Related
Advertisements *
Elsewhere
Subscribe: RSS
RNB's RSS feed What is this? |
Subscribe: Email
![]() |
![]() Subscribe by Email What is this? |
Most Popular
- “The Family” and its hijacking of Evangelicalism
- Pakistani lawmaker defends burying women alive
- Benny Hinn runs lucrative operation
- Muslims’ holy month of fasting starts
- Muslim radiographer loses job after refusing to bare her arms
- Katie Holmes to face anti-Scientology protestors
- Mexican police suspect that heads burned in ritual
- Pagans pray to goddess Athena in rare gathering at the Parthenon
- Father of ‘faith healing’ victim renews call to dismiss homicide charge
- UK: Hate preacher Abu Qatada’s bail conditions under review after his meeting with car bomb extremist
Indonesia considering widening polygamy ban after popular preacher takes second wife
Indonesia is considering banning ministers, lawmakers and other government officials from practicing polygamy after the country’s most popular Islamic preacher took a second wife, sparking renewed debate about the practice.
There are no plans to outlaw polygamy all together in the world’s most populous Muslim nation.
Currently, men are only allowed to have a second wife if his first is an invalid, terminally ill or infertile. The regulation, however, is rarely enforced and most commentators say the practice is becoming more common.
Woman’s Affairs Minister Meutia Hatta said Tuesday that a 1983 law forbidding civil servants from polygamy — passed by then-dictator Suharto, reportedly under pressure from his wife — could be expanded to included ministers, parliamentarians and governors, among others.
The move comes after charismatic preacher and television personality, Aa Gym, who had a strong female following and often preached about family values, announced that he had taken a second wife.
The preacher’s move has been discussed extensively on gossip shows and in magazines, with the coverage uniformly negative, and female activists and liberal Islamic clerics have expressed disappointment.
Islam permits a man to have four wives, though some Muslim countries ban or prohibit the practice.
No statistics are kept on how common polygamy is in Indonesia, though with the downfall of dictator Suharto in 1998 the practice has become more open.
Banning polygamy outright would likely face opposition from conservatives, who would see the move as a further secularization of Indonesia, where 90 percent of the 220 million people are Muslim.
Like this story?
Today's Most Popular Articles |
|
Share this
To share this page simply copy and paste one of these URL's:
Article and Site Tools
» PermaLink to: Indonesia considering widening polygamy ban after popular preacher takes second wife Need a shorter link? You can remove everything after the final / » More news articles + news archive on Polygamy » More religion and cult news Subscribe (RSS / Email) [What is RSS?] » RSS News Feed - All Topics: Religion News Blog RSS Feed » RSS News Feed - Single Topic: Polygamy » Headlines by Email: Daily Religion News Blog Headlines |
More Article Tools
Bookmark / Tag: Del.icio.us Bookmark / Tag: Furl Save this article Email this article Print this article [Temporarily out of order] More Information Books about Polygamy Relevant books (and other goodies) |
About Religion News Blog
Religion News Blog (RNB), published by Apologetics Index, highlights news items and other resources on world religions, cults, religious sects, alternative religions and related issues. RNB's non-profit news clipping service is used by - among others - Christian apologists, countercult professionals, anticult organizations, cult experts, teachers, religion professionals, reporters and other researchers.



