ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the phenomenon of navigation regarding marriages of European Muslims. It focuses on the dissolution of marriages of European Muslims and Islamically married couples. European Muslims can navigate towards three major legal culture archipelagos: the islands of European legal systems, the legal islands of Muslim majority countries, and the Muslim/Islamic legal isles. The navigation processes pursued by European Muslims are probably best exemplified in the conduct of family matters. In psychological terms, family relations represent a treasure chest and reflect strong cultural values. This chapter investigates mutual accommodation strategies among Muslim families and European legal systems, considering the interweaving and untangling of the marriage knot in Italy and the UK as case studies. The greater portion of Muslim majority countries, the registration of the nuptial contract is compulsory from a positivist legal point of view, however it is not a condition for validity of the marriage itself.
