Intelligence’s eyes are on Seema Haider, who crossed the border for alleged love for Pakistan. Many things about the border are ambiguous and it is being speculated that he may be sent back to Pakistan. On the other hand, the woman says that her own people will kill her on her return because she came to India and married a Hindu youth. A Muslim woman in Pakistan cannot marry a non-Muslim man unless the man converts. In fact, there are also reports of Hindu girls being picked up from that country and their religion changed.
The case with the border is more complicated. She is also already married and the mother of four children. She secretly reached Nepal without divorcing her first husband and married Sachin and then came to India. This is adultery in Pakistani law. Under the Hudud Ordinance, the punishment can range from jail to death.
Most Muslim-majority countries do not consider marriage in other religions good, but if someone wants to have a relationship, then Muslim youths have got some exemption. They can marry Christian or Jewish girl. Muslim girls have to join their own religion. Over time, this rule got a little relaxed. It was said that women can also marry men of non-religion if the other party agrees to give up their religion and accept Islam.
North African country Tunisia made a big change in it. There in the year 2017, the then Tunisian President Beji Cade Essebsi repealed the old rule. This rule made in the year 1973 used to say that a man can marry a Muslim woman only after accepting Islam. Even after this, the Imam and the experts of the local law continued to block it for a long time.
As soon as such a case came, notaries started refusing to get the marriage done. Many such cases were widely discussed in Tunisia. But even after this, Tunisia remained the first country in the entire Middle East and North Africa, which legally recognized marriage of its own free will.
Considered very small and weak compared to other Arab countries, many big changes took place in this country. Like the Code of Personal Status came into force here, which talks about the freedom of women. This law, which came into force in January 1957, was brought by the current PM Habib Bourguiba. After this, the coming Presidents and Prime Ministers did not end it, but went on making it more modern.
Interfaith marriages are also happening in Türkiye. According to the Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, under secular law, a Muslim man can marry a non-Muslim and a woman from another religion. There is no legal hurdle in this. But social barriers keep getting stuck. Girls are often married off at a young age, so that they can’t get married to their favorite partner of other religion.
A survey conducted by the Turkish Statistical Institute in the year 2018 shows that one out of every five marriages takes place there before the age of 18. Although underage and forced marriages are illegal under the civil code here, Turkey’s social fabric is such that few people raise their voice against it. The survey of Turkey’s Health Ministry itself confirms this. In the year 2016, out of all the children born there, 35 percent of the mothers were below 18 years of age.
The current government in Türkiye is considered Conservative. She is bringing many strict rules, but the new generation of Turkey is refusing to accept it. The majority of the population here is Muslim, but the youth have moved towards atheism without leaving religion. Turkish Research and Consultancy Institute Konda conducted several polls between 2008 and 2018, which showed that non-believers are increasing continuously. They are between the age of 18 to 40 years, who also have the right to vote and also dominate the country. Due to this generation interfaith marriages are also taking place.