Sam
My brother was financially blackmailed by my parents, particularly my mother into getting married. He took the bait and came back from his 'holiday' engaged. Luckily it's working out well and they've a lovely daughter, however it doesn't work for all, but I'd say the traditional tie-in with marriages via family and community can make them easier to manage than cross cultural relationships.

Maybe in some cases arranged marriage can work, but forced marriage should be frowned upon by these communites, unfortunately the leading figures in these communites tend not to agree. Maybe they should be targeted in a government campaign?

ellie
i personally thinks its reduculous! people in this day and ages should be free to make choices for themselves and i'm sick off peolpes religions and families takin over the lives of young ppl

Snazzy
I fink u shunt be forced into a marriage cos then there won't be any luv in the relationship.

Liverpool_rule
forced marriage is wrong. it isn't in the islamic religion or christianity or any other i know of, so where does it come from? it comes from cultures. these r just wrong,this advert aint gonna work, cos der families r just gonna disown them n not a lot of peopel wud want to carry that burden.

Shupac
Forced into marriage? Can it work? No never! Because young people are freedom itself! You married for love not just because somebody told you to do so! I must say that these 'forces' should sit in jail!

Bachan85
I think forced marriages are a way of parents telling you what they want to happen....they might look for your interest but i think its mad at the fact that you have to get married to someone you just met 20mins ago at your Aunties house. Marriage is meant for people who love each other and know they want to be together for a long time...not for people who just 20mins ago in the living room drinking tea! Respect.

Ash
There's a grey area to this debate- forced marriage is wrong, but what if someone whose parents want an arranged marriage decides they don't want one? Especially if they are dating someone of another race/religion/caste. Isn't it wrong in that case for the parents to insist on arranged marriage?

Alan
Where is the dividing line between a forced and an arranged marriage? Most cases do not involve physical force but emotional and psychological pressure (such as threats of and actual 'disownment') by the (extended) family to marry someone they have introduced and/or consider suitable. That person must be not only of the same ethnic group, but also the same religion and caste. There is also a double standard amongst ethnic communities that women must maintain their modesty prior to any marriage whereas young men are allowed more freedom in how they behave. Maybe the best way to deal with this issue is to improve Divorce law so that a divorce is easier to obtain for someone involved in a forced and/or an arranged marriage if they change their mind. Of course divorce itself holds its own stigma within many ethnic communities leading to similar familial sanctions. One thing to consider also is that inter-marriage is the best way to promote racial harmony, if one part of the community will not allow this they will always retain a separateness from the rest of society.

Anon
I work in a school with many Bangladeshi children. Many of them have told me that they are expected to have arranged marriages, often forced marriages. I find it very sad as they sometimes have secret boyfriends or girlfriends and live in terror that they will be found out by someone in their family. They know that at the end of the day they will have to marry someone else - not the person who they love. Maybe sometimes it works out, but they are so confused. One boy asked me, "Miss, would you sacrifice your happiness for your parents' happiness?". This is the kind of question they have to think about. Children shouldn't have to think about sacrificing their happiness.

Gilo
you get married coz u love da ova person, not coz sum1 says u gotta do it. Religion is fine, but religions that have dis r just un-natural, simple. People who murder people who refuse to get married need shootin, simple. People are supposed to be born into LIFE to LIVE it not for sum1 to live it for em ya get me!

Littlebitb
my mate had to go and get married when he was 15 it was mad when he came back, they lived in different bedrooms and lived different lives and their parents don't have a clue but they hate everyday of it and wish they were born into a different life. peeps need fix up and look sharp on whats going on in the world. peace out