anders deutsch

One of the most popular topics in the German discussion about Islam at the moment are the arranged - or as the 'Germans' preferr to call them forced - marriages.

For sure, I would not want to have an arragend marriage. And many of my friends in India would not either. They dislike this heteronormative concept and in many cases it is really the case of a forced marriage (in the sense that one cannot avoid to marry). But in my 'Indian' family it is still standard, most seem to be more or less ok with it, and do not consider it a matter of force but rather of what one does (here again one could discuss what is force).

But it is not only that the 'German' discourse ignores the difference between arranged and forced. It also suggests that forced marriages are an 'Islamic' concept. Don't they know anything about India? About what Hindus and Christians do? Can't they differentiate between religion and patriarchy? Do they know the concept of heteronormativity?

And why are there 'authentic' (with 'Turkish' migration history) researchers who fuel this islamophobic discourse?