64:) means "to take a young woman and run away". The typical non-consensual variety involves the young man abducting a woman either by force or by guile, often accompanied by friends or male relatives. They often take her to his family home, where she is kept in a room until the man's female relatives convince her to put on the scarf of a married woman as a sign of acceptance. Sometimes, if the woman resists the persuasion and maintains her wish to return home, her relatives try to convince her to agree to the marriage.
20:
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has agreed to stay. The kidnapped woman's family may also become involved, either urging the woman to stay (particularly if the marriage is believed socially acceptable or advantageous for the prospective bride and her family), or opposing the marriage on various grounds and helping to liberate the woman.
127:
In 2018, 19-year-old
Burulai Turdalieva was abducted by a 30-year-old man. Eventually Burulai was found along with her kidnapper and the two were taken to a police station. While at the station, the man stabbed Turdalieva to death. The kidnapper also stabbed himself, but survived. Later, he was found
241:
for several days to break her will. Others will let her go if she remains defiant; she may, for example, refuse to sit down or to eat, as a sign that she is refusing the proffered hospitality. During this period, the groom typically does not see the bride until she has agreed to marry or at least
220:
In one model of bride kidnapping present in
Kyrgyzstan, the young man decides he wishes to marry and asks his parents to pick him out a suitable bride, or is told by his parents that it is time he settled down and that they have found someone of the right background and attributes. (In this sense,
136:
A major issue is of course the question how often this happens. A recent victimization survey in
Kyrgyzstan (2015) included the crime of kidnapping of young women for marriage. 14% of married women answered that they were kidnapped at the time and that two thirds of these cases were consensual, the
249:
The bride kidnapping process sometimes includes rape. Even when sex does not take place, once a woman has been kept overnight, even for a single night, her virginity is put in doubt. With her honor disgraced, she will have very few other options for marriage. Thus, after one night of capture, the
245:
In other models of bride kidnapping in
Kyrgyzstan and other areas of Central Asia, the woman may be a complete stranger to the man prior to the abduction. Sometimes the groom and his family, rather than selecting a particular young woman to kidnap, decide on a household; that way they can still
75:
began to resurface. There are conflicting reports on whether it continues in the original way or not. Some sources state that the practice was originally a form of elopement, not a bride theft. Sometimes the kidnapping may be just a wedding formality, where the woman comes along willingly. Some
137:
woman knew the man and had agreed with it up front. This means that about 5% of current marriages in
Kyrgyzstan are cases of 'Ala Kachuu'. Using the same methodology, a 2018 study in Kazakhstan resulted in an estimated 1-1.5% of current marriages in Kazakhstan are the result of 'Ala Kachuu'.
261:
According to the United States
Embassy, two American women were bride-kidnapped in rural Kyrgyzstan in 2007. As soon as the boys discovered that the women were not Kyrgyzs but foreign (American with a Central Asian appearance) they were returned to the place they were taken from.
246:
kidnap one of the sisters if the woman they desire is not home. As in other societies, often the men who resort to bride kidnapping are socially undesirable for a variety of reasons; they may be more likely to be violent, have a criminal history, or to be substance abusers.
119:
scholar
Russell Kleinbach, whereas kidnappings were rare until Soviet times, the bride kidnapping tradition has dramatically increased in the 20th century. The rise in bride kidnappings may be connected with difficulty in paying the required bride price
630:
Van Dijk, J.J.M., Van
Kesteren, J.N., Trochev, A. & Slade, G. (2018 final draft) Criminal Victimization in Kazakhstan in an international perspective; new findings from the International Crime Victims Survey. NI-CO, Astana, Belfast.
187:
Although the practice is illegal in
Kyrgyzstan, bride kidnappers are rarely prosecuted. This reluctance to enforce the code is in part caused by the pluralistic legal system in Kyrgyszstan where many villages are
237:, to show her what she would gain by joining their family. Families may use force or threaten to curse the woman if she leaves, an effective threat in a superstitious country. Some families will keep the girl
140:
Studies by researcher
Russell Kleinbach have found much larger numbers, namely that approximately half of all Kyrgyz marriages include bride kidnapping; of those kidnappings, two thirds are non-consensual.
50:
to a non-consensual kidnapping, and to what extent it actually happens is controversial. Some sources suggest that as of 2005 at least a third of Kyrgyzstan's brides had been taken against their will.
229:
days, on horseback; now often by car) and take her to the family home. Once there, the man's relatives may attempt to convince the woman to accept the marriage, and to place a white wedding scarf (
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is attached to a refusal to marry after a kidnap that the kidnapped woman usually feels that she has no choice but to agree, and some of those who refuse even commit
111:
identity. The practice is also associated with asserting masculinity. Recent studies challenge the claims that bride kidnapping used to be prevalent. According to
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Luong, Pauline Jones. The transformation of Central Asia : states and societies from Soviet rule to independence. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2004.
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Although bride-kidnapping is illegal in Kyrgyzstan, the government has been accused of not taking proper steps to protect women from this practice.
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225:, although the arranging is all on one side.) The prospective groom and his male relatives or friends or both abduct the girl (in the old
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233:) on her head to symbolize her agreement. They may do this by pointing out the advantages of the union, such as the wealth of their
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courts, tasked with adjudicating family law, property and torts, often fail to take bride kidnapping seriously. In many cases,
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Kleinbach, Russell; Ablezova, Mehrigiul; Aitieva, Medina (2005). "Kidnapping for marriage (ala kachuu) in a Kyrgyz village".
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Captured Hearts: An epidemic of bride kidnappings may at last be waning in Kyrgyzstan - National Geographic, Paul Salopek
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Despite its illegality, in many primarily rural areas, bride kidnapping is an accepted and common way of taking a wife.
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people even consider it an honour to be kidnapped because it demonstrates that the woman is worthy of being a wife.
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members are invited to the kidnapped bride's wedding and encourage the family of the bride to accept the marriage.
23:
A woman (first from right) and four men on horses preparing to "kidnap" her. Kyrgyz steppe, between 1871 and 1872
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Reconciled to Violence: State Failure to Stop Domestic Abuse and Abduction of Women in Kyrgyzstan, p. 91,
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The matter is somewhat confused by the local use of the term "bride kidnap" to reflect practices along a
107:. Rejecting a kidnapping is often culturally unacceptable for women, and perceived as a rejection of the
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arranged between the two young people, to which both sets of parents have to consent after the fact.
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180:, from forcible abduction and rape (and then, almost unavoidably, marriage), to something akin to an
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1006:
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Reconciled to Violence: State Failure to Stop Domestic Abuse and Abduction of Women in Kyrgyzstan,
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Reconciled to Violence: State Failure to Stop Domestic Abuse and Abduction of Women in Kyrgyzstan
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Reconciled to Violence: State Failure to Stop Domestic Abuse and Abduction of Women in Kyrgyzstan
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775:, International Feminist Journal of Politics, 6:2,(2004) pp. 207 — 233, at 209; Alex Rodriguez,
585:"Interior Minister tasked to meet with Burulai's father, study forensic examination conclusion"
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222:
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104:
939:
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39:
915:
619:
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31:
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391:"International Human Rights Law and Bride Kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan | EurasiaNet.org"
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brides fluctuated between 240 and 400 rubles. Poor Dungans find Kirghiz brides, or marry
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521:
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The practice was suppressed during the Soviet period, but, after the collapse of the
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Kyz ala kachuu and adat: Non-consensual bride kidnapping and tradition in Kyrgyzstan
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Kyz ala kachuu and adat: Non-consensual bride kidnapping and tradition in Kyrgyzstan
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Kyz ala kachuu and adat: Non-consensual bride kidnapping and tradition in Kyrgyzstan
887:
234:
201:
68:
416:"StopVAW -- Forcible Bridal Abduction is Subject of National Debate in Kyrgyzstan"
441:"FRONTLINE/WORLD . Kyrgyzstan - the Kidnapped Bride . Facts and Stats | PBS"
881:, June 15, 2004, Voice Of Freedom Initiative Of The Human Rights Working Group,
943:
664:. Vol. 51. Nanzan University Institute of Anthropology. 1992. p. 256
43:
633:
https://sites.google.com/view/icvs-crime/homepage/recentadditions/kazakhstan
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guilty of murder and kidnapping and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
47:
419:
190:
46:. The term can apply to a variety of actions, ranging from a consensual
255:
238:
196:
825:
http://hrw.org/reports/2006/kyrgyzstan0906/kyrgyzstan0906webwcover.pdf
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http://hrw.org/reports/2006/kyrgyzstan0906/kyrgyzstan0906webwcover.pdf
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Bride kidnapping is criminalized in Article 155 of the Criminal code.
490:
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav012400.shtml
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http://hrw.org/reports/2006/kyrgyzstan0906/kyrgyzstan0906webwcover.pdf
548:
http://www.iwpr.net/?p=wpr&s=f&o=258820&apc_state=henpwpr
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The history of bride kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan is under dispute. The
769:
https://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/kyrgyzstan/thestory.html
276:, for a comparison of how the Catholic Church handled bride capture
722:
Kyrgyz Republic: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2007
226:
154:
18:
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http://wp.unil.ch/icvs/news/information-and-data-from-kyrgyzstan/
486:
International Human Rights Law and Bride Kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan
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92:
445:
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woman is culturally compelled to marry the man. Such immense
512:, Central Asian Survey, (June 2007) 26:2, 217 - 233, at 230,
95:
made the ancient practice of the nomads illegal, and so with
967:
Ala Kachuu. Take and Run. A film by Maria Brendle (CH), 2020
741:, Journal of Legal Pluralism, 2006; Handrahan, pp. 212-213.
611:, Civil Union "For Reforms and Results" (2015) page 30-31
561:"Kyrgyzstan: murder of a young woman sparks public anger"
966:
546:, Institute of War and Peace Reporting, Dec. 22, 2005,
787:
785:
739:
Kyrgyz Aksakal Courts: Pluralistic Accounts of History
103:, many have revived old customs as a way of asserting
689:, Central Asian Survey, (June 2007) 26:2, 217 - 233,
879:
Bride Kidnapping: Benign Custom Or Savage Tradition?
649:, Central Asian Survey, (June 2007) 26:2, 217 - 233.
907:Warden Message, United States Embassy, Kyrgyzstan,
909:http://bishkek.usembassy.gov/december_10_2007.html
854:Kidnapping a Bride Practice Embraced in Kyrgyzstan
777:Kidnapping a Bride Practice Embraced in Kyrgyzstan
357:"Abduction, Often Violent, a Kyrgyz Wedding Rite"
204:, away from the eyes of the state legal system.
997:Marriage, unions and partnerships in Kyrgyzstan
829:Abduction, Often Violent, a Kyrgyz Wedding Rite
793:Abduction, Often Violent, a Kyrgyz Wedding Rite
149:According to a 1992 study, the bride-money for
317:"Grab and Run: Kyrgyzstan's Bride Kidnappings"
8:
101:independence of the Central Asian nations
685:Russ Kleinbach & Lilly Salimjanova,
508:Russ Kleinbach & Lilly Salimjanova,
307:
972:Article on Ala Kachuu with photographs
16:Form of bride kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan
7:
1017:Violence against women in Kyrgyzstan
161:women. Dungans also secretly abduct
779:, Augusta Chronicle, July 24, 2005.
355:Smith, Craig S. (April 30, 2005).
315:Noriko Hayahi (November 4, 2013).
14:
1012:Human rights abuses in Kyrgyzstan
719:United States State Department,
194:ruled by councils of elders and
765:Kyrgyzstan: The Kidnapped Bride
609:Kyrgyzstan Public Safety Survey
544:Kyrgyz Bride Price Controversy
290:Bride kidnapping in Kazakhstan
1:
831:, N.Y. Times, April 30, 2005.
795:, N.Y. Times, April 30, 2005.
643:Kleinbach & Salimjanova,
280:Sex trafficking in Kyrgyzstan
97:the fall of the Soviet Union
1033:
944:10.1080/02634930500155138
467:; Handrahan, pp. 212-213.
61:
35:
877:Burulai Pusurmankulova,
221:it may be similar to an
977:Documentary by Petr Lom
559:Novastan (2021-04-08).
752:Reconciled to Violence
661:Asian folklore studies
258:after the kidnapping.
24:
22:
932:Central Asian Survey
865:Human Rights Watch,
820:Human Rights Watch,
804:Human Rights Watch,
750:Human Rights Watch,
542:Aijan Rakhimdinova,
499:; Handrahan, p. 222.
459:Human Rights Watch,
1002:Crime in Kyrgyzstan
771:; Handrahan, Lori,
378:National Geographic
99:and the subsequent
914:2010-05-27 at the
884:"Custom/Tradition"
827:; Craig S. Smith,
618:2019-09-04 at the
495:2016-06-17 at the
361:The New York Times
331:"2004 Transitions"
25:
773:Hunting for Women
725:, March 11, 2008.
476:Hanrahan, p. 222.
223:arranged marriage
200:courts following
165:girls as brides.
113:Kyrgyz historians
105:cultural identity
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42:practiced in
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592:. Retrieved
589:akipress.com
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518:"2007 Study"
514:available at
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69:Soviet Union
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852:Rodriguez,
145:Bride-money
1007:Kidnapping
991:Categories
938:(2): 191.
894:2007-02-25
705:2008-10-18
668:2010-06-28
594:2023-11-06
570:2023-11-06
528:2008-10-18
426:2008-07-02
401:2008-07-02
341:2013-09-11
303:References
132:Prevalence
91:and later
73:ala kachuu
44:Kyrgyzstan
28:Ala kachuu
952:144169034
182:elopement
178:continuum
117:Fulbright
48:elopement
36:ала качуу
912:Archived
754:, p. 106
616:Archived
493:Archived
266:See also
216:Examples
191:de facto
169:Legality
808:p. 86,
607:Gorby,
256:suicide
239:hostage
227:nomadic
210:aqsaqal
206:Aqsaqal
197:aqsaqal
163:Kirghiz
83:History
950:
273:Raptus
231:jooluk
151:Dungan
115:, and
58:Kyrgyz
32:Kyrgyz
948:S2CID
763:PBS,
155:Tatar
122:kalym
159:Sart
93:USSR
940:doi
850:See
735:See
683:See
446:PBS
157:or
124:).
993::
946:.
936:24
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784:^
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