A Saudi woman demands Polyandry

Years ago, I read about someone asking Imam Abu Hanifa about why a woman was not allowed to have more than one husband. He asked his daughter (Hanifa) and she is reported to have said, “If she has more than one husband, how can anyone explain whose child it is that she has borne?” So the great Imam (who is followed by most Sunni Muslims) explained that this was the reason why Islam forbade a woman to be married to more than one man. Now a Saudi woman in Egypt has asked why polyandry (the custom of women having more than one husband) should not be allowed, since DNA testing is now easily available to determine parenthood.

Most people may not be aware that polyandry has been practiced in many places throughout history. It is still the custom for a woman to have more than one husband in certain parts of Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan and even in India. No one knows why the practice originated, although it may have been found necessary in societies where the number of men outnumbered the women. In Pakistan today, for instance, there are 106 men for every 100 women, which means that half a million Pakistani males will never be able to marry (unless they marry men or go to other countries to find marriage partners). In the Middle East (particularly the U.A.E.), the number of men in most countries is much more than the number of women.

What would happen if a mysterious disease struck women only and there would be only one woman for two men? I know that the Abrahamic religions (to which Islam belongs) strictly forbid polyandry. Would the priests, rabbis and mullahs then get together and allow women to have more than one husband?

This article at GulfNews covers more on this.


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15 responses to “A Saudi woman demands Polyandry”

  1. Ali I Avatar
    Ali I

    Traditionally, barring a few countries like India and Pakistan there has been, and still continues to be a high female to male ratio naturally.

    Countries like India and Pakistan, still have large amounts of female infanticide being carried out, because of which men outnumber women.

    So if I were rational I would target the cause not try to iron out the effect. However, with the advent, and down the line expected increased liberty of couple’s to choose the sex of their children, this problem might become more pronounced. We can have the mullahs deal with it then, they already have enough on their plates right now.

    And since I am lazy, I will appreciate if another reader underscores or cuts my argument with relevant facts and figures.

    Regards,

    An ordinary Pakistani stuck in Sydney

  2. Mohammad Yusha Avatar

    @Haider: Calling someone a jahil is worse than calling someone a kafir??? LOL! So I was correct in calling in calling you a jahil, wasn’t I? By the way, who gave you the “license” to call a Muslim a kafir? I didn’t call anyone a jahil because of some “random post” written by a “random person.” I came across the garbage you and people who follow the your ideology wrote.

  3. haider Avatar
    haider

    @Shakir Lakhani i know what secularism is and you are secular mind under the veil of muslim and thats not the reply of i was expecting of my previous comment please read my comment again and consider. @Yusha you used more worst wordings than kaafir, like jaahil wahabi and all that crap and who gave you the license to call some one jaahil or whatever without any knowledge or experience because you came across some post made by some random person who called himself wahabi and you started your gibberish talk and your replies now are all nonsense.

  4. Shakir Lakhani Avatar

    @ Haider: for God’s sake, please stop writing in English. You don’t even know the meaning of secularism. Stick to the language which you spoke at home when you were trying to grow up.

  5. Mohammad Yusha Avatar

    @Haider: When did I ever call a wahhabi a kafir? In fact, it is you who called me a kafir. Your lies and hypocrisy is out there for everyone to see. Continue making a fool of yourself. I am enjoying the show.

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