Legal “ban” on transnational cousin-marriages: citizen debate in the Netherlands

Abstract

In March 2014, the Dutch parliament, following Denmark, passed the Combatting Forced Marriage Act in which consanguineous marriages are equated with forced marriages. Why are cousin marriages, practiced worldwide and a recognized marriage pattern in the Netherlands, high on the political agenda nowadays? We will argue that a ban on consanguineous marriages should be seen within the context of the debates and policies about migration, citizenship and transnationalism. Our argument is threefold: first, the current debate is focused on consanguineous relations among migrants and is making use of particular definitions of women’s freedom. Secondly, the different ideas about women’s freedom are the product of, and reproduce the “culturalization of citizenship.” Thirdly, the process of “othering” that occurs through the “culturalization of citizenship” in relation to consanguineous marriages, is partly based upon a politics of indignation and disgust; modes of othering that are often neglected in the analysis of culturalization discourse.

Keywords:

• consanguineous marriage
• culturalization
• politics of disgust

Acknowledgements

This article is based on research funded by the Centre for Society and the Life Sciences in the Netherlands (CSG). Acknowledgement: thanks for the inspiring cooperation, Marieke Teeuw, Petra Verdonk, Suzanne Metselaar, Martina Cornel, Leo ten Kate.

Notes

1. Denmark has implemented a “rule of presumption,” according to which transnational marriages between spouses with a specified degree of relatedness (primarily first and second cousins), are “presumed” to be forced marriages. For spouses who want to disprove the allegation that their marriage has been forced, their only option is to demonstrate to the authorities that the marriage has not been arranged (Liversage & Rytter, forthcoming).

3. In the Qur’an arguments pro and contra cousin marriages can be found. Most researchers claim that consanguineous marriage relations were already known and preferred before the arrival of Islam in regions where Islam is now dominant (Storms & Bartels, 2013). In Islam a lot of rules and prohibited marriage partners are differentiated. Van Poppel (2009) asks for the government’s plans on uncle-niece and aunt-nephew marriages, which are prohibited by Islam.

4. Retrieved from http://www.uitzendinggemist.nl/afleveringen/1308890

5. Retrieved from https://zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nl/kst-33488-2.html?zoekcriteria=%3fzkt%3dUitgebreid%26pst%3dParlementaireDocumenten%26dpr%3dAnderePeriode%26spd%3d20121126%26epd%3d20130122%26dosnr%3d33488%26kmr%3dEersteKamerderStatenGeneraal%257cTweedeKamerderStatenG.

6. For the juridical information of this “ban” on consanguineous marriages, see Kool (2012).

7. Retrieved from https://zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nl/dossier/33488/kst-33488-5?resultIndex=0&sorttype=1&sortorder=4

8. Significant names in this discussion were: J. Beerenhout, an official in Amsterdam, L. van de Berg Eldering, a researcher on Moroccan and Turkish families in the Netherlands, and T. Schulpen, a Pediatrician in Utrecht. This discussion has taken place, for instance, in the journal Medisch Contact 35, (27 August 2002), and 44, (20 October 2002).

http://medischcontact.artsennet.nl/nieuws-26/archief-6/tijdschriftartikel/06343/trouwen-met-een-bloedverwant.htm.

http://medischcontact.artsennet.nl/archief-6/Tijdschriftartikel/06805/Trouwen-met-een-bloedverwant-2.htm.

9. Quotation translated by article author from the Dutch original: “Veel problemen rondom zwakbegaafde jongens worden opgelost met importbruiden. Ze worden als mantelzorgster/echtgenote naar Nederland gehaald. […] Hoe is het mogelijk dat we dit toelaten? Deze vrouwen krijgen levenslange vonnissen met dergelijke huwelijken, waaruit ook vaak weer zwakbegaafde kinderen worden geboren. Waarom wordt er in de eigen gemeenschap geen alarmerend debat over deze kwestie gevoerd? […Ik pleit] ervoor op te houden met ongebreidelde huwelijksimport en gezinsherenigingsmogelijkheden, en neef- en nichthuwelijken te verbieden.” Lodewijk Asscher (2009, April 21) “Amsterdam is Not Fair Yet” De Volkskrant. Retrieved from http://www.volkskrant.nl/vk/nl/2664/Nieuws/archief/article/detail/329048/2009/04/21/Amsterdam-is-nog-niet-eerlijk.dhtml

10. Retrieved from http://www.geenstjl.nl/mt/archieven/2012/11/genetische_variatie_ftw.html Quotation translated by article author from the Dutch original: “Echter, hierbij vergeten de wetenschappers (Storms en Bartels) dat neef-nicht huwelijken uiteindelijk ook kunnen leiden tot inteelt.”

11. Retrieved from http://www.geenstjl.nl/mt/archieven/2012/11/genetische_variatie_ftw.html Quotation translated by article author from the Dutch original: “Wat over de effecten van generaties lange inteelt?”

12. Retrieved from http://www.geenstijl.nl/mt/archieven/2012/11/genetische_variatie_ftw.html Quotation translated by article author from the Dutch original: “Bartels, Fopwetenschapster houdt van incesthuwelijken.”

13. Retrieved from http://www.thepostonline.nl/2012/11/21/begrip-voor-incest/

14. Retrieved from http://www.thepostonline.nl/2012/11/21/begrip-voor-incest/

15. Retrieved from http://www.geenstijl.nl/mt/archieven/2012/11/genetische_variatie_ftw.html Quotation translated by article author from the Dutch original: “De Volendamse ziekte heeft NIETS met incest te maken. Ga je mond spoelen!”

16. Retrieved from http://www.thepostonline.nl/2012/11/21/begrip-voor-incest/ Quotation translated by article author from the Dutch original: “Incest toestaan om mishandeling te voorkomen, geniaal in al zijn eenvoud. Ja wij kunnen nog wat leren van analfabete Marokkaanse bergmevrouwen, die discussiëren tenminste met hun manneef in plaats van gewoon domweg dingen te verbieden. Hadden we het incestueus-genetisch falen net teruggebracht tot één stom dorpje, komen antropologen hun veldwerk even naar Nederland halen. Hier verbinden we er inderdaad alleen viezigheid aan, dus wie per se met een bloedverwant wil trouwen doet dat het beste elders.”