a holiday," said the 20-year-old woman, who declined to reveal her actual name and asked to go by Shazia for her own protection. "But the weeks turned into months and months. I never believed my own father would have a plan to marry me to someone I didn't know, but I was wrong."
More than 100 British nationals of Pakistani descent -- 20 percent of them males as young as 14 -- have been rescued in each of the past two years after being forced into marriages here. Americans with links to Pakistan are also made to marry against their will but in fewer numbers, the U.S. Embassy said.
But this could be just the tip of the iceberg, officials say, as many women forced to marry live in isolated communities or at the mercy of authoritarian families.
Reasons abound for foreigners being forced to wed here. Britain is home to more than 800,000 Britons of Pakistani descent. Many of the first Pakistani migrants to Britain came from rural, conservative backgrounds and oppose letting their children -- particularly daughters -- marry into the more liberal British society.
"It is unacceptable for such fathers living in Britain to allow their daughters to grow up in an emancipated society with more freedom where they could possibly meet men," Sumaira Malik, Pakistani minister for women's affairs, said Monday. "So they force their girls to come back here and marry boys from their village."
[...]
Rape features prominently in forced marriages of foreigners, said Helen Feather, head of consular affairs at the British High Commission. Women forced to wed against their will are often raped so they become pregnant, produce children and, in turn, cement themselves in an unwanted family union. Obtaining British nationality is also sought after by the husband in a bid to improve his economic situation.
In Shazia's case, she was accompanied to Pakistan last year by her father, who was born in Pakistan but migrated with his parents to Britain as a child. After a short time here, her father returned to Britain but ordered Shazia to remain with his family here, despite her protests. "I didn't know what was going on. He never told me anything. But he told all his relatives that the plan was for me to marry some guy in the village," Shazia said during an interview at the British High Commission in Islamabad.
Then for more than a year, Shazia was made to live as a rural Pakistani villager in the North West Frontier Province -- wearing local clothes, cooking food, cleaning the house, fetching water from a nearby well and milking cows.
But all the while, she said she was treated as an outsider by suspicious relatives who were accomplices to the plan to marry her off to a cousin in the same village so he could eventually gain British citizenship.
"They didn't care at all about me, they just cared about that little red (U.K.) passport," she said. "My year here was horrible. I didn't like the food, the way they dressed. I rarely left the house and whenever I did, I was always followed by 20 relatives in case I tried to make a run for it."
About a year later, Shazia's 18-year-old sister was also forced to travel to Pakistan to join elder sibling, believing it would be a short trip. But she too was being groomed for a village marriage.
"I arrived with only British clothes. I don't even own any Asian clothes," said the sister, who also declined to identify herself.
But she was prepared in other ways. She had heard that British authorities had a dedicated team in Pakistan to help British nationals forced to marry here. Once in Pakistan, she got word to British High Commission officials of her and her sister's whereabouts.
At an arranged time, a team of British officials, backed by local police, drove to the house where the sisters were kept and ordered an uncle to give back their passports before driving them away to safety.
They have since returned to Britain and vowed to not contact their father. British authorities are assisting them with initial housing and a loan.
Khalida Salimi, director of the Pakistani anti-domestic violence NGO Struggle for Change, said her workers have retrieved numerous foreigners, including young boys chained in village homes, who had been married against their will.
"It will take some time to make people understand that parents can't treat their children as commodities," Salimi said. "But in Pakistan, women and children are generally considered as possessions, not people."
Why do you hate cultural diversity?
They're primitives.
They lie, as their most perfect of men told to, to each other as well as themselves.
Primitives.
Twenty years old. Born and educated, I gather, in the UK, in a Muslim family of Pakistani descent.
Does she know how to read, yet? These incidents have been publicized in British newspapers.
Has she never heard, even through the grapevine, about the true intent of these 'holidays'?
Are there British laws against what her father did?
Is daddy going to walk free?
At what age, in England, do Muslim girls, if ever, become emancipated?
You gotta love multiculturalism. We discover laws of nature and create airtravel, computers, internet and a million other things of great value. They rape, oppress and fly airplanes into buildings.
We like to live; they brag repeatedly how much they love death, and how important it is to kill us in the name of Allah.
They feel joy at the sight of a blood-soaked jew screaming in pain, and dance in delight after events such as 9/11.
They have more in common with mad bloodthirsty animals than with humans.
from the post:
"...Khalida Salimi, director of the Pakistani anti-domestic violence NGO Struggle for Change...
...Salimi said. 'But in Pakistan, women and children are generally considered as possessions, not people.' "
Is Salimi a "racist", or "bigoted" or perhaps an "islamophobe"? Or is she simply describing the reality of her world? A world which appears to be, among other things, bigoted and sexist. Is it bigoted to point out bigotry?
Naseems?
Bueller?
See this related story, " Mother appeals for safe return of daughter, 12, feared abducted by father for forced marriage" at http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/article1222583.ece.
Surprising - hopeful? - that a pro-Muslim, anti-Israel paper like the Independent would carry this at all. The Guardian did as well.
Shazia and her sister should show their gratitude towards Britain by bailing out of Islam. Embrace the Church of England. Granted, it may one day be led by Charles, but regardless of Charles and Rowan, these two need a fresh identity outside Islam.
Shazia and her sister, according to the article, are second generation Paki-British. Their father was brought to Britain by his parents as a child. This story is more proof that the Muslims are not integrating into British society. I am happy the girls got out; However, if their father is still so Islamic, he is not above performing a couple of honor killings. The sisters should break all ties with their family, change their names to Anne and Jane Smith and move to another part of the country..and watch their backs for years to come. Also, the child welfare system should remove any other children who are living in the home with this monster father. Will he be charged with anything, according to British law?
"Will he be charged with anything, according to British law?"
Probably have his welfare payments increased.
Where does naseem disappear when things like this are posted ?
Yes, where is our understanding of cultural diversity, we should embrace difference, even if it is maniacal and repressive!
Lets just hope some backward religious sect doesnt decide to start roasting babies over a hibachi and claiming such an act as a cultural right...that ol' diversity idea would surely be tested.
Yay for cultural diversity and acceptance! Easy there, no jumping for joy, you might tip over my hibachi.
I noticed the media has called Warren Jeffs cult, a cult. He had forced young girls into forced marriages, believed in many wives, was against the country, lies, believed in false gods and forced people (except some young boys) to stay in the cult. His followers were probably armed to the teeth. Very secretive....
I don't see much difference in his cult and the cult of islam. But the media isn't calling islam a cult.
If the father is charged it will be a first. I have a friend who works in paediatric dept of a hospital. A few years a child was to brought in who needed an emergency op & my friend had to work late to handle the admin side of things. Turns out that a 12 yr old girl needed an urgent gynaecological op to correct a bungled clitoridectomy. She almost bleed to death. The surgeon reported the family but social services didn't want to know & the police wouldn't do anything unless the social workers backed them up. The surgeon was told by the social worker to drop the matter or face being called a racist. No one cared that the child almost died.
The only surprise to me about the sisters' case is that they are being helped by other muslims.
Kind Muslims helping?? Helping where?? Right back to Daddy!!
This in not moral but the world it calling good bad and bad good in the name of peace - its surrender. I will not surrender, I don't own a white flag, and don't know how to make one.
The problem as I see it - WHEN ARE WE GOING TO WAKE UP!! Is this one of the few places where anyone can still read, say, tell the truth?
When are we going to ralley around our own truth own flag,- When are we going to try and save ourselves from a religion/opression worse than death.
WAKE UP WORLD! WAKE UP!! THIS CANN'T BE HOW IT ENDS
I have children, grandchildren - I do not want them to live under Islam this is not what I brought them into this world for. This is not the possible beautiful future I hopped for for them!!
Why doesn't anyone wake up and do something? What you say? Start with the truth in every speach, every newspaper, every movie, book.
Everyone who has a daughter should stand and be accounted for, thats if they mean anything to you, if you had any good dreams for them!
START WITH GIVING OUT THE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH - THEN MAKING LAWS AGAINST THIS MONSTER RELIGION -THEN DECLARE JESRUSLEM THE CAPITOL OF ISREAL - Hey we are already the Great American Satan going straight to hell!! With that title you cann't say we have an immage or reputation to protect.
The islamafication of Britain will be easier than America for several reasons. Numbers are easier to replace for one, other parts of Europe will be more than happy to issues visas to get rid of their own muslim menace. It is faster and cheaper to go to the UK. Their liberal immigration polices even if changed will probably be their own undoing, it will amount to too little too late. As long as their so-called leaders live separated from the masses they can convince themselves the muslims are not really a problem. The muslims actually count on that and help it along with select contributions and basically pay them to look the other way. By the time the British elite listens to the majority it will be too late.
Unlike America the British have no gun culture, civil war with the muslims will breakout in the US long before any type of shiria is forced upon us. We are a nation of Cowboys and Rednecks not racially but by choice. We value our independent streaks and build upon them. Our own political elite can never force gun control on us or they will find themselves dodging the same rounds that scare them so. For much the same reason islam will never gain a real toe hold in the USA. Most of us consider muslims with amusement and feel more pity for them than anger. I consider muslim women little more than slaves along with all the disgust that comes with it. They are not in charge of their own destines which is something all Americans value. War with islam is a done deal at least on some level, even the liberals are starting to question why they are a violent and dangerous bunch. We are seeing less and less of the tired idealism, to find out why they are angry and more and more we are starting to see our liberal’s voice disgust. Anger will follow along with a call for action, it is amazing to look at our history books and realize pre conflict calls were always made to resolve things. At some point a call for action is louder and a Red, White and Blue butt stomping takes place.
Civil wars are never civil and anyone who doesn’t believe it can happen in the USA doesn’t give us much credit. I have discussed this type of scenario with many of my military friends and even a few law enforcement types and all agree a brief period attempting to control this will happen and probably fail. Afterwards, it will be a short battle to remove this menace or send them packing. We can do nothing for our British cousins unless they wake up, change your laws and we will cover you in enough weapons to clean your own homes.
Sharia is just another word for slavery. We as Americans made a commitment “NEVER AGAIN” and we meant it.
When is the politically correct press of the world going to realise that Pakistan is the NUMBER ONE breeding ground of terror, lies, deceit, hatred and islamic radicalism?
Honour killings in Pak families in the UK are 'common' practice and common knowledge but now the phenomenon is spreading to the rest of Europe. How many caught the news piece that covered the recent killing of a girl of Pakistani descent by her own father in Italy? Her crime? an Italian boyfriend and refusal to marry a first cousin in Pakistan.
Of late, there have been way too many cases of girls forced into marriage, "honour" killings, terrorist links, intra-muslim religious violence, widespread anti-India, anti-US, anti-Israel, and anti-US feeling...It seems although not Arab, Pakistanis do not want to be 'left behind' in the race for islamic fanaticism. They seem to be in a race to impress the Saudis, the Iranis, the Gulf states, and come out as champions of the Islamic cause.
When is Pres Bush going to give Pakistan the status it deserves - a terrorist, backward, tribal nation, that happens to be nuclear-armed? When?
oops, meant to say Anti-West up there.
Like other posters, I've noticed the attention heaped upon the Warren Jeffs' case, the head of a break-away Mormon group that still practices polygamy. The charges against him are as an accomplice to rape.
I've wondered if the attention paid to that relatively small group of 10,000 members continent-wide signals an intent by the authorities in the US and Canada to set a precedent and to preempt any charges of religious bias in pursuing similar cases that may involve individuals of other faith systems. One can always hope that the law will be equally upheld without partiality based upon, race, creed, color or economic status (...errrr, yes, tough one, that last).
Family law is one way of forcing these issues into the public light. Moslem women are sequestered even now in Western cities. Shariah is being practiced even now, even as we trumpet loudly and proudly about our rights. An attempt to officially recognize Shariah family law was recently defeated in Ontario, Canada, but how did it even get so far down the track?
Western governments that pro-actively seek out abuses based upon gender are likely to find -among others- Moslem women that are in need of help. These women may be the next Ayaan Hirsi Alis or Irshad Manjis. These women might lend their voices to Islamic reform. At the very least, their voices would put the lie to cultural relativism.
don't want for nasheem come back from her tree and reply. Inbreeding produces mongoloids. That's why pakistan is a 4th world country.
Follow the money. Her family will get a handsome payment for allowing the grooms family a foothold in the UK. When a Muslim man is sent to the Islamic homeland for his wife, his family will get a much larger dowry
So there are primitive motives at work but also cold hard cash
I watched Bargain Hunt on the telly recently and on the red team was an American lady who had married an English man she met on the Internet. She obviously loved him enough to move to windy and rainy Britain and stay here. And she was right up for a bit of Bargain Hunt nonsense because she loves car boot sales.
Tim Wannacott who his most stereotypical English person to have lived since the Raj treated her with great respect and she looked like she had a great day out.
That is multiculturism working. But the left think that Muslims can do the same.
So where an American lady made a decision to come to this country for her own reasons but as immersed herself in the culture…
We have Muhammad and his wife in Bradford living by the law of Sharia because it is the law that he was taught. He sends his daughters to Pakistan to be married off at his discretion to other members of his tribe. If the daughter disagrees she has dishonoured him and he has the right to kill her. That is an honour killing. You destroy your own seed because they displease you.
I have a Doberman bitch that would fight to her death to protect her pups regardless of their perceived ills.
Because of that observation I have decided to class Pakistani fathers who force there daughters into marriage lower than my dog.
Arjun I think at times like this Naseem hides under her burkha and devours large quantities of hummus-flavored ice cream. She NEVER comes on threads like this, but retreats and hides in the darkness of cyberspace. Like what happens with cockroaches when you turn on a light.
dennisw, I believe it. Then they go to the UK and get on the public dole.
'Salimi said. "But in Pakistan, women and children are generally considered as possessions, not people." '
Not just in Pakistan is it.
'Obtaining British nationality is also sought after by the husband in a bid to improve his economic situation.'
That's standard, why else come, other than the demographic conquest. Of course, it doesn't do much for our country either way.
"My dad made me believe it was just a holiday,"
I so don't trust these people.
"...in Pakistan, women and children are generally considered as possessions, not people." So all this time we thought we were talking with "Naseem" we were really talking to a cow? That might explain some of "her" posts. Now that her owner is dead (so she claims) I wonder who she belongs to? Oh, right, she's still a "slave to allah".
There is currently a case of a Pakistani father abducting his daughter from his divorced British wife. He's taken her back to Pakistan, apparently having gained her co-operatoion in advance ( the girl, who is only 12 years old, had obtained a passport without her mother knowing). I checked out the minimumage at which women can get married in Pakistan and Wikipedia (Marriageable Age - Asia) gave it as 15. In the same table it gives the minimum age in Iran as 12. I was surprised as it is often given as 9 in the posts for this blog. Yemen, however, is given as allowing marriage of 9 yr old girls). I only checked because it seemed odd that a Muslim male would go through so much trouble to get hold of a mere daughter.
I notice that she may well have been taken to Lahore. Her and her sister both have Muslim names but the BBC, of course doesn't mention the M word, let alone what religion the wife and daughters follow: perhaps Naseem will dropping by to help see to her spiritual welfare.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/5294498.stm
wallyUK,
wikipedia gives 13 as the marriageable age in iran, but without any reference.
The following reference says the marriageable age in iran (in 2003) was "recently increased" to 13, from 9 years old, which, as Hugh has pointed out in the past, is what the iranian revolutionary mullahs had made it, in 1979, based upon the example of the pedophile so-called prophet, known to history as "mohammed". I am not sure if the marriageable age has changed between 2003 and 2006. And, according to George Will in a 2004 column in the Washington Post, "Since 2002 -- this is Iranian moderation -- a court's permission has been required to marry younger than 13."
http://www.asiasource.org/asip/iranwomen.cfm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43384-2004Sep22.html
I just realized that this is also a form of jihad. Muslim father forces daughter to marry a foreignn Muslim in order to gain British citizenship. Then the Muslim comes over to the UK, has children, and raises them up to be jihadists.
A campaign to make forced marriage illegal in the U.K.(yes - it really is legal right now) was recently abandoned as the Labour govt got cold feet at the last minute.
You know why?
The Muslim Council of Britain warned that such a law might become "another way to stigmatise our communities"
del,
your right - wikipedia does say 13. I'd beter get some stronger glasses.
"Since 2002 -- this is Iranian moderation -- a court's permission has been required to marry younger than 13."
Posted by Del
Correct me if I am wrong, but I think that islamic courts are somewhat different from our courts.
The Muslim Council of Britain warned that such a law might become "another way to stigmatise our communities"
Forcing your daughter to marry relatives in order to secure a visa for said relative doesn't make your community look all that great, either.
My brain hurts.
Arjun,
You wrote: "Correct me if I am wrong, but I think that islamic courts are somewhat different from our courts."
Yes. I expect so. That modification by iran strikes me as more than a little misleading, and was probably aimed more at deflecting criticism from non-muslim nations and NGOs. One can expect that an argument to a sharia court along the lines of mohammed's example (to marry at 6 and then consummate at 9 years old) justifies most any female marriage under 13 years old. I doubt that this "increase" to 13 is real, therefore, but, it does allow them to appear less bizarre in a list such as what can be seen on wikipedia. It would be interesting to see complete statistics of age-at-marriage for females in Iran year by year, but I do not have access to that information.
A campaign to make forced marriage illegal in the U.K.(yes - it really is legal right now)
Of course it is not legal, it is illegal under various assorted clauses of the Offences Against the Person Acts, like kidnap, assault, threats to kill. Thats is the criminal law. In civil law a marriage so formed would be void or voidable due to lack of consent, duress etc.
The recent bill to form the specific offence of "forcing marriage" would have sent a clear message to families (if it was not clear enough) that such behaviour is unacceptable and will not be tolerated and I think it was a pity it failed, at least this time round. There is always the next session. But it is illegal, and remains so.
MOLLY Campbell, the 12-year-old girl at the centre of allegations of child abduction, yesterday insisted it was her own decision to flee her mother in Stornoway to be with her father in Pakistan and that she wishes to stay there.
At a press conference in Lahore, the school pupil wore traditional Pakistani dress and hugged her father as she insisted that her name was not Molly, but Misbah.
Far from being abducted and forced into an arranged marriage as her mother and grandmother had claimed, Misbah said she had made the decision to leave Scotland.
http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1296992006
It gives me the "willies" thinking of doing "it" with a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd cousin. Only the muzzies enjoy inbreeding. With all their great discoverys over the past several centuries, I guess they're into perpetuating the shallow end of the gene pool.