Love and elopement in northern Pakistan

Abstract

This article focuses on conceptions of romantic love held by Khowar‐speaking Muslim people in the Chitral region of northern Pakistan. It shows the ways in which romantic love in Chitral is expressed through a local poetic genre that has its cultural roots in Persian Sufi poetry. This body of literature is cherished by Chitralis, and now engaged in an interaction with very different images of romance emerging from an ‘alternative’ site of Asian modernity: the Bollywood film. Romantic love in Chitral is not only confined to a fantasy‐like realm of poetic discourse, however; elopement marriages are also a regular feature of Chitrali life. These marriages a source not only of considerable anxiety but also of open reflection by Chitralis, and this article seeks to document the range of insights this open reflection furnishes into the changing shape of Chitral society today.

Breadwinners and Homemakers: Migration and Changing Conjugal Expectations in Rural Bangladesh

“…The social legitimacy of such recognition was essential to the stability of their marriage, representing as it would both social consent and compatibility, while avoiding the charges of selfishness, lust and rejection of social obligations (Mody, 2002). For the families too, the presentation of a 'love marriage' as 'arranged' helped maintain honour, but also shows tolerance of the new values amongst the young in the face of the onslaught of conservative Islam (Marsden, 2007).…”

The Morality of Premarital Romances

“…I do not understand morality as a system or a set of discourses, which can be more or less coherent. The moral Muslim self is not seen here as created and practised in line with 'big' ideologies and discourses (see Mahmood 2005;Asad 1993;Hirschkind 2001Hirschkind , 2006, not as characterized by ambivalences, contradictions, conflicts and fragmentation (see Schielke 2009aSchielke , 2009bLambek 2000;Marsden 2007). On the contrary, I suggest that Muslim morality can be conceived as a mediated practice.…”

“…Along with Lara Deeb (2015) I argue that normative religiosity, moral norms and everyday life infuse one another, and they should be understood together. Some anthropologists of the Muslim world, who have worked extensively on premarital romances, love and emotions in relation to Islamic moral discourses or traditional codes of honor, have shown the complexity of moral choices and behaviors (see, for example, Abu-Lughod 2000;Marsden 2007;Lindholm 1982;Tapper 1991;De Munck 1996;Schielke 2009aSchielke , 2009b. In this article I contribute to the understanding of moral norms in Muslim society, conceived as changing and mutable, and entangled with processes of mediation and the incorporation of new digital media.…”

Adolescent Movements: Dating, Elopements, and Youth Policing in Ladakh, India

“…Here, sexual behaviours and desires for love marriage not only get coded as 'modern' but also are considered to conflict with women's household obligations. Romantic love is idealised yet is fraught with difficulty, as passion is often considered dangerous (Ahearn 2001;Marsden 2007). Ladakhi youth who secretly date -especially those dating across religious boundaries -typically run off and elope, rather than confront parental and social opposition.…”