Pleasure marriages or ‘nikah mut’ah’, as the name suggests, are temporary marriage arrangements in Islam where the duration and mahr (dowry) are predetermined. In some Asian countries, many young women are being exploited through this disturbing trend. They enter into pleasure marriages with Middle Eastern tourists in exchange for money. Often, these women not only provide sexual services but also work as domestic help for tourists. Since these marriages are temporary, women can enter into multiple contracts.
A report by the Los Angeles Times highlights how this disturbing trend has snowballed into a thriving industry in Indonesia, contributing to to the country’s economy and tourism despite being illegal, similar to prostitution. “We see now this practice is expanding. Tourism meets economic needs,” Yayan Sopyan, a professor in Islamic family law at Syarif Hidayatullah Islamic State University in Jakarta, told the LA Times.
A young woman, who has been in this disturbing industry for a decade now, married as many as 15 times to tourists visiting this Asian country. Cahaya, a name that the woman told tourists, was 17 when she first entered into pleasure marriages. She married a tourist from Saudi Arabia who was in his 50s. The marriage took place in a three-star hotel in the Indonesian capital Jakarta. Cahaya’s older sister accompanied her to the hotel and acted as her guardian, while the agent who arranged the marriage served as the witness.
Cahaya received Rs 71, 363 in exchange. But, the agent took half the amount. Cahaya not only had sex with the man but also served as his house help, mopping floors and cooking food for him. The marriage ended five days later when the man sat on the plane to fly back to Saudi Arabia and said “talaq” thrice.
Cahaya married her classmate at 13 who divorced her four years later. He left her with their daughter and no financial support. While she did take up jobs in factories or general stores, the pay was not sufficient for the mother-daughter duo. That’s when her elder sister, who herself works as a contract bride, introduced her to this industry and connected her to a broker.
Cahaya, who is trapped in pleasure marriages, recently went to Saudi Arabia with a man who promised to treat her like a “queen” and offered a good amount. However, when they landed in the Middle Eastern country, she was made to do all the household work, that too, without any pay. The man treated her like a slave: he would spit on her meals, scream at her every night, break things, and didn’t let her sleep.
Cahaya attempted to escape from the house multiple times but was always caught. Eventually, she reached out to the man who introduced her to pleasure marriages. He pleaded with the Saudi Embassy and various ministries in Indonesia for several months, but it was Cahaya’s suicide attempt that expedited the process. A relative of her contract husband ultimately purchased her a ticket home.
This news piece may be triggering. If you or someone you know needs help, call any of these helplines: Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata)
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