why do western people think that Muslim women get forced to marry men they don't love?

Question

I have read that americans think [muslim fathers sell their daughters"cows" to men they don't like to be married to]
By the way, I am an egyptian muslim girl and I can marry whomever I love. And my father would never do such a thing[force me] bec. he is a religious man in fact !!!
People who do that are ignorant people who do not have hearts, and they are everywhere in the world. In islam, if someone forces a woman to marry someone she do not like, the marriage is not legal or not true. that is what i learnt from the islamic law, and the husbund is forced to divorce her that's what i know and learnt in religion books. so is it just a stereotype kina thing or is it an established image about muslims in the west?

Answer 1

They know its a stupid stereotype, and still they believe in it.

Probably the only reason you don't hear of forced marriages in the "western" world is because most of them don't believe in marriage anymore.

Answer 2

I think people are getting confused.
It is becoming hard to keep track of who do what.

As far as I know, arranged marriages are more a culture thing than a religious thing.
Many countries have done it in the past and some people still do it. India and Pakistan still do it. Greek and Italians used to do it. And I would think the Japanese did it too.
And there would be a lot more out there.
Arranged marriages are usually made in the hope of capital gain for the family.

Answer 3

Good for you! However there is an element of this practice going on in in many countries around the world.
It is not an established thought with all people in the western world. Because, here in the U.K. there are 60,000,000 people all with different opinions and there are also many many people around the world that do not hold the same idea.
I hope that you find that special someone and have many wonderful children that will bless your father, who sounds like a jolly decent man.

Answer 4

Next week an Arizona man who is a Muslim who had come from Pakistan is going on trial for admittedly running his daughter over with his car in an " honor killing " because she had refused to marry the man that he wanted her to. This is just another example , as Barack Obama has said, of " one of the world's great religions " in action

Answer 5

Maybe cause of all the news reports, fully verified, of 14 to 16 year old girls traded, sold or just given to old perverts in Afghanistan as wives and the high suicide rate amongst them.

Filthy fathers for doing that, filthy society that condones it!!!!

Answer 6

We in the western world learn what we know from news media.
We learned about the Taliban and practices of what you speak.
If your interpretation of the Koran is different, we need to know that and learn.
Teach us what you believe and we will accept it.

Answer 7

i have heard and in fact i have seen that they do eventhough i'm not american.in canada i know a lot of girls who have met such a problem.i even heard from them that sometimes girls in the age of around 10 or 12,14 tie the knot there.when worse comes to worst these little teens tie the knot to some men who are az their grandfathers!!!!!!!!!!my friend do not consider ur self az a group .
i'm happy that u can get marry to whoever u want.

Answer 8

Muslim women don't marry for love, either they are pregnant, or their fathers marry them away for money or power to their cousins or nephews or uncles.

Answer 9

Don't believe everything you hear about Americans. Just like most of us don't believe everything we hear about Muslims. Most of us believe that Muslims are normal people just like us!

Answer 10

It's because it is what most of are taught as children. It's a stereotype.