Teenagers are generally prevented from dating or going to parties. Meetings or dates between unmarried young men and women are supposed to take place only in the presence of a chaperon, usually a relative of the young man. Among some liberal or Westernized Muslims there is more contact between young men and women and some dating takes place.
A young man who has fallen in love or who wishes to marry may tell his mother, who will make inquiries about the woman and her family. The opening of shopping malls in the Muslim world has created opportunities for flirting and dating. In the United States conservative Muslim girls attend proms wearing pretty dresses and flowers with their head scarves.
In respect to their religion and family wishes Muslim proms have no alcohol, dancing or boys. The Muslim girls celebrate prom together with other Muslim girls. Although dating is discouraged it exist in unique forms. One young Kuwaiti mall rat told Reuters that he dates with girls but keeps his distance from them in public.
There it is dark and no one can see us. I will never marry a Kuwaiti girl, They are too snobbish ad materialistic. I plan to marry an American girl. The opening of the City Center shopping mall in Qatar created opportunities for flirting and dating. Websites and Resources: Islam IslamOnline islamonline. Most young Muslims live sheltered lives, and are discouraged from mixing freely with the opposite sex and prevented from 'falling in love', which can lead to problems heartaches such a poor judgement, unsuitable partners and marriage outside one class, social group and religion.
Traditionally, any contact between girls and boys was prohibited or at least frowned up, partyly because of Islamic prohibitions but also local customs, and there was no dating or courtship to allow young people privacy to get to know each other. Traditionally, Muslim women began wearing a hijab veil when they reached puberty.
