PARIS — An increasing number of French Muslims,
particularly of the second and third generations, are looking, and in
many cases finding, their soul-mates online.
"I met Hamed one year before we got married in
an internet chat room," Karima told IslamOnline.net as the couple
celebrated their first marriage anniversary.
"We talked about every thing related to our
life together. We had a clear vision of our differences and common
interests," she added.
Karima believes her marriage is a certificate of
success for online and chat marriages.
Many of the French Muslims who tied the knot this
summer met their soul-mates online and in chat rooms, according to IOL
correspondent.
The number of Muslims in France is estimated at
seven million, the largest Muslim minority in Europe.
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Meskine said online matchmaking services must abide by Shari`ah.
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The increasing popularity of the new online trend
among French Muslims has encouraged the creation of more matchmaking
websites.
"Online marriage is truly a phenomenon among
Muslims in France," Gabriel Doutreligne, the founder of Rencontres-Musulmanes
website, told IOL.
"This has encouraged me to build my website
which is visited by nearly 11,000 registered young people, both males
and females."
The site allows registered members to chat but
under a set of terms and conditions.
Pictures and matrimonial profiles from Muslims
searching for Mr. or Mrs. Right are also available.
Doutreligne, a non-Muslim, says applicants must pay
a small amount of money to show their seriousness and allow the site
to better develop its services.
Rencontres is just one of several websites offering
young French Muslims matrimonial services.
Sheikh Daw Meskine, Secretary General of the French
Council for Imams, said online matchmaking services must abide by
Shari`ah, especially in showing photos.
"It is unacceptable to show immoral
photos."
The French council for imams, the biggest umbrella
body for Muslim imams in France, was established in April 1992 with
the ultimate goal of closing Muslim ranks. It groups some 475 of
France’s 1200 imams.
Despite the popularity of online matrimonial
services, some French Muslims still opt for the more traditional
matchmakers.
Sharifa, an old Muslim woman of Algerian
background, is a famous matchmaker in the heavily Muslim-populated
Paris suburb of Saint Denis.
She is usually approached by young Muslims to help
them find a good marriage partner.
The matchmaker is usually an old woman who knows
almost everyone in the neighborhood.
Along with chat rooms and matchmakers, mosque imams
also play a role in arranging marriages.
