Young women and their families approach courtship through the challenges of both the present and the recent past. Over seven decades of socialism with an accompanying secular education have brought about very modern views on marriage and courtship. At the same time traditional Islamic cultural values related to courtship and marriage are still present and, among some families, making a resurgence.

Some young Muslim women in Central Asia have indeed the freedom of choice over their potential spouse but their courtship patterns are based on certain historic…