Thursday, April 26, 2007
Concerns Over Marriage Proposals - Is New York City next?
The Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations has expressed concerns at Government proposals to raise the minimum marriage age from 18 to 21 for visitors to the UK from outside the European Union.
The move is just one solution suggested in an upcoming Home Office consultation on the issue of forced marriages but the Orthodox Jewish communal group believes that a change in the law would damage the marriage rate withing the community.
The Union wrote in a letter to the Home Office, "We believe that the Government's motive for this proposed legislation is to oppose forced marriages. These do not exist and are frowned upon in Judaim.
"However, to legislate a minimum age of 21, is unacceptable and objectionable as the marriage age of around 18 is quite common in our Community."
A Home Office spokesperson told TJ: "We are looking at ways of addressing issues of forced marriage.
"It is important that we are clear that forced and arranged marriages aren't the same thing. We are welcoming suggestions in tackling forced marriage."
http://www.totallyjewish.com/news/national/?content_id=6144
The Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations has expressed concerns at Government proposals to raise the minimum marriage age from 18 to 21 for visitors to the UK from outside the European Union.
The move is just one solution suggested in an upcoming Home Office consultation on the issue of forced marriages but the Orthodox Jewish communal group believes that a change in the law would damage the marriage rate withing the community.
The Union wrote in a letter to the Home Office, "We believe that the Government's motive for this proposed legislation is to oppose forced marriages. These do not exist and are frowned upon in Judaim.
"However, to legislate a minimum age of 21, is unacceptable and objectionable as the marriage age of around 18 is quite common in our Community."
A Home Office spokesperson told TJ: "We are looking at ways of addressing issues of forced marriage.
"It is important that we are clear that forced and arranged marriages aren't the same thing. We are welcoming suggestions in tackling forced marriage."
http://www.totallyjewish.com/news/national/?content_id=6144
Comments:
I believe that people under the legal age are allowed to marry with parental consent so there should be no problem with this law unless someone wants to run away and elope.
Comment Credit ---This article posted by 
: April 28, 2007 9:52 PM
: April 28, 2007 9:52 PM
I’m not too familiar with this law (nor the law about someone running away and eloping). But I’m glad they stressed the difference between a forced and an arranged marriage. Arranged marriages are important to some cultures and marriages have thrived despite having methods for unhappy marriages to split by legal divorce. For some reason they stick together more than free consent marriages. I’ve been told that culturally, an arranged marriage has so much more familial foundation at its core, as families usually know each other for a very long time. What I don’t understand is why the Home Office is proposing this law? And why does it apply to anyone outside the European Union. Personally, I believe 18 is too young to marry but that’s just because of emotional and psychological immaturity. It doesn't apply to everyone it just applies to my belief. But back to this point, I don’t believe that any legal adult should be denied the right to marry because of their age. It seems to me a contradiction.
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