Afghanistan is a conservative country that has strict rules about sexual behavior. Premarital sex is forbidden according to Islamic law and Sharia Law. Young people are expected to be chaste until marriage and adultery is severely punished.
There is still a culture of sexual repression and taboo around the subject. This makes it difficult for young adults to navigate their romantic lives and make decisions about sex and relationships.
Many cultural norms have shaped Afghan attitudes towards premarital sex, which can influence how they view their own erotic self-concept and relational decision-making. In this article, I will explore how Afghan religious norms affect these aspects of young adult life.
Let's look at how religion influences premarital sex. In Islam, premarital sex is considered haram, or forbidden, and carries severe consequences. The Quran states that those who engage in premarital sex should be stoned to death.
This is rarely enforced due to the difficulty of obtaining evidence. Instead, social pressure is used to discourage premarital sex and encourage chastity. Families often use emotional manipulation and threats to keep their children from having sex before marriage. This creates an atmosphere of fear and shame around sex, making it harder for young adults to talk openly about their desires and needs.
Some families may even arrange marriages to prevent their children from exploring their sexuality outside of wedlock. These restrictions create anxiety and uncertainty, leading to more secretive behavior and unhealthy relationships.
Religious norms also shape young people's erotic self-concepts. Eroticism is seen as something dirty and shameful, so young people are taught to repress their natural urges and desires. They are not encouraged to express themselves physically or emotionally and instead focus on preserving their purity until marriage. This can lead to a lack of self-awareness and confidence when it comes to intimacy and sexual experiences. It also means they don't know how to communicate with partners about what they want and need. This can result in misunderstandings, frustration, and problems later in life.
Young adults may have negative views of their own bodies and be unable to appreciate their beauty or attractiveness.
Religious norms affect relational decision-making among young adults. Because of the taboo around premarital sex, many young people feel that they must rush into marriage to avoid temptation. They may choose partners based on parental approval rather than compatibility or mutual attraction. This can lead to unhappy relationships and divorce down the line. Moreover, some young adults may feel pressure to marry someone they do not love or find attractive just to please their family. This can create a culture of forced marriages and unhappiness.
Afghan religious norms play a significant role in influencing young adult behavior around sex and relationships. The strict rules about premarital sex and the cultural stigma surrounding eroticism create anxiety and uncertainty. This makes it difficult for young people to explore their own identities and make healthy decisions about intimacy.
There is hope for change as more liberal attitudes emerge and young people become more open about their desires and needs.
How do Afghan religious norms influence premarital sexual behavior, erotic self-concept, and relational decision-making among young adults?
Although there is no single religion that can be considered as "the Afghan religion," Islam is widely practiced across the country and exerts great influence on social and cultural life. In this context, the traditional codes of conduct emphasize the importance of chastity and virginity before marriage and consider sex outside of marriage as sinful. The Quran teaches that men and women should abstain from any physical contact with each other until they are married.