Yesterday the Washington Post ran an eye-opening account of Britain’s Forced Marriage Unit and a brave diplomat who travels the world rescuing British citizens who have often been taken against their wills to Islamic countries, such as Pakistan, to be forced to marry a Muslim of the parents’ choosing. You really must read the whole frontpage story here, but I’ve copied a bit of it as follows:
Before 2000, British officials tended to view forced marriages as a foreign custom not theirs to judge. But these British-raised young women are increasingly worldly and assertive, and many now have cellphones hidden in their burqas or handbags.
From even the remotest villages, they are increasingly calling for help. And the British government has set up a special group to rescue them.
The Forced Marriage Unit operates out of an office on the edge of Trafalgar Square in London and rescues hundreds of women every year. Many of the 4,000 calls it receives each year involve cases in the United Kingdom, but the unit has diplomats in embassies around the world on standby for overseas rescues.
Uncontrolled immigration from Muslim countries has put many European and UK countries into this bind. I wonder if the US State Department is readying itself for a similar unit. Actually they could kind of roll all these issues into one unit to save American citizens (mostly women) from forced marriages, female genital mutilation, polygamy and honor killings. How about if they make all federal offenses?
I guess this is one of those things that multiculturalism adds to America.