Arranged marriage foiled
June 3rd 2010 01:01
An arranged marriage has been foiled by the 17 year old girl herself, who called in the Australian Federal Police (AFP) in a bid to save herself from being sent to Lebanon to partake in the marriage.
Her mother had booked her a flight from Australia to Lebanon and her father and stepfather supported the marriage. The frightened girl, in a move that took a lot of courage, considering the pressure her family must have been putting on her and the repercussions of reporting it, called the AFP. Having heard about the airport watch list, she wanted to put herself on it and in this way not be allowed to leave the country.
The matter went to the Federal Court who has banned her family from removing her from the country or from threatening her for failing to obey them.
A difficult situation - family pressure, a cultural norm and the ability of a young girl to take her own future in her hands and put her foot down against being forced to do something she did not want.
Youth in Australia are empowered to have their own free will, something young people in other countries of different cultures do not always have. While this would have been a part of the girl's culture, I fail to see how a girl being brought up in Australia and knowing that her future does not need to be decided for her, could have partaken in an arranged marriage.
I'm not sure about the enforceability of the court order regarding no threats, particularly if the girl is living in the family home. May her family understand and respect the decision made!
Her mother had booked her a flight from Australia to Lebanon and her father and stepfather supported the marriage. The frightened girl, in a move that took a lot of courage, considering the pressure her family must have been putting on her and the repercussions of reporting it, called the AFP. Having heard about the airport watch list, she wanted to put herself on it and in this way not be allowed to leave the country.
The matter went to the Federal Court who has banned her family from removing her from the country or from threatening her for failing to obey them.
A difficult situation - family pressure, a cultural norm and the ability of a young girl to take her own future in her hands and put her foot down against being forced to do something she did not want.
Youth in Australia are empowered to have their own free will, something young people in other countries of different cultures do not always have. While this would have been a part of the girl's culture, I fail to see how a girl being brought up in Australia and knowing that her future does not need to be decided for her, could have partaken in an arranged marriage.
I'm not sure about the enforceability of the court order regarding no threats, particularly if the girl is living in the family home. May her family understand and respect the decision made!
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Comment by S.L.
The Political Brief
17 has always been a tough age, but some 17 year olds are dealing with more serious issues than school and boyfriends these days. I hope they make it to 18!