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| Afghanistan/South Asia |
| 'Marriage' veil for sex workers |
| 2004-12-05 |
| More and more sex workers in Pakistan are practising "mutah" — a short marriage contract — to gain a sense of legitimacy and beat the law of the land. In most red light districts of Lahore, Karachi, Multan, Hyderabad and other cities, every time there's a police raid, sex workers and their patrons seek cover by owing allegiance to any sect that allows mutah. According to a tradition among some sects representing Islam, mutah takes place if both partners agree to enter into a marriage for a short duration, even for a few hours, based on verbal consent. There is no need for any documentation or testimony, apart from a confirmation from the man and the woman. A majority of the clergy in Pakistan is unimpressed by the opportunistic use of the provision. Mutah is a controversial provision in Islam. According to the majority Sunni sect, mutah has no relevance in the modern world as it was granted during the time of the crusades when "warriors of faith" had to spend months and years away from home. Moreover, sex for money and soliciting are all "haram (prohibited)" under Islamic law. Mutah, Sunni scholars point out, also envisaged male responsibility in areas like pregnancy, legitimacy of children, maintenance and so on. And more important, it was permitted only with divorcees and widows. Local Sunni leader Haji Sheikh Ismail said like the triple talaq, mutah is a reprehensible provision that has "no relevance in the modern world". But mutah finds acceptance among some sections of Muslims. In fact, it is sometimes considered a "gainful and favourable act". According to Sayyid Mujtaba Rukni Musawi Lari, who wrote Western Civilisation through Muslim Eyes, mutah was introduced to wipe out prostitution and other forms of illicit relationships from society. But in Lahore's notorious Heera Mandi, prostitution could not be stopped even when the government machinery cracked down. Under Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, the sex industry grew stronger due to liberal policing. During Zia-ul-Haq's regime, mutah provided protection, yet a majority of the sex workers shifted to other areas. After Zia, they again began operating out of the red light areas and mutah has given them a shield against raids by the police or other law enforcement agencies. Neelam (name changed on request), who said she has used the mutah provision to "tide over financial difficulties", provided another angle. "It relieves us of a sense of guilt. At the end of the day, we seek solace that we have not committed a sin as grave as adultery," she said. Mutah marriages are not limited to Pakistan. In India's Hyderabad, such incidents are common when cash-rich Arab sheikhs come searching for young brides. In most cases, the marriages last a night or so and greedy clerics even issue marriage/divorce certificates to provide legal cover. Poverty, ignorance and lust seem to be paving the way for exploitation of women, on both sides of the border. |
| Posted by:tipper |