Rearranging Traditional Muslim Marriage

 

Arranged marriage has gone into cyberspace, and it’s where European Muslims are meeting possible partners.

The old system of arranged marriages through family associations have been replaced by Online matchmaking businesses.

Administrator of Muslim Marriage Services, Ali Hasan said: “We live in the Western world and our circle of friends and family is not as wide as the country of origin.”

The business has been operating for over 7 years and according to Mr. Hassan has a high success rate.

However he cautions about the safety of internet match making and said: “it’s a risk with online services, they might not be genuine.”

Even the world of internet matchmaking has not dodged tradition.
With listings such as this: “Looking for a genuine, educated match for our daughter, Pakistani. Parents based in abroad Zealand. Further details to be shared on contact. Our daughter is in the UK.”

Parents are looking for suitable candidates for their childrens.

According to The Guardian Online, subscription to Muslimmatch.com is 110,000 members, up from 15,000 in 2002

Rahima Shariff,22, said: “No, I wouldn’t use online services to find a Muslim man, but I understand that for some people its the best way to find someone. I know people who have done it and are happy but I don’t like the idea of getting to know a faceless person and then meeting them. Physical attraction is a big thing for me so i have to know the person.”