Child & Forced Marriages

MPV’s Stance On Child & Forced Marriages:

MPV is committed to addressing violations of Universal Human Rights, one of MPV’s Ten Principles, including Child and Forced Marriages, in countries across the world. For far too long, child and forced marriages have been unattended to or dismissed as ‘cultural’ and ‘religious’ issues, a gross violation of human rights that the United States and other Western countries are not exempt from perpetuating. MPV is committed to advocating for the rights of children to fully experience their childhood and for adults everywhere to enter into a marriage or partnership on their volition. We affirm our commitment to ending child and forced marriages across the globe, through an intersectional approach that holds the individuals, be it families or religious figures, accountable for perpetuating this violation of Universal Human Rights, a right which all individuals, especially children, are entitled to, regardless of their faith or cultural background.

Our Work

 
 
 

Education efforts against child marriage

Part of Muslims for Progressive Values’s Mission is to educate individuals about historically accurate & progressive interpretations and understanding of Islamic tradition. One of the most pervasive misconceptions is that Aishah (RA) was a child when she married the Prophet (PBUH). This patriarchal interpretation of Islamic tradition has been used for centuries to justify the permissibility of child marriage, particularly for young girls and teenagers. When in fact a historically accurate analysis demonstrated that Aishah and the Prophet (PBUH) consummated their marriage when she was 19 years old. For a more detailed overview of the impermissibility of child marriage in Islam, read our Women in Islam Series.

 
 

2022 Panel: Child & Forced Marriages In The West

On September 17, 2022, Muslims for Progressive Values hosted a webinar “Addressing Child and Forced Marriages in the West: In the Context of Faith and LGBTQIA+” in conjunction with Tahirih Justice Center and Liberal Islamischer Bund.

 
 
 

From the speakers

The event featured a range of esteemed panelists and speakers including

  • El Farouk Khaki, El Tawhid-Juma Circle

  • Ani Zonneveld, Muslims for Progressive Values

  • Dr. Judy Wiegand

  • Odette Yilmaz, Liberal-Islamischer Bund

  • Casey Swegman, Tahirih Justice Center

 

Against Child Marriage In Islam