Marriage, divorce, custody and inheritance can look very different when family law derives partly from traditional religious jurisprudence rather than equal civil law.

Traditional Islamic law allows a Muslim man multiple wives under specified conditions. Modern Muslim-majority states range from prohibition to regulation or continued legal recognition.

In some legal systems, an adult woman's autonomy in marriage, family life and other decisions remains restricted by rules giving male relatives special authority.

Wearing a veil voluntarily is one question. Being legally forced to wear one is another. What happens when religious modesty becomes state coercion?

Under Taliban rule, Afghan women and girls have been excluded from secondary and higher education and severely restricted in employment and public life.

When family reputation becomes more valuable than individual freedom, women and girls can face coercion, abuse and even murder in the name of “honour.”

An arranged marriage can involve consent. A forced marriage does not. The distinction disappears when family, community or religious pressure makes refusal impossible.

Consanguineous marriage remains common in parts of the Middle East and North Africa and increases the probability of certain recessive genetic disorders.

Private consensual sexuality remains subject to criminal law in several states where religious morality continues to influence legislation.

In parts of the Muslim-majority world, same-sex relations remain criminalised and LGBT people can face severe legal and social consequences.