Encyclopedia of Women & Islamic Cultures

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Virginity: Western Europe
(1,576 words)

Virginity

In Islam, sexual contact between a man and a woman is only allowed within the confines of marriage. Virginity is therefore a central value for Muslim adolescent girls in Western Europe. It usually means that a girl has not been touched by a man before marriage or that she has not had premarital sexual intercourse (Brouwer 1998, 150). After the first night of marriage a girl has traditionally to prove that sh…

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Brouwer, Lenie, “Virginity: Western Europe”, in: Encyclopedia of Women & Islamic Cultures, General Editor Suad Joseph. Consulted online on 03 December 2023 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1872-5309_ewic_EWICCOM_0209i>
First published online: 2009



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