Jancis M. AndrewsMar 18th, 2009 - 13:11:55

So Indonesia's marriage laws allow for polygamy with the first wife's permission? That's deceptive. Qu'ran 4:34 allows a husband to beat his wife if she disobeys him on his third request for her to behave as he wishes. (She does not have the same permission to beat him!) What happens when the man twice asks his wife to let him take a second 'wife' (in reality, a concubine) and she refuses because from the bottom of her heart she does not want to share her husband and home with another woman? According to Qu'ran 4:34 he is now entitled to beat her into submission. Most women, when faced with a beating, will agree to whatever a husband wishes. Polygamy is an ancient selfish patriarchal practice come down to us from the time when women were mere chattels and had no rights. It should have been dumped into the garbage can of history years ago. Concubines and harems have no place in the modern world.

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