Missing Children May Be Tip Of Worldwide Human Rights Crisis
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The hope is that the West will stand up and take a stand against the violation of children and women's right s around the world. We cannot continue to turn a blind eye to "cultures" that trample over these groups.
This is a contributing factor to the way the world views the US. When we have a land of such freedom and rights but turn a blind eyes to these violations and still do business with these countries the citizens have to ask Why?
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Children's Minister Kevin Brennan of the UK revealed that there are up to 33 girls missing from the local school system and that they may have been victims of forced marriage. The English cases are only a piece of a greater worldwide problem.
Mr. Brennan testified before the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee on the issue of forced marriages. A Bradford City Council reported that it had lost track of 23 girls last year. However there are some other underlying facts that need to be mentioned about the missing girls. There are 14 other areas that also are reporting missing girls and these areas correlate with areas where "honor-violence" has occurred. The particular areas in question have large Asian communities. Current estimates are that one out of every 10 Asian marriages in Scotland is a forced marriage.
The problem of forced marriage has been on the increase in Britain, resulting in the 2005 formation of The Forced Marriage Unit. The unit typically receives 5,000 calls a year and deals with 300 forced marriage cases. In 2007, 30% of the forced marriage cases involved minors. A Forced Marriage is not the same as an arranged marriage in which both spouses can choose whether or not to accept the arrangement. In a Forced Marriage, one or both spouses DO NOT CONSENT to the marriage and some element of duress, whether it is emotional of physical, is involved. When someone, typically the girl, refuses to participate in a forced marriage, that act can place the girl at risk of murder, also known as 'Honor Killing'. There is no cultural or religious justification for Forced Marriage. The majority of cases in the UK involve South Asian families, and a number of cases have arisen in the East Asian, Middle Eastern, European and African communities.
Of course the basic tenet of a Forced Marriage, the lack of consent of both parties, goes against Article 16 of the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Article says the following:
(1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
(2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
This is a contributing factor to the way the world views the US. When we have a land of such freedom and rights but turn a blind eyes to these violations and still do business with these countries the citizens have to ask Why?
********************************
Children's Minister Kevin Brennan of the UK revealed that there are up to 33 girls missing from the local school system and that they may have been victims of forced marriage. The English cases are only a piece of a greater worldwide problem.
Mr. Brennan testified before the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee on the issue of forced marriages. A Bradford City Council reported that it had lost track of 23 girls last year. However there are some other underlying facts that need to be mentioned about the missing girls. There are 14 other areas that also are reporting missing girls and these areas correlate with areas where "honor-violence" has occurred. The particular areas in question have large Asian communities. Current estimates are that one out of every 10 Asian marriages in Scotland is a forced marriage.
The problem of forced marriage has been on the increase in Britain, resulting in the 2005 formation of The Forced Marriage Unit. The unit typically receives 5,000 calls a year and deals with 300 forced marriage cases. In 2007, 30% of the forced marriage cases involved minors. A Forced Marriage is not the same as an arranged marriage in which both spouses can choose whether or not to accept the arrangement. In a Forced Marriage, one or both spouses DO NOT CONSENT to the marriage and some element of duress, whether it is emotional of physical, is involved. When someone, typically the girl, refuses to participate in a forced marriage, that act can place the girl at risk of murder, also known as 'Honor Killing'. There is no cultural or religious justification for Forced Marriage. The majority of cases in the UK involve South Asian families, and a number of cases have arisen in the East Asian, Middle Eastern, European and African communities.
Of course the basic tenet of a Forced Marriage, the lack of consent of both parties, goes against Article 16 of the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Article says the following:
(1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
(2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
