When Islamic Marriage Travels to the Netherlands: Convert Muslim Women (Re)Signifying the Marriage Guardian and the Dower

Converts to Islam in the Netherlands generally know that an intimate sexual relationship is only licit after marriage. But their knowledge about how to marry Islamically is often limited, and their experiences vary considerably. Zahra, for instance, had no idea what entering into such a marriage entailed. She let her husband arrange everything and years later the couple still occasionally wondered whether their marriage was Islamically valid. Mina, in contrast, was well aware of her Islamic rights, but in spite of being well prepared, she felt duped by her husband and blamed the imam acting as her marriage guardian for