Marrying outside the box - Racial Hieracies & Marrying the Infidel

Format: Lecture/Debate
Speakers: Abu EEasa Niamatullah, Humera Khan and another...
Date: 14th May 2009

This was a fun and energetic event. It was very well attended with the majority of the audience being made up of women. The panel discussed the problems facing Muslims marrying today. I do believe the audience was taken aback by Imam Abu Easa’s candid personality. Especially when he mentioned that men think about sex every 6 seconds and that there is a reason why Lebanese women are the most desired. I felt uncomfortable with some of his language which I felt reduced women to only sexualized entities and also reduced men to being only sex hungry organisms. I did not however disagree with the fundamental content which was sound. I did however think Humera was very provocative with her position that IF a Muslim woman who has suffered considerable stigma within their communities and is finding it very difficult to get married to a Muslim man, but then comes across a non-Muslim man who would be willing to marry her, love her etc then essentially it is down to them.

I can understand why Humera sympathizes with such a marriage considering her work with women for the last 25 years but I don’t think she realized the gravity of her comment. But the argument that there aren’t enough decent Muslim men to me holds no merit.

How would you take to a Muslim woman or even a Muslim man with a non-Muslim spouse?