Polygamy in UK is now acceptable, in some cases.
Even though state permission or validation is not required or desired, this is an interesting read.
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POLYGAMY IN UK
- Thread starter JudahYAHites
- Start date
Polygamy in UK is now acceptable, in some cases.
Even though state permission or validation is not required or desired, this is an interesting read.
Only if you're a Muslim.
Can you show where it says that?
Yep:
And what countries permit UK-acceptable legal polygamy?
Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Gabon, Guinea, India (for Muslims only), Indonesia (for Muslims only), Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya (for Muslims only), Malaysia (for Muslims only), Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria (for Muslims only), Oman, Pakistan (for Muslims only), Palestine, Philippines (for Muslims only), Qatar, Congo, Sao Tome, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore (for Muslims only), Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, UAE, and Yemen.
Notice a trend there?
That is a broad and wild assumption, Kenya is NOT a Muslim country and polygyny is legal. So your statement does not hold water. I could go on and on suffice to say that just because a country may have a large portion or a majority of mohammedans it does not mean that it is only muslims that have multiple wives. The majority of those multiple wife marriages are traditional marriages that have more sway than the government sanctioned marriage.
Also @MeganC I asked you to show me where it says only for muslims, where did you get that list from? because that list is NOT in that document.
Please show where in the document or a link in that document, not a "trend"
@YAHites is correct that the legislation does not limit this to Muslims.
While @MeganC is also correct that in practice almost all marriages recognised by this legislation will be Islamic. Remember that in countries that accept traditional polygamy - such as much of Africa - these marriages are generally not registered with the State. So they are permitted but not officially recorded. For a marriage to be recognised by this legislation, the UK government will require some sort of documentation. The vast majority of polygamous marriages likely to have official documentation will be Islamic.
This is a good piece of legislation, because it will help some families. Obviously it is very limited, but that does not mean it is worse than no such legislation.
While @MeganC is also correct that in practice almost all marriages recognised by this legislation will be Islamic. Remember that in countries that accept traditional polygamy - such as much of Africa - these marriages are generally not registered with the State. So they are permitted but not officially recorded. For a marriage to be recognised by this legislation, the UK government will require some sort of documentation. The vast majority of polygamous marriages likely to have official documentation will be Islamic.
This is a good piece of legislation, because it will help some families. Obviously it is very limited, but that does not mean it is worse than no such legislation.
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But is it?
If the new legislation only recognizes plural marriages from certain countries then it is taking a hard stance against the rest of them.
It does not only recognise plural marriages from certain countries. It simply means that the UK recognises all marriages officially recognised by other countries. That is normal for any government - get married in one country and you are treated as married when you travel. That is as it should be. This law ensures that recognition is extended to official, legal plural marriage, not just monogamy - which is also as it should be.
An example of a similar law is the fact that the age of consent in NZ is 16 - but there is an exception for anybody who is legally married. Now, the minimum legal marriage age in NZ is also 16, so that exception appears irrelevant. But the exception exists because legal marriages from other countries are recognised here, so if someone marries at 15 elsewhere where it is legal they can travel to NZ and not be arrested for having sex with their spouse. This is just normal, reasonable respect for the laws of other countries.
The UK has no control over which other countries choose to legally register plural marriages. It just so happens that most such countries are Islamic, but you can't blame the UK for that.
An example of a similar law is the fact that the age of consent in NZ is 16 - but there is an exception for anybody who is legally married. Now, the minimum legal marriage age in NZ is also 16, so that exception appears irrelevant. But the exception exists because legal marriages from other countries are recognised here, so if someone marries at 15 elsewhere where it is legal they can travel to NZ and not be arrested for having sex with their spouse. This is just normal, reasonable respect for the laws of other countries.
The UK has no control over which other countries choose to legally register plural marriages. It just so happens that most such countries are Islamic, but you can't blame the UK for that.