US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in Kiev during her visit to Europe: "As a matter of US policy, the United States obligations under the [convention] which prohibits, of course, cruel and inhumane and degrading treatment, those obligations extend to US personnel wherever they are, whether they are in the United States or outside of the United States."

The US is signatory to the 1984 UN 'Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment'. However due to the convention's ambiguity in wording; the definition of torture, cruel and degrading treatment in the US's interpretation excludes certain techniques.

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Definition

A forced marriage is not the same as an 'arranged marriage', though force can hide behind the notion of an arranged marriage. Arranged marriages are more akin to using family members as a marriage agency with the total consent of the potential partners. A forced marriage is one where one or both parties are coerced into a marriage against their will and under duress

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KEEPING FAMILY TIES ('Silatt-ur-Rahhm')

Defining 'Silatt-ur-Rahhm'

The exact meaning of the word rahhm is "womb". So Sillatt-ur-Rahhm means ties of the womb. It is derived from the root raheem which means ‘to have mercy upon’. Two of Allah's names - Ar-Rahmaan and Ar-Raheem - are derived from the same root.

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