Editorial – Wedlocked  Changing the law on forced marriage is
worth a go but the big stick will not break through. However,
the open ear might   • The Guardian,   • Jump to comments ()
From full-face veils to page 3, different societies devise
different ways to put women in their place. Oppression can be
found anywhere in Britain, and not just in Muslim communities.
But there are certain Pakistani, Bangladeshi and east African
communities in which any teacher, police officer or community
worker who has their eyes open will witness subjugation in
distinctive forms. The forcibly arranged marriages which the
government yesterday promised to criminalise are one.  This
newspaper resists any suggestion that a cultural practice can
ever be made immune from criticism by tradition or the claim
that religion requires it. We have, for example, argued that the
niqab serves as a barrier to integration. But, like it or not,
some women really do choose to wear it, so France's burqa-
banning is deplorable legislative bullyin