Personally, I believe that polygamy is the state of having two or mates at the same time, including both Polygyny (the union of one man with more than one women - 'more females') and Polyandry (the union of one women with more than one man - 'many males'). In most of the religion in this mother globe, polygyny is obviously accepted by nature of faith. As an example, we have in Christianity, stated in Genesis, when Lamech's marriage to Adah and Zillah, to Joseph's four wives (Gen 29-30). On the other hand, Judaism stated that Solomon is said to had 700 wives. In Islam, Holy Koran tell us one of the after Uhud Battle effects is many widows are left and merried to already married men. However, today we can see that the concept of polygamy, which had been a taboo topic in churches during the Midle Age had been ban by some religion in the world and it is rare in Islam. In most countries, in all western ones and some Islamic ones, polygamy is illegal, although some Muslim states (e.g Saudi Arabia) do allow it apart of the principle od blind-eye policy ( polygamy cases which the authorities didn't care much about). Apart from these Islamic examples, polygamy does continue in some African socities but is more generally - although incorrectly - seen as a practice of Mormons. We can see in 1840's, Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon Church, approved the practice of polygamy. In political views, Statehood of Utah only came into the United State of America in 1896 when its leaders finally agreed to abolish polygamy in return of it. Personaly I believed that A Man Should Be Devoted His Whole Heart and Soul to One Women at One Time Regardles of Everything i.e A MAN CANNOT LOVE TWO WOMEN AT THE SAME TIME AND VICE VERSA! but however, under certain circumstances , emergency and under the authorization of independent and thrustful body, polygamy should be allowed.
- What if another partner(s) do not want another individual or specific individiual to be added in the family?
- What is the procedure - does the man automatically get his way?
Second View and Perspective - family hierachy system!
Not only polygamy would effect the real freedom of modern day women, but it will also effect the whole traditional family hierachy system. Along with the concept of polygamy, we can see the family members will be added not only the children but the wives themselves. By then, we can see the hierachy sysytem of a family will emerged, with a 'head wife' (regardless of seniority) dominating her rivals (this situation may also apply in the case of polyandry). This particular situation had become the root of religious polygamy, been seen in Siti Sarah's jealousy and domination that sent Prohphet Ibrahim's second wife, Siti Hajar and her son, Prohphet Ismail to the midle of desert as stated in Holy Koran. Why on earth, should I, Isis Natasha as a normal human being, encourage and institutinalise the very thing that leads the break up the majority of family units - namely jealousy and sexual encounters with others? We believe that the family is the building block of society and these undermines the clarity of the grouping. It is true that jealousy exist outside marriages and in monogamous marriages - but why set up a situation in which it is guaranteed?
Thrid View and Perspective - adultery!
Some of the public who are pro-polygamy marriages would said and argue that polygamy marriages will help to curb the effect after adultery. But personally, Isis Natasha believe it does not give 1% impact at all to curb this major problem in our society, in fact in al society in the world. To me, adultery is based on desire for the 'other', for something outside the known, outside the home. Polygamy does nothing to combat this as adultery still occurs in polygamy societies. Indeed the polygamy encourages adultery as it dilutes the idea of fidelity from being loyalty to one person, subsitituting the legitamacy of intercourse with many. In fact, if adultery is done by a open-minded free man, does he have to married to all women or man he already slept with?
Fourth View and Perspective - incest!
Right now when monogamy policy had been applied by most Malaysia, we still being effected and beeing invaded by the problem of incest; brothers with brothers, brothers with sisters, sisters with sisters, and their parents with their childrne and many other level of the family hierachy. This is the situation in today monogamy societies. Just imagine what would happen in a polygamy socities? Increasing the numberof marriage mixes - four husbands, seven wives etc. - greatly enhance the chances of inadvertent incest, especially in relatively remote, inward-looking villages and small towns where generations of people live in the same area and are unlikely to move - i.e. exactly the kind of places most like to take up polygamy if allowed to.
Fifth View and Perspective - Wealth of offences!
Freedom of modern day women would obviously being destroy under the policy of polygamy. Earlier on, I already briefly discuss that being the mother's shoe, and now being in the daugther's shoe. Once allowed and once passed of polygamy, in long term perspective, polygamy will facilitate the practice of forced marriages. This will also creates marital double jeopardy forced marriages to other member of the society or to other member of the family itself, keeping the children within the closed community structure polygamy so often creates. Indeed, from history and previous writting and research, we can see where polyamy is found, a wealth of other offences will follow. Child abuse, incest, welfare fraud, rape - all staples of the polygamous communities in the USA, along with the broader eploitation of women.
Sixth View and Perspective - Syariah Law (Malaysia Context)!
Even though under the Syariah Law (in Malaysia context), polygamy is allowed. However, we have to remember that there are certain conditions that must be made as alid out by the legislature body i.e the Parliment under advise from the Syariah Court itself. The first criterion is that the husband must prove to the court that he is financially capable to marrying a second wife at the same time able to maintain the first wife. The husband must produce his income tax statement and salary slip as the supporting documents. It is compulsary to satisfy this criterion before going to the other citerion. Secondly, the husband must have the ability to treat both family equally and fairly. For instance, in the case of the first wife complains that during the year in which the husband was cavorting with the other women, he rarely returned home, the application will usually being rejected. If both of these criterion had been satisfy, then they will move on to the thrid criterion; whether there is any lawful benefit to the society in the proposed union. If there is, the application is allowed ; for an example, in cases where the first wife is sick and the second wife is apparently able to assist the husband in his business. Under these three rigid regulations and conditions, not only, that polygamy not only would help the familyand society, but also uphold the modern day women right at large especially the wives. Readers, take note that I'm not saying that polygamy is 100% negeative but under a rigid condition and authorization of an independent body, the good side of it will enhance.
Seventh View and Perspective - Pro-Polygamy!
Surah An-Nisaa 3
فَانْكِحُوا مَا طَابَ لَكُمْ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ مَثْنَى وَثُلَاثَ وَرُبَاعَ
…marry (other) women of your choice, two or three, or four;
Despite all the criterion as mention and briefly discuss by me above, we have to considered all other mean s of criterion laid by the Holy Koran. Well, we have in the Ayah 4:3, "... marry (other) women of your choice, two or three, or four", though the wording and the backgrounf of the Ayah 4:3 soundlike a commandment, it is should only be temperory in effect. That is said to applied only to a particular state of emergency when, due to the loss of 70 men in the battle of Uhud, the number od women exceed the number of available Muslim men. However, considering the condition and also the speciality of the Glorious Koran itself, it is universal in application despite having revealing a particular date and time. One point greatly in need is that, what ever the society, the number of women should outnumber the men. Supposed the world population is equally divided between men and women (each gender is equal half of the qorld population), then it is impossible for an individual man to marrying more than one woman unless the 2nd, 3rd and 4th wife is being forced in to marriage (but under the eye of Syariah Law, forced marriage is ilegal, void and considered as unlawful).
From the records and researach done by both part of the wrold, (the West and the East), records shows that the males and females birth are almost equal in numbers, but the study of mortality shows that the rate is higer for men compared to women. This disparity is eveidence from ealry childhood to extremely old age. The proportionality of the higher number of women in society can be traced to a variety of causes, for instance when a war broke out, the majority of the casuality are the men:
- In Palestine, Israel has been killing mainly Muslim men and boys and has been wiping out the future.
- In the First World War (1914 - 1918), about eighty millions soldiers were killed, besides the most of civillian killed were also men.
- In the Second World War (1939 - 1945), about sixty million people were killed maimed for life, most of them were men.
- In Iraq - Iran (1979 - 1988) alone, 82, ooo Iranian and about 100,000 Iraqis women were left widowed.
- Another factor of drain of availability men in the society is imprisonment. In the United Stated of America and the most so-called civilized societies of modern times,, no less than 1.3 million of people are convicted daily for different crimes and 98% of the total ammount are men.
Above were few examples out of cauntless causes of men mortality, which leads to the number of women outnumber men. This difference persists in even the most developed societie e.g. the U.S, which in 1967, there were 7,100,000 more women than men. This mean even if every single men, in America got married, 7,100,000 women are left without a husband. This would lead to a situation where hundreds of thousands of women failed to find husbands for themselves and are thus, denied an honorable place in the society.
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At the end of the day, I discovered that polygamy, in essence, is a practical solutions to social problems as stated above (only during emergency, but is theren't - obviously it is unacceptable by natural mindset and framethinking). However, I admit and could not agreed more, to have more than one wife is not ideal in Islam and I realise that at the bottom of my heart, Monogamy, the state of being loyal and devote our lives to one mate is the best way to enjoy life.
So, there you have it peeps. Some personal idea from Isis Natasha's mind reagrding the topic of polygamy/monogamy. I believed that I also had briefly discuss on the explaination on every levels of perspective. Dont forget to vote me nah!
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posted by Isis Natasha @ 09:52
