Marriage

__//**Marriage**//__
Arranged marriages are quite common in the Middle East. Especially in Afghanistan. Whenever we think of Arranged Marriages here in the US, people think it's strange, and out of the ordinary. We almost instantly associate arranged marriages with wrong. But only because to us, because arranged marriages are not common at all in the US. But in the Middle East, arranged marriages are part of the culture. It has always been normal.

Is it better to be in an arranged marriage or to marry for love? Arranged marriage is not a good idea, for women in the US, Middle East or anywhere else.

 **Love Marriage**


 * Arranged Marriage**

__**Definitions:**__

 * Arranged Marriage -** Is a marriage in which neither the bride or the groom has any official say over the selection of their future spouses.


 * Marriage -** the social institution under which a man and woman establish their decision to live as husband and wife by legal commitments, religious ceremonies, etc.


 * Divorce -** A judicial declaration dissolving a marriage in whole or in part, esp. one that releases the husband and wife from all matrimonial obligation.


 * Dowry -** Money or property brought by a woman to her husband at marriage.

Marriage has a very big impact on society. In the United States, the effects of marriage on society is positive. However, in the Middle East, marriage can have a very negative effect on society. A big part of marriage having a negative effect on society is children getting married so young, such as in Afghanistan. Women in Afghanistan are not supposed to be married at least until they have reached the age of 16, and men, 18.

In the movie Osama, is a girl and her mother and grandmother who are trapped in there own house because they have no male escort around town. In the Middle East, it is illegal for women to wander around alone without a male. Without a dad or husband, the three women must stay in their house with no food, no money and no job. The grandmother has the idea to cut off the girls hair and make her wear her fathers clothes to make her look like a boy. Osama becomes the escort for her mother, so they no longer get in trouble with the Taliban for walking around Afghanistan alone. But soon enough, Osama gets her first period, and she gets caught pretending to be a boy. Unfortunately for Osama, she didn't suffer from death, she suffered a fate worse than death. Marriage to a wrinkly old man with several other wives. What happened in the movie Osama, is an example of a form of arranged marriage. Osama had no choice in whether or not she wanted to marry the old man. How can arranged marriage be a good thing, if a 12 year old girl can be married to an 60 year old man against her will?
 * OSAMA**

2,355,005 Marriages in the United States in 2000. 957,200 Divorces in the United States in 2000.
 * Divorces**

There are no arranged marriages in the United States, because we get married for love, but how much better is marrying for love than having an arranged marriage if our divorce rate is so incredibly high. There is a divorce rate of 54.8 in the United States.

Those statistics are way too high, no matter which way you look at it. They may seem even higher, because of the incredibly low divorce rate in the Middle East. But that is because divorce is acceptable in the United States. If a divorce were to happen in the Middle East, the woman would be pretty much shunned by everyone. Her family, her friends, and even strangers. She would be shunned completely by society. Divorce is unacceptable in the Middle East. Which leads to a high suicide rate.


 * Facts**:
 * Women head 2.2% of Afghan households.
 * 57% of girls are married before the legal age of 16.
 * Love is not important in an arranged marriage. What is important is stability.
 * In love marriages, love comes before marriage. But in arranged marriages, marriage is first, and love may or may not come later.
 * Can also be called pragmatic marriages.
 * 60% - 80% of arranged marriages in Aghanistan, are forced. The other 20% consent to the arranged marriage.
 * The couples do not date before they wed.


 * Negatives about arrnaged marriage**:
 * Women never learn to be independent.
 * If a woman denies an arranged marriage, she is disrespecting her family.
 * The woman is considered property to her in-laws.
 * Encourages caste systems.
 * Women are sold. (Dowry).
 * The woman may die if the dowry cannot be paid. (Burning of the bride).
 * Because divorce is unacceptable in arranged marriages, women may commonly commit suicide to get out of their arranged/forced marriage.
 * There are very few ways that women can get out of an arranged marriage.
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