Coercion into Marriage and Sex: How Islam is Instrumentalised

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Farah Hasan 

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This chapter examines how coercion into marriage develops a so-called Islamic character. Drawing on the experiences of young women from differing ethnic Muslim communities located in transnational contexts, I demonstrate the systemic and gradually increasing degree of coercion into marriage which is exercised by parents and community members. Coercion into marriage manifests through specific discursive articulations that elevate marriage as a religious obligation in order to belong and stay part of the familial, social, and religious community. By unpacking and contextualising such statements, coercion is not only exercised into marriage but also reveals a sexual dimension. Employing an instrumental ambiguity and hiding behind cultural taboos, community members contribute to facilitating sexual coercion and violence within marriage, mainly because they limit the discussion on the presumed sexual intercourse within marriage and channel Islamic interpretations that encourage intimacy amongst spouses.