Polygamy, Islam and UK Law

I'm sure everyone has seen the new law allowing Islamic followers to have polygamous relationships. Now firstly i must say i think that people should be allowed to live in whatever way they wish that doesn't harm someone else. Polygamy is fine as far as i'm concerned, not the way i'd live but each to their own.

My real problem is how one group is being given special laws, we are all supposed to be equals and yet we're told now that muslims will be allowed to follow different rules. Everyone must follow the same laws otherwise we will have a system of anarchy. Maybe i should start a religion that says it's against the rules to pay taxes, i'm sure i would get many many followers in a matter of days.

The point is each person in this country has to follow the same laws, unless you're a muslim. There are of course courts for say the Jewish faith, but these courts don't break UK law from what i have read.

If you move to a country that has different laws to your reliigion then you should still obey the countries laws, if you are born here then you still must follow the laws. If i moved to China tomorrow then i would follow their laws to the letter.

Either it's ok for us all or it's not, plain and simple.

Link to an article about this.

www.telegraph.co.uk.../news/2008/02/03/nbenefit103.xml

The principle of this is that those who follow the Islamic faith are being treated different to others, letting religion seep into British law is dangerous especially when it appears that one group in particular is being favoured over other groups. Each religion should be treated the same, being protected by British law but also having to live by it.

An interesting point put across in the Telegraph comments is that a Muslim man can only have more than one wife as long as he is able to support them which in truth I think in these polygamous marriages the husband is breaching the Qu'ran as the state is helping to support his wives rather than him supporting them alone. Although having never studied the Qu'ran I don't know whether these claims are correct or not.

I don't like the idea of polygamy on any grounds - it seems to be pretty disrespectful to women (and women can't have multiple husbands).

UK Wizard raises a very important issue - religion is seeping into our law. As I said in another thread recently, they should be wholly secular laws with all religions, races, classes and other groups treated equally. No special dispensations. There is no valid reason for a Muslim male to have more than one wife - preventing this is not seriously harming his right to follow his religion, and let's remember that this is Britain; polygamy has never been legal here as far as I recall. Why should it be introduced now?

Well i don't think polygamy is disrespectful at all. There are some natural relationships that aren't one man and one women. Some couples life together in polygamy, 2 women, 2 men. It works for them so i say allow it, it's all abot freedom of choice. There is no valid reason to prevent polygamy as long as all parties are consenting then let it happen.

Whatever makes you happy should be allowed as long as it doesn't hurt another person, and if polygamy works for some people then obviously it's not hurting them. I support polygyamy on both sides, multiple husbands for women, and multiple wifes for men if they so wish.

Wouldn't want it myself though, one girl at a time is enough trouble

The whole problem i have is not actually the polygamy, it is merely that one group is being given special treatment. This will lead to jelousy from many sides both religious and none religious. This will eventually inflame to the point where we see a great deal of violence in my opinion. People are very stupid and will see islam as the problem instead of our pandering government.

Riots will happen, i truly hope i'm wrong but i don't think i am. People don't like being treated unequally, it's been shown throughout history. The sad thing is that some people may turn it into a race issue and once that ball gets rolling it's hard to stop.

reply to post by UK Wizard

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you are right
as long as one can support his off springs and his wifes
then it is fine but if he cannt then that breaches the Quran its self.

Can I ask your opinion on this bodrul mate?

Would people be so or get so uptight about this if the label was 'Mormon' instead of 'Islam'
(or some other tiny fraction of society that might indulge in this sort of thing)?

reply to post by sminkeypinkey

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Absolutely. As I said, I think polygamy is wrong - it's a completely arcane concept that should be relegated to history, not encouraged in any modern, forward-looking nation.

Actually I don't disagree with you Ste2652 I just think there are more serious issues going on a hell of a lot more of the time to be concerned about.

(I'm just waiting for someone to come in and start moaning about how 'they' are getting away with something 'we' couldn't......like more than 1 wife would be a plus or something! )

IIRC nobody's religious leanings affect criminal law, you cannot get simultaneously married several times here in the UK, although if you are polygamously married from a country that practices or recognises polygamy then it will be accepted if you come here after the event.
That's not quite the same thing as saying 'one rule for them and another for the rest of us'.


[edit on 15-3-2008 by sminkeypinkey]

I disagree i think it is a seperate rule based on religous belief, i woud be as angry if it were mormons doing this, i have no issue with islam as a religion adn i'm not buying into the tabloid obsession of blaiming islam at every curve.

I do however think it's wrong to allow any religious group special excemptions from the law, even if they com here after having married multiple women. In that case they shouldn't come here, and that isn't a race or anti religion thing is simply simply asking someone to obey the laws of the country they are emigrating to. For this very reason i wouldn't move to any country that i wouldn't follow the laws of.

I support polygamy, simply becuase i can't see what issue people have with it other than a religous ideal against it. To me it seems perfectly natural, although again i don't think i could cope with more than one woman myself. It should however be polygamy for all and not polygamy for one or two groups whilst it's illegal for the rest of us.

[edit on 15-3-2008 by ImaginaryReality1984]

There's no good reason for a corrupted-government to make laws for people, who they don't even care to comfort & support throughout their lives. Religion & common folks are too complicated for governments of this world to understand and control.

Who truly has the ability to make something truly legal or illegal for the people of any nation?

The governments of this world don't have the right or ability to make anything absolutely right or wrong to do (legal or illegal). They seem to intend to control peoples' minds & bodies. The world's governments never could/can't/and never will control people (christian, muslim or other-minded people).

my personal Opinion, i think its Bonkers
who in their right mind would want more then one wife?

Can one imagine what hassle one would get?
having to please more then 1?