Quote:
Originally Posted by *Anya*
In conservative rural parts of Morocco, an unmarried girl or woman who has lost her virginity - even through rape - is considered to have dishonoured her family and no longer suitable for marriage. Some families believe that marrying the rapist addresses these problems.
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Just to be clear...
In Islamic societies, it is still custom for girls/women to remain virgins until they marry and for a girl who is no longer a virgin to be considered 'spoilt goods'. Although most families would indeed feel a sense of shame if one of their females were raped, PART of the reason for their agreeing to her marrying her rapist would be to ensure that she was taken care of in the future. I know it sounds heartless, but you have to understand that even today, in most Islamic societies it is the men who take care of the women and that with no social welfare system to turn to, a girl is reliant first on her father, brothers (if no father is present), and then husband for her every need. Add to that the fact that many rape cases involve a member of the extended family as opposed to an absolute stranger, then I can understand, kind of, why families often view marriage between the victim and the rapist as the only viable solution. (This view is based on over 20 years living amongst Muslims - both liberal and conservative - in the Middle East.)
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