Is Polygamy Legal in Middle East

Odeh argued that Israeli authorities want to restrict polygamy in order to reduce the Bedouin birth rate and tip the demographic balance in favor of Jews. However, in sub-Saharan Africa, polygamy is practiced in a group of West and Central African countries, sometimes referred to as the “polygamy belt” – and this includes Muslim-majority countries such as Senegal, Gambia and Mali, as well as Christian-majority countries such as Cameroon, Central African Republic and Benin.23 Note: This page was last updated on 7 June 2020 at 16:14 BST, clarifying that polygamy has been technically illegal in Israel since 1977. This chapter deals with living conditions in each region and within the major religious groups, if they are sufficiently represented. The data in this report covers 91% of the world`s population, or at least 85% of the population of any major religious group. But groups are unevenly distributed around the world, and the number of religious groups compared in each region varies, reflecting the global distribution of religions and the variation in sample sizes of source surveys. For more details on data sources and coverage, see Methodology. In Africa, Christian missionaries who arrived in the 18th century targeted the indigenous practice of polygamy as a priority for reform, and marriage became a point of conflict.30 Studies have shown that these efforts have often been successful and that polygamy in Africa has declined over the past century. especially in countries influenced by Christian missionaries. according to James Fenske, an economist at the University of Warwick. However, many Christian churches of non-Western origin allow polygamy, which may help explain its continued prevalence in some Christian communities.31 In some African countries, polygamy is illegal under civil law, but still permitted under customary law, in which acts traditionally accepted by a particular culture are considered legally permitted. This arguably confusing loophole leads to two types of marriages: “civil” marriages and “habitual” or “religious” marriages, and allows countries like Liberia, Malawi, and Sierra Leone to allow and even support polygamous marriages without formally recognizing them. Asam added: “This type of marriage aims to deceive the NII into making it pay social benefits to these extended families.

The main reason for the use of this marriage is to circumvent the Israeli law prohibiting polygamy, which provides for a prison sentence and a fine. Some countries that have banned polygamy may still recognize polygamous marriages from other countries. For example, Sweden recognizes polygamous marriages contracted abroad. Switzerland has banned polygamy, but polygamous marriages contracted in another country are dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Australia recognizes polygamous marriages in other countries only in certain circumstances. Many countries that allow polygamy have Muslim majorities, and the practice is rare in many of them. Less than 1% of Muslim men live with more than one spouse in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran and Egypt – all countries where the practice is legal, at least for Muslims. Polygamy is also legal in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and other neighboring countries, but they were not included in the study due to data limitations. Muslim adherents of polygamy often quote Quranic verse 4:3, which commands men to take as many wives as they can provide, up to four, and they also point out that the Prophet Muhammad had several wives. Historians have noted that Islamic guidelines on polygamy were issued in the midst of the wars in Arabia in the seventh century, when there were many widows and orphans in need of financial support, and that polygamy created a system in which they had to be treated.

To date, polygamy is more common in places where people, and especially men, tend to die young. In other parts of the world, including parts of the Middle East and Asia, polygamy is legal but not widespread. And in some countries – particularly in a segment of West and Central Africa known as polygamy belts – the practice is often legal and widespread. Group marriage is an umbrella term for marriages involving multiple husbands as well as multiple wives. Polyamory is the practice of having multiple romantic relationships, with all parties having complete knowledge and giving full consent. Not related to marriage. Polygeny is the (outdated) theory that the different races of humanity evolved from different ancestral groups. This term has nothing to do with polygamy, but is sometimes confused with “polygyny”, so it is included here for clarity. It was also highly politicized, with Israel targeting the practice and suppressing it in its Arab and Muslim communities, primarily as a method of reducing growing Arab demographics while allowing Israeli Jews to raise Jewish demographics. However, according to the law, polygamy has been illegal in Israel since 1977, although the authorities have largely turned a blind eye to the practice.

The history and theology surrounding polygamy are complex. Taking multiple spouses – especially wives – has at some point been approved in various religions and practiced to some extent. The data on the prevalence of polygamous households was part of a Pew Research Center report on household composition by religion around the world. Not all people who practice polygamy live in polygamous households. Sometimes two or more wives of the same man each have their own home. Details of the categories of household types can be found in the methodology. Details of polygamy laws around the world can be found from the OECD Development Centre and the UN Human Rights Office. In Christianity, the Roman Catholic Church condemns polygamy, as do most Protestant churches. However, the Lutheran Church accepts some polygamists and the Anglican Communion decided in 1988 that polygamy was permitted in certain circumstances. A report by the Chief Justice Ministry, an independent government agency directly linked to the Prime Minister`s Office, says 30,538 polygamy contracts have been registered over the past five years among the 402,088 prenuptial agreements in Jordan.

A 2018 survey by the Sisterhood is Global Institute Jordan found that most husbands hide the existence of another marriage from their first wives. The survey, which looked at men and women between the ages of 15 and 49, found that 4 percent of women surveyed said their husbands had more than one wife, but only 1 percent of men admitted to polygamy. Polygamy, the practice of taking more than one wife, is legal in the religion of Islam and its legal status differs between Muslim-majority countries. Although it is legal in the Arab Gulf States, it is illegal in other countries such as Turkey and Tunisia, and the practice has long been debated and is called the women`s rights issue. Overall, the proportion of all sub-Saharan Africans living in polygamous households is 11%. In six countries – Burkina Faso, Mali, Gambia, Niger, Nigeria and Guinea – at least a quarter of the population lives in polygamous houses.26 Polygamy is at least partially legal in all of these countries. In Nigeria, polygamy is prohibited by civil law, but 12 northern states subject to Sharia law allow it. [27] Odeh, a member of the Bedouin tribe who refused to reveal his full name for fear of legal consequences, told Al-Monitor: “I chose this type of unofficial marriage to prevent my first wife from losing Israeli National Insurance benefits. I wanted a second spouse to expand my family. Our tribe values large families and polygamy, although in some cases a second wife without the consent of the first would cause various family problems that could lead to divorce. His first wife initially rejected his new relationship, but eventually accepted it to avoid divorce.