Cultural Differences in Marriages

Cultural Differences in Marriages

Marriage is the reason the Bible states that a man will leave his father and mother, and become one flesh with his wife (n/a, New English Translation (NET Bible) Proverbs 13:24, 1995). This paper will look at the marriage practices of the Hindu, Islam, and Jewish cultures and try to understand why their marriages based on religion are so different.

Since 9/11, Muslims have felt the need to change the Islam law of Sharia, seeing it as dangerously obsolete. Not only is it outdated it gives no rights to woman. Islam is ruled by the Koran, so in order to change Sharia it has to be done while staying within the teaching of the Koran.

Sardar has wrote three articles on the Islam marriage practices. In the article titled “Can Islam Change?” (Sardar Z. , Can Islam Change? (cover story), 2004) He discusses how badly Islam needs reformed. Saying that in 2004 India still upheld the,”Triple Talag” law. A man need only say “I divorce thee” three times and they are no longer married. The woman must then remarry, consummate the marriage, get the man to divorce her in order to remarry the first man. If the man is in a drunken state, a fit of rage, says it under coercion, or regrets it as soon as he says it, still it is done and over with. The scholars are looking to change the law so that both parties must obtain legal advice before filing for divorce.

In Pakistan they still stone people for adultery, false accusations of adultery is 80 lashes by whip. They have no distinction between adultery and rape and the woman cannot present evidence in her behalf. Because of this, the woman is punished and more than likely the man acquitted due to doubt.

In the article, “Will You Marry Me-Temporarily?” (Sardar Z. , Will you marry me- temporarily?, 2008) He writes that in Iran the government encourages this practice. Known as “muta,” it is a relationship between a married or unmarried man and an unmarried woman. They both agree to a time ranging from one hour to 99 years. No divorce needed; the contract expires when it has ran the duration of the contract. Some Muslims consider muta a form of prostitution, while Sunni Muslims see it as “impulsive sex” right up there with adultery and fornication. The “Twelver” Shea is, being mostly in Iran and Iraq; disagree with the rest of the Muslim world. They see it as essential for a society’s sexual health. While western critics see it the same as prostitution, Sardar disagrees. He believes those attitudes reflect the hypocrisy about sexual issues. Arguing that the bed hopping done in the west is not much more than a temporary marriage. Done properly a muta marriage would have saved them oceans of tears and heartache. The Iranian interior ministry launched a campaign to encourage the youth to seek sexual enjoyment in a matu marriage. This type of arrangement the government feels helps