not trying to sound like a know it all - but shouldn't this thread be titled "polyandry"
Technically yes, but the cartoonist obviously wasn't as au fait with such distinctions so the 'error' in the cartoon had to be replicated in the thread title. It should be noted that other discerning female Algeria.com members have also pointed this out - obviously as a result of anthropological study rather than an exploration of life choices.
ok, now seriously, polygamy is wrong for men and women. It might have been 'logic' in the past to have many women (due to low population, to many rich men, women had no status or jobs thus no choise, lots of tyrans with their slaves etc etc. ) but it always has been wrong, right?
What do you think?
polygamy is allowed in islam so its never "wrong" for men... as they are allowed to take up to four wives. the same issues in the past that u brought up are still going on today in many countries and other poor parts of the world.
there are more women than men in society and the ratio is for every five women there is one man... and in islam we noe that this number is only going to increase until there is 50 women to one man... does that mean that only a fourth of the population shud be with a husband while the rest of the women are kept unhappy and miserable... ???
im not saying everyone shud practice polygamy and islam HAS given the right to women to deny to be a co wife. but if the first wife and other wives are ok with being co wives and "sharing" a husband... who are we to tell them that what they are doing is wrong, unacceptable and that they are unhappy with it when in fact they are totally accepting of it.
How Have Policy Approaches to Polygamy Responded to Women’s Experiences and Rights? An International, Comparative Analysis
Devising effective legislative and policy strategies for dealing with polygamy in Canada requires an analysis as to how practices associated with plural marriage affect the lives of women. This report seeks to illuminate how life within a polygamous marriage might affect women’s social and economic status, as well as their overall health and well-being. This report also undertakes an examination of law and policy approaches to polygamy worldwide, with a view to assessing whether existing responses to polygamy adequately address the needs, rights and realities of women living within plural marriages. Based on this analysis, recommendations are made as to the most appropriate approach to polygamy in the Canadian context.
An International Review of Polygamy:
Legal and Policy Implications for Canada
Having studied the various ways in which women’s lives might be affected by polygamy, we might consider how laws and policies worldwide have responded to plural marriage, to determine whether they adequately address the particular needs and interests of women.
The second part of this report undertakes a review of the various approaches that have been developed by diverse jurisdictions in regard to polygamy. It discusses responses to plural marriages formed domestically as well as those formed in foreign jurisdictions.
Expanding Recognition of Foreign Polygamous Marriages:
Policy Implications for Canada
The paper reviews the social science literature and media reports about the effects of polygamy on women and children in Canada and other countries. Legal issues that have arisen in other countries related to polygamy are summarized, with a particular focus on countries that have legal systems most similar to our own. The current legal and policy issues concerning
polygamy in Canada are also discussed. The paper concludes by considering how the information and developments of other countries shed light on the current controversies in Canada, offering legal analysis and policy recommendations for this country.
Separate and Unequal: The Women and Children of Polygamy
Polygamy is illegal in Canada pursuant to s. 293 of the Criminal Code of Canada. However, a polygamous community thrives in Bountiful, British Columbia and, to date, nobody from the community has been prosecuted for violating s. 293. Justice officials in British Columbia say prosecuting s. 293 would invite a defence challenge to the section’s constitutionality,
based on the argument that the section infringes the guarantee to religious freedom as set out in s. 2(a) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. However, an analysis of the practice of polygamy in Canada, and how it undermines the equality rights of women and children, suggests that even if s. 293 impinges on religious freedom, such a limit is justified, because of the inherent harms polygamy engenders for the women and children of polygamous families.
Immigrant women here also face a special set of concerns.
Out of the 4.5 million immigrants living in France, half are women. Most of these women are between 20 and 45. Women of African origin--including the Maghreb region in the North African countries of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia--are vulnerable to discrimination for a number of reasons.
One is ignorance. Traditionally, women of the Maghreb are considered invisible. Their role is to care for their families and assume household chores. Hence, many are poorly educated and submissive to the authority of the man or men of the house. They are unaware of their rights as French citizens or as French residents and, of course, don't exercise these rights. As children of immigrants, they are still exposed to judicial decisions taken in their country of origin, such as repudiation, which under Muslim law gives the husband the right to annul a marriage without informing his wife.
Another component is judicial. France has signed bilateral conventions with several countries (Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Cameroon and Mauritania) that recognize the right to polygamy. Although polygamy is of course illegal in France, the French government cannot enforce French law in the case of weddings held in the countries of origin.
Other factors are cultural and sociological. Differences between the sexes are institutionalized in many Muslim countries. Often, girls agree to an arranged marriage because they are young and fear rejection by their families. Female immigrants in France, in particular Maghreban women, remain isolated because, unlike men, they aren't culturally encouraged to seek employment outside the home. They don't speak French fluently, which partially explains why a majority remains unemployed.
Royal vowed to address the issues facing immigrant women within the larger framework of the project of law on violence against women. She promised to pay particular attention to the issues of forced marriages, repudiation and genital mutilation.
Sarkozy proposed using the immigration policy to enforce certain French social standards in a way that could benefit some women. For instance, he said he would withhold visas from male immigrants who won't allow their wives to learn French. ...
Editor's Note: The opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily the views of Women's eNews.
Samedi 29 septembre 2007 -- L’égalité homme/femme au sein des relations maritales, vécue dans la réciprocité de la vie affective et des sentiments partagés, suppose un choix librement consenti et plaide donc pour la stricte monogamie.
L’affirmation de cette conviction désigne donc, a contrario, la tétragynie (1) coranique comme un obstacle majeur à des relations conjugales harmonieuses et équilibrées. Objet de tous les fantasmes, la polygynie a eu et a encore, dans le monde islamique, un impact sur les consciences et les mœurs difficiles à évaluer. Il est temps de finir avec une pratique éculée. Aussi, la démarche vers l’instauration de la monogamie stricte trouve-t-elle son origine dans la pensée religieuse moderne.
Elle engage la recherche de l’équité au cœur de ce qui constitue, dans le texte coranique, le fondement de l’autorisation conditionnelle de la polygamie. Tout tient à la lecture d’un verset, qui intervient dans le cadre de la prise en charge des veuves et des orphelines : « Et, si vous craignez de ne pas être justes envers les orphelins, il vous sera possible d’épouser parmi celles qui vous plairont, une, deux, trois, ou quatre femmes. Mais si vous craignez de ne pas les traiter avec équité, n’en épousez qu’une seule… C’est la conduite la plus proche de la Justice. » (2) Selon que l’on s’arrête à l’autorisation première ou au terme second du verset qui en édicte les conditions draconiennes, on en déduira soit un droit « ouvert », dans une mauvaise foi évidente, soit l’encouragement à une stricte monogamie, fondée sur le souci d’équité.
Etre équitable doit se comprendre tant sur le plan matériel que charnel et tout autant qu’affectif, ce qui bien évidemment rend cette réalisation impossible. C’est pourquoi le Coran ajoute : « Dieu n’a pas placé deux cœurs dans la poitrine de l’homme. » (3) Il ne s’agit en aucun cas d’une prescription, il ne s’agit pas non plus d’un droit absolu aux hommes de contracter autant de mariages qu’ils le veulent, pour peu qu’ils restent dans la limite de quatre épouses, avec le jeu capricieux, pervers et sordide des répudiations et divorces. Il s’agit de limiter en régulant une pratique anarchique de la polygamie qui était partout la règle sans qu’aucune loi la codifiât, en accompagnant cette transformation culturelle par une pédagogie graduée.
La précision est fondamentale. C’est dans un contexte historique, géographique, socioéconomique, militaire et culturel de l’Arabie au VIIe siècle qu’est révélé ce verset pour traiter à la fois des problèmes relatifs aux orphelines, aux veuves et aux esclaves. Il n’établit aucune norme à caractère universel. De fait, l’incapacité d’assurer aux coépouses un égal traitement, est proclamée avec force, quelques versets plus loin, dans le corpus coranique : « Mais vous ne pouvez jamais être équitables entre vos femmes, même si vous en êtes soucieux et le désirez ardemment. » (4) Un homme croyant, sincère, pieux et intelligent à l’âme probe et droite considérera cette question in globo. Il s’interdira, au nom même du Coran à l’enseignement duquel il adhère, toute partialité de nature à laisser l’épouse défavorisée comme en suspens.
Certes, le discours coranique adopte un style sibyllin, mais en faire une lecture parcellaire hors contexte et conclure, hâtivement, à un appel, même alambiqué, en faveur de la polygamie n’est pas une attitude sérieuse de croyant. Un croyant consciencieux qui se fonde sur une référence scripturaire, ne la plie pas dans le but d’y projeter ses fantasmes et ses appétences. Ce ne sera qu’une volonté d’assouvir un désir libidineux en recherchant la caution du Texte. Sous prétexte d’obéissance à la Révélation, l’instinct masculin des jurisconsultes trouvait son compte, tant il est confortable pour eux de se draper dans de louables intentions, dans un double accomplissement : l’assouvissement de désirs charnels et la soumission à l’impératif de charité due aux veuves et aux orphelines. Alors que la lecture globale de l’ensemble des passages relatifs à la polygamie rend celle-ci tout simplement irréalisable.
1. La tétragynie est la polygamie à quatre épouses.
Dear all,
It is very interesting to read this forum, and I also would like to express my gratitude forthe opportunity to post comments. May I suggest a change of the "Women's corner" rubrique name? Each time my glance passes on that title,and it sounds to me a little inferior...a woman...in a corner. What about a "Women's CENTER"?
Since the invention of the PILL women do not have to worry this much about the zigota thing, so the parallel with the behaviour of certain animals was rather inappropriate. Yet,it is true that in general women are more selective as long as partners are concerned. I explain this with the more refined and delicate traits of the female nature.
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