When love meets a political fault line
"Love has never existed entirely outside politics. But when governments increasingly determine who one may marry, where couples may live, and whether families may remain together, intimate life becomes another arena of state power. The issue is no longer simply immigration policy; it is the expanding reach of nationalism into a most personal space."
In his latest piece for Bangladesh's Daily Star, Anas Ansar delves into the connection between contested national borders and personal relationships between citizens of different nationalities. This lens allows us to see broader patterns like the hierarchy between different nationalities in global rankings of desirability:
"Furthermore, the tragedy lies in the hierarchy that states quietly construct. Some foreign brides and grooms are celebrated as symbols of global modernity, while others are viewed as potential infiltrators simply because they come from the “wrong” side of the border. Nationality, identity, and passports have become measures not only of mobility but also of the legitimacy of love itself."
Read the article on the Daily Star's website.