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| Britain |
| BBC: UK Polygamy law set for challenge |
| 2006-03-20 |
| Polygamy law set for challenge Muslims in Britain are to challenge UK law which forbids husbands from having more than one wife. They say they will refer Britain's ban on polygamous marriage to the European Court of Human Rights this autumn. Under Islamic law a man is allowed to have up to four wives, but the Muslim Parliament of Britain WTF? says that many families are being forced to live outside the law because their polygamous marriages are not recognised here. There are no official figures on the number of people practising polygamy in Britain, but it's estimated that there may be hundreds. One British Muslim wife suffering as a result of polygamy is Sameera, whose 55-year-old husband took up a second wife after 30 years of marriage. He married a 26-year-old cousin in January, whilst on holiday in Pakistan, without Sameera's knowledge or consent. Maybe this isn't such a bad idea... Told by her in-laws she says she was devastated, but feels she has no choice but to accept the situation. "I just fainted when I first heard," says Sameera. "The fact that he's married such a young girl, a girl old enough to be his daughter. I cried and cried and felt like my mind was exploding. It felt like the ground had just fallen from under me, why did he do it? It shouldn't happen." Although Islam allows a man to marry up to four wives, he can only do so if his first wife is infertile, or if he marries women who are considered social outcasts. It is not, as many believe, meant to be for the sexual gratification of men. Oh, no no no. The Prophet (PTUI) would never allow that. No, never. The Prophet (PTUI) is pleased to note that 9 year old girls are universally seen as social outcasts. Heh. Noshaba Hussein from the Muslim Parliament "I am aware that this practice is taking place in Britain and there are couples who are quite happy and satisfied with their relationship and they would like it to carry on and be protected by law." The police say there is little they can do. Colin Cramphorn from the Association of Chief Police Officers says he finds cases like Sameera's disturbing, but he believes that politicians need to clarify the law. "Clearly those communities that have a tradition which allows polygamous marriage have a point of view and they are keen to have that point of view taken into account and recognised as part of a multi-cultural society," says Mr Cramphorn. "But of course if the law is equivocal, as it currently is, then that prevents all of us achieving the kind of clarity that would no doubt be helpful in the longer term." What's equivocal about one man, one woman? Come October, when the Human Rights Act comes into force, British law on such matters will be open to challenges, under article eight of the act which says everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life. Noshaba Huseein says that if the government refuses to accept the legality of polygamous marriages then the Muslim parliament will take it to the European court of human rights. "There will be a need to do something much more, in the way of a campaign, if there is a denial of rights and certainly people will be taking actions to the European court to ensure that we have the rights of freedom of religion." The issue of polygamy encapsulates the debate over whether minorities have the right to follow their own customs or conform to established Judaeo Christian values. The bishop of Rochester, Dr Nazir Ali, believes the government should not succumb to such pressures. "I don't think that polygamy should be enshrined in law because it will affect the mutual love and companionship that a marriage needs and it will also affect the stability of the family," says Dr Ali. But Noshaba Hussein warns that if the government continues to overlook their demands they could end up losing ethnic minority votes. "Muslims are very strong supporters of the Labour government," she says. "So far I think we've been getting a relatively rough deal and maybe it will be reflected in the polls." We'll vote Tory. That'll teach 'em. |
| Posted by:Nimble Spemble |
| #9 --Told by her in-laws she says she was devastated, but feels she has no choice but to accept the situation.-- Time to use UK law and take him for everything he's got. Let's see if the bimbette wants to stay w/him then. Put me on the jury. |
| Posted by: anonymous2u 2006-03-20 20:34 |
| #8 Tell me, what in the damned hell is the British Muslim Parliament? You Brits better round these asshats up and ship them out fast. |
| Posted by: SOP35/Rat 2006-03-20 18:26 |
| #7 My favorite is a pig in a house = a home. |
| Posted by: Thisn anon 2006-03-20 17:10 |
| #6 There's a reason the Chinese ideogram for "trouble" is "two women under one roof"... |
| Posted by: mojo 2006-03-20 12:57 |
| #5 There are current legal challenges to this in the US right now as well. Powerline had a write up about this a few days ago. |
| Posted by: 2b 2006-03-20 12:23 |
| #4 Lol, 90% of the men on the planet can't keep one woman happy - I think they're going to need that "it's okay to beat your Or does that go without saying? *wink wink, nudge nudge.* |
| Posted by: Spugum Sherens5365 2006-03-20 10:58 |
| #3 Hopefully, they will simultaneously incorporate into that same new law a prize for the losing first wife-a really long, really sharp, serrated knife and a bottle of sedatives. "Honey, you've had such a hard day at work-here's some tea. Why don't you have a nice lie-down?" |
| Posted by: Jules 2006-03-20 10:45 |
| #2 bet the BBC are thinking 'yeah sht hot lets let em marry there cousins and brothers' ,typical of that dumbfck cooperation to start shouting about in glee about this. I'm getting to the point of getting myself armed up and going on a rampage through that damned BBC t.v centre they fck me off so much with there constant pathetic transparent muslims are great bullshit! and as for this 'Muslim parlament of britain' - its the first i've heard but rest assured it'll be running half of the U.K soon the way things are going and the BBC will trumpet them as a wonderfull caring bunch as always. Sickening stuff. I wanna move and move outa the UK fast because this is just to much for any sane human beings! |
| Posted by: ShepUK 2006-03-20 09:40 |
| #1 Ask Sameera if she thinks her hubby up and marrying his niece is a rought deal. Bet those kiddies will be fine, upstanding examplars of islamist foaming. |
| Posted by: Thinemp Whimble2412 2006-03-20 09:10 |