I do not think it would unless it is non consensual or a very young person is involved (as was the case in a recent U.S. case.) But these problems could exist in a two-person marriage as well.
Giving governments or international agencies too much power is dangerous. A well-meaning law could have terrible unintended consequences.
This is a great question. In a country like our own, polygamy is a sin. Even the Mormon Church has ruled against it, following "the law of the land." Currently, we have Warren Jeffs, a Mormon leader, convicted for "rape," for his activities in marrying off underage girls.
However, other countries participate in this practice. Osama bin Laden is said to have several wives and about 50 children. Many Middle Eastern countries indulge in plural marriages. Yet plural marriage is never listed by the UN as a human rights violation by any nation, including our own.
The problem is, in these countries, women have the status of property. They are like goats, just an asset to have around. Whether a man has a herd of cattle or a herd of wives, they are all just pieces of property, and he undoubtedly treats the cattle better than his wives.
Not only that, but his jealousy is such that these wives must swath themselves in shawls, veils and burkas to cover themselves from view, lest a strange man eyeball them and contaminate them forever. Such events often call for honor killing and, in Iraq, it is suspected that women held in such prisons as Abu Ghraib have later been killed. Efforts to locate these prisoners after release have been fruitless.
I don't think we should be more sensitive to cultural practices, but instead, we should speak out clearly against this abominable treatment of women. They dare not speak for themselves, but when a Saudi woman gets 200 lashes for sitting in a car with men without her "guardian's" permission, it is no time for silence.
Polygamy, Honor Killings, Burkas, Female Circumcision....all are barbaric tortures dreamed up by men to add to the misery of women. Every man is born of woman and should not begrudge them equality or respect.
Comments
I do not think it would unless it is non consensual or a very young person is involved (as was the case in a recent U.S. case.) But these problems could exist in a two-person marriage as well.
Giving governments or international agencies too much power is dangerous. A well-meaning law could have terrible unintended consequences.
This is a great question. In a country like our own, polygamy is a sin. Even the Mormon Church has ruled against it, following "the law of the land." Currently, we have Warren Jeffs, a Mormon leader, convicted for "rape," for his activities in marrying off underage girls.
However, other countries participate in this practice. Osama bin Laden is said to have several wives and about 50 children. Many Middle Eastern countries indulge in plural marriages. Yet plural marriage is never listed by the UN as a human rights violation by any nation, including our own.
The problem is, in these countries, women have the status of property. They are like goats, just an asset to have around. Whether a man has a herd of cattle or a herd of wives, they are all just pieces of property, and he undoubtedly treats the cattle better than his wives.
Not only that, but his jealousy is such that these wives must swath themselves in shawls, veils and burkas to cover themselves from view, lest a strange man eyeball them and contaminate them forever. Such events often call for honor killing and, in Iraq, it is suspected that women held in such prisons as Abu Ghraib have later been killed. Efforts to locate these prisoners after release have been fruitless.
I don't think we should be more sensitive to cultural practices, but instead, we should speak out clearly against this abominable treatment of women. They dare not speak for themselves, but when a Saudi woman gets 200 lashes for sitting in a car with men without her "guardian's" permission, it is no time for silence.
Polygamy, Honor Killings, Burkas, Female Circumcision....all are barbaric tortures dreamed up by men to add to the misery of women. Every man is born of woman and should not begrudge them equality or respect.
I don't see how it could, since it's a common practice in many countries, especially Islamic ones.