Marriage and divorce practices in Islamic centers in Italy

Abstract

This paper studies Muslim marriages and divorces in Islamic centers in Italy, which are influenced by religion, and conducted outside the scope of Italian laws. The paper is basically empirical research, based on interviews with imāms in various Islamic centers, Muslim women and men who have chosen to refer to Islamic centers for their marriage or divorce, and family counselors following different cases. It investigates the motivations behind these practices by analyzing the fieldwork data, and demonstrates the related socio-legal consequences, specifically in relation to the role of Islamic centers and imāms in these marriages and divorces. The current state of religious rights for Muslims in Italy, and the lack of knowledge about the circumstances and reasons for these practices at national level are taken into consideration.