Navigating Muslim Identity and Customs in Online Dating

Abstract

Marriage is at a constant intersection: it is the intersection of lives and families; it is at the intersection of the private and public spheres, personal life and larger society; and as life and technology become further intertwined, marriage becomes the intersection of tradition, religion, and technology. This paper will study Muslim dating and matrimony websites and how the use of such websites interacts with religious and social customs regarding courting and marriage. This paper is broken into three sections: the reasons for which people join Muslim matchmaking websites; how online matchmaking presents a new framework in which people can articulate and express their identity; and how matchmaking websites can either alter or reinforce traditional courtship and marriage norms. This paper found that Muslim dating websites created a compelling technological framework of choice for individual articulation of identity, relationship needs, and optional integration of traditional courtship norms. Speaking to the adaptability of identity and custom, this study directly counters the ideation of religion, in this example Islam, and modernity as opposing ends of a societal binary.