Cannot believe this bigotry

I would hazard a guess and say that most of the pond life convicted of child abuse were in arranged/ forced marriages.

I would not assume that connection, petra, not saying never the case, but I think it is closer to the truth that a large proportion of child abusers were themselves abused as children or brought up in dysfunctional, abusive relationship. Sadly, child abuse, like sexual abuse of women, has been around for a very long time.

Quote:

I wonder if Muslims also make jokes against themselves.

Some do, some don't. Again, and again, it is impossible to use the term 'Muslims' just like it is not possible to use the term 'Christian' - as they come in all guises, and the cultural influence is much much stronger oftern than the religious one. My Muslim realtives live in Australia, Tasmania, South Africa and Indonesia- and the women are free, successful and very well integrated into their local society, as well as sincere and practising Muslims. There is no such thing as your average 'Muslim' or 'Christian'. A large % of Christians in the USA are creationists and not like our average Anglican- who themselves cover a huge range, including very traditional High Church and Low Church protestants.

Well said granjura

.petra, where in the UK do English, Scots, Welsh or Irish families have arrange / forced marriages ?

If you are referring to my previous post, Rotherham springs to mind.
Have a look at the programme that was on channel 4 Wednesday night.
The police uncovered papers that showed 11 young people from one family were in danger of being taken out of the country to be married. 11 child protection orders were made on them.

I think one of the agencies, working on protecting these girls estimate at least 8,000 forced marriages a year. Are you insinuating at these brave women are lying, and why do you seem to be defending these barbaric heathens, because that's what someone is who would kill their own child to save face.

Are they heathens? I thought they did it in the name of their religion.

I'm sorry, I can't do links otherwise I'd link an article in the telegraph today about an inter faith conference at which Justin Welby and senior Muslim clerics spoke about the fear, abuse and intimidation many Muslims experience in Britain today.

It's a sad fact that the sexual abuse and exploitation of children and vulnerable adults has been found in every society since time began. I'm not defending or minimising the organised abuse of children that Petra refers to, but it isn't confined to a group of Asian men.

I have never seen a 13 year old Christian girl married to a learning disabled man. Regrettably I have seen this on several occasions in Muslim families. Recently too. Not nice. Not common outwith Islam in UK.

Jane10, there has no mention of this in the press or on the news , are you claiming the police are ignoring this and no arrests have been made ?

There is pressure on British and American girls with Hindu parents to enter arranged marriages. DD has such a friend. The girl does not want to marry someone her parents choose. She's only eighteen, is very ambitious academically, and isn't even sure yet whether she wants to marry anyone. She thinks her only option is to be defiant and thus to be disowned by her family. That's pretty appalling, I think. What a thing to have hanging over you when you are a young woman!

Of course, it's not so long ago since this, or something similar, was quite common in Britain.

I think it's important to distinguish between criticism of practices and criticism of people who belong to groups where the practices are common (or at least, not uncommon).

So if I criticise the Christian crusades of the Middle Ages, I'm criticising a practice or What Happened, not Christians or even the good parts of Christianity.

www.gatestoneinstitute.org/4017/uk-muslim-underage-marriage

This article is about the conflicts between British Law and Sharia Law which permits girls to marry as soon as they reach puberty.
It must be so difficult for girls born into two opposing cultures.

Forced marriage is now illegal in this country, although it was not when that article was written, janea.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/forced-marriage-the-warning-signs-10394995.html

If you know anyone who is being forced into marriage, tell the police. Otherwise it will happen. The police do not always do the right thing, but at least it's a start. There is also a Forced Marriage Unit.

Durhamjen. I now realise I was wrong to use the word 'heathen'
Would illiterate cowardly b.....d sit better with you or do I take it that you defend these people no matter what.

Again, and I am very aware I am repeating myself- this is not about 'Muslims' but about certain cultural groups who happen to be Muslims. Just like creationists or Mormons- who are very numerous in some parts of the Christian world, and not in others.

If you suspect that a minor is being forced into a marriage- DO something about it. None of my Muslim relatives have ever had to endure an enforced marriage, ever.

What happened in Rotheham was indeed appalling, but is NOT representative of Islam- but of the cultural/ethnic groups involved in those awful deeds. Plenty of English so called Christian men abuse children- in the UK, and most often in other countries like Thailand, etc. Is it OK for them to do so abroad where there is little protection for children?

I think I count as forced the situation DD's friend is in (friend is sixteen, btw, not eighteen and has already been introduced to a possible suitor in India) if the choice is either marry someone your parents choose or refuse and be rejected and disowned by your family. I hope it pans out better than that for DDfriend but I dislike the pressure she is already under and the fact that she feels she has to fight her parents to be able to live her life as she chooses with people she chooses in her own good time.

Without intending to defend in any way what happened in Rotherham, I just wanted to point out that the police stated the situation went far beyond religion and that the targeting of the vulnerable became organised crime which had spread to other locations.

In this country sexual exploitation is not driven by skin colour or religion.

One could of course say that celibacy enforced by some Christian denominations has also led to child abuse on a massive scale, here, in Ireland, all over the world, and particularly where Missionaries had huge power over the natives. No-one here blames 'Christianity' for that do they?

A British woman was jailed this week for running a pedophile ring,the men also jailed were white British. You are right Wilma , abuse of children is no way connected to colour or race or religion and more children are abused by family members than by any ring, always been so

Did anyone watch Panorama, The long road, with John Sweeney.

He started off on Kos and travelled with refugees right up to Austria. I was in tears a lot of the time.
How can we say they do not deserve a better life?

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b06g01kf/panorama-europes-border-crisis-the-long-road

Annieb no police involvement. Sons just off to Pakistan and arrive back here with these poor girls.
I was discussing arranged marriages with a friend who happens to be Muslim when I was in Bangladesh. She rejected the first chap she was offered but accepted the second. She told me her husband was really very nice. Rather a remote way of speaking of your spouse! She also told me in hushed tones that her parents had a 'love match'. Apparently it was a disaster.

I thought it was well balanced. Compassion was mixed with some eyebrow raising moments especially the 'uncle' who was quite clearly exploiting the frightened and injured young boy in his 'care'. It showed very clearly how an unscrupulous man with a child or disabled person can use them to their advantage.

I do hope the families who were featured find a safe and secure future.