Polygamy

Topic: Polygamy

Polygamy is a term used to describe any form of marriage in which a person has more than one partner. A person is available for two or more people to mate with. Polygyny is practiced when a man has more than one wife. Polyandry is a practice in which a woman has more than one husband. The less common practice is known as a group marriage, it is known as a marriage which includes multiple husbands and wives. In contrast "monogamy" is a marriage that consists of two people. Different religions have various views on the practice of "polygamy". It is considered legal in countries such as: Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, Libya, Malaysia, and Morocco. It is illegal in countries such as: Canada, Iceland, and Israel, in the USA it is illegal in all 50 states; it is legal in all the 27 countries in the European Union.

Article 1
Egypt
Egypt paper promotes Polygamy for women
http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2009/12/16/94383.html

The article discusses an article that was published in an Egyptian newspaper, which called for women to have the right to marry more than one man as a part of gender quality. In the article a woman called Bedair is wondering why do men have the right of beimg bored with one woman and women are more faithful to their men. Yet the traditions and the clerics oblige her to stay at home and be quiet. She is proposing that polygamy should be allowed for both men and women or a new way of thinking towards marriages should be introduced in order defeat the men’s “lame excuses”. Therefore the discussion of why men could have another three wives, while women do not have the right to act the same.

Article 2
Australia
Why should polygamy be a crime?
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/why-should-polygamy-be-a-crime-20091002-gfdg.html

The article gives some setting information about polygyny. It also talks about Western society’s perspective on affairs are stigmatized. The Attorney-General Robert McClelland introduced legislation granting rights to the second woman so that she could share the state with her married lover. The article argues that the problem is still present and that the practice of polygamy is essential for a marriage and one way or another people tend to lie to each other even in monogamous marriage. It also asks some rhetorical questions like “Why in the liberal 21st century must we live a lie in relationships? And why do we continue to maintain a facade that monogamy is a perfect institution, when studies consistently reveal that most men admit to having affairs?” It presents an argument that Polygamy is as normal for a marriage as monogamy, and it is more is as necessary for some people more than others. The article discusses the Islam view on polygamy as a support to the argument. Islam acknowledges the fact that human nature “stipulates a regulatory framework for plural relations” In addition it gives a contrast view on polygamy mentioning the Emperor Justinian who criminalized plural unions under the influence of Augustine. Then the article provides the evidence of Polygamy being illegal in Australia. Yet polygamy is recognized under the family law for the purpose of property settlements. Toward the end of the article it supports its bias point of view by a concluding argument “Who someone marries first is an accident of history. If a man who has an affair had met his mistress before his wife, he may have married her. Why maintain the facade that is the Justinian doctrine of monogamy knowing it has failed as a social experiment?”

Article 3
Yemen
Yemeni women: Polygamy faces off spinsterhood
http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=12823EB25A3E8950&p_docnum=1&p_queryname=2

The article gives some background information about Polygamy in such Islamic and Arab countries such as Yemen. Polygamy was more commonly practiced in rural areas where women could easily become the second, third and fourth wives. Even in urban areas women are begging to consider and accept the idea of entering polygamous unions. In Muslim countries such as Yemen polygamy is legal. An Islam man is allowed to have up to four wives at a time. However, the Yemen law does not legislate a set structure for controlling the polygamous marriages and leaves it up to the individual families. In addition the Personal Status Law arbitrates against women and gives the man an absolute right to practice polygamy without provisions that he should inform his wife of any plans that he has. Hooria Mashour, Deputy Chairperson of the Women’s National Committee, said that the law does not restrict polygamy and support non-harassment,equality and justice among the wives. The article further discusses the problem with polygamy in Yemen, especially women rights which are being unconsidered.It gives some statistics on the numbers of women who married an already married men. It follows with its one line opinion of taking the readers attention into thinking about the substantial problems with polygamy in Islam and Arabic countries. It presents some of the better argument points are “Most Yemeni men and some Yemeni women think of it as a religious right with no moral or even economic obligations to any of the wives, especially the first one.” In the last concluding point it talks about the fact that society should take into account the major role that it is playing in guiding women towards polygamy as opposed to monogamy.

Reflection / Analysis

It was very interesting to read all the different articles written about polygamy through different perspectives. The article taken from an Egyptian newspaper provides a better outlook in the world of Egyptian women, who are wondering why polygamy is only legal with men having more than one wife. While the women have to stick to just one man, without having the right of choosing more than one husband. The Australian article really surprised me with its open argument that there is nothing abnormal about polygamy and that it is an essential process for a human’s mind. As well some individuals prefer polygamy more than monogamy and that should not be considered a crime, rather than a logical desire of the human mind. The contrary example with Emperor Justinian was a good point to persuade the reader into thinking otherwise about the practice of polygamy. Especially I liked the usage of the example with Justinian in such a context as “Why maintain the facade that is the Justinian doctrine of monogamy knowing it has failed as a social experiment?” The Yemen article discusses a global problem that is created by making polygamy legal and giving the man an autonomous right to control the marriage. As a result the women’s rights are violated and their interests are not taken into the account by the Yemen law. The article gives a serious anti-religious view from the post-reviewer on the practice of Polygamy. The article was really interesting in the sense that it gibes an internal view from a female’s perspective who presently experiences the practice and lives in an Arabic or Muslim society.
I personally think that Polygamy is not a great practice for a marriage, as it underlines the insignificance of each person involved in a marriage. I am an adherent of a monogamous unity, because it is more of a logical route to love. Polygamy does not seem to present love as a soulful need for both people, it rather distorts the primary meaning of love and a mutual unity. Polygamy also alters the moral values of a single person creating a form of a harem where the women serve as slaves to the men who chose them for their collection.