Forced marriages: How terror groups embed themselves in local communities

Analysts say extremist groups exploit social and cultural structures to consolidate influence in crisis-hit regions.

This tactic is especially common in rural and tribal areas of Afghanistan and similar countries.

One such method is forced marriage, which violates individual rights, particularly women’s rights.

It also creates artificial tribal ties that help extremist groups establish local intelligence networks.

These ties allow militants to better monitor government forces and significantly reduce resistance from local communities.

Al-Qaeda relies heavily on this approach, said Mahmood Salimi, a Paris-based global affairs analyst.

He said forced marriages are a low-cost but effective method for infiltrating local communities.

By marrying into local families, the group normalizes its presence and enforces silence in the areas where it operates.

"Al-Qaeda pressures families through threats or by exploiting poverty and insecurity to accept such marriages, then uses the consequences to entrench its position," he told Salaam Times.

"In many cases, direct threats, psychological intimidation, or promises of financial and security support leave families unable to resist," he said.

"When an al-Qaeda member marries into a local family, that family unwillingly becomes part of the group’s support network, giving al-Qaeda access to local information," he added.

"Through these imposed ties, a false sense of legitimacy is created that reduces social opposition and paves the way for expanding the group’s influence and activities within local communities," Salimi added.

Short-term gains, long-term resistance

Sayed Mansour Samadi, a political analyst based in Ankara, said the strategy carries long-term risks.

Forced marriages may expand the group’s influence, but they also fuel deep and lasting resentment within affected communities, he said.

"If governments and civil institutions strengthen culturally sensitive approaches, economic support for families, and legal education, this type of infiltration will gradually weaken," he told Salaam Times.

"Empowering women and creating safe alternatives for families are among the most effective ways to counter this extremist tactic," he said.

Resentment among victims and their families continues to increase over time as the harm and trauma persist, Samadi said.

Human rights violations

Muhammad Taher Qayoumi, a Germany-based human rights researcher, said forced marriages violate fundamental human rights.

"Forced marriages imposed by al-Qaeda are among the most severe forms of structural violence against women," he said.

"Local girls have no agency or right to choose and are used as political tools. Victims face long-term psychological, social, and even physical harm and are often deprived of social support," he added.

Qayoumi described the practice as a clear and serious violation of human dignity and fundamental human rights.

"Al-Qaeda’s infiltration through forced marriages shows that the group does not operate solely through military violence but manipulates local structures by exploiting social and economic vulnerabilities for its own benefit," he said.