ABSTRACT
This chapter draws on recent qualitative interviews with individuals in Denmark who all had a nikah. The majority of the material stems from Muslim ethnic minority couples, but also mixed couples are represented. With an empirical focus on the circumstances that relate to nikah ceremonies, the chapter looks specifically at how secrets and lies may be central strategies for individuals and families trying to navigate conflicting norms and expectations. Creative deceptions of various kinds surface as ways of negotiating the contradictions about intimate conduct that may arise from ethnic minorities or their majority partners lives in transnational social spaces. The chapter documents how such deceptions may be used as creative strategies to protect cherished family relations through bridging norms and practices which would otherwise be difficult to reconcile. It discusses why sexuality is an issue of importance in many ethnic minority communities, and outlines how the norms of such communities may contrast with the general practices found in Danish majority.
