Russia’s top Islamic body withdraws fatwa that allowed men to have four wives

-

by WION


The Islamic body issued a fatwa, or religious ruling, earlier on Dec 17 outlining circumstances under which Muslim men can have more than one wife. The document said a Muslim man could have four wives if “equal material support” and separate living spaces were guaranteed to all.


People walk near a mosque named after the Prophet Mohammed Photograph:(Reuters)


Russia’s top Islamic body has reversed a ruling allowing Muslim men to have multiple wives. The move came after the move by the Council of Scholars of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia triggered a backlash on social media, as officials pointed out how the ruling didn’t conform to Russian laws.

Polygamy is outlawed in Russia and goes against “our core morals and traditional values,” said Nina Ostanina, the head of the parliamentary family affairs committee.

The Islamic body earlier on Dec 17 issued a fatwa, or religious ruling, outlining conditions and circumstances under which Muslim men can have more than one wife. The document said a Muslim man could have four wives if “equal material support” is guaranteed to all, along with separate living space. One of the conditions was that the husband will have to give “an equal amount of time” to each of them.

The main condition for allowing polygamy is a fair and equal treatment of all wives by their husband,” the document said. It acknowledged that “religious Islamic marriage is not recognized by the state and creates no legal consequences,” stressing that the fatwa “does not replace the norms of Russian marital law.”

Soon after the document became public, it was severely condemned by officials as well as Russian commoners. Russian state-backed outlet RT quoted Kirill Kabanov, a member of the presidential Human Rights Council, as accusing the Islamic body of brazenly violating Russia’s constitution.

On Monday (Dec 23), the Islamic body was notified by the Prosecutor General’s Office that the ruling was essentially unlawful and it went against “the state family policies.” Soon after, the body said it was withdrawing its document allowing polygamy, citing backlash from the public and the official order.

“It is God’s will. The Council of Scholars sees no sense in joining a debate on the matter,” the council’s chairman, Shamil Alyautdinov, wrote on Telegram.

It is to be noted that Muslims make up for around 10 per cent of Russia’s total population, with the highest concentration in regions like Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia in the North Caucasus, and Tatarstan and Bashkortostan in western Russia.


BY WION

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

United States grand jury indicts Nigerian Catholic priest on three felony sexual assault charges

-
Image
  Anthony Odiong is accused of sexual assault by at least eight women whom the priest had been counseling Ramon Antonio Vargas The criminal case that authorities are building against a Roman Catholic priest accused of preying on women whom he met while working in south-east Louisiana and Texas is progressing, with a grand jury in the latter state indicting him on three felony sexual assault charges. Anthony Odiong, 55, faces two counts of second-degree sexual assault as well as one of first-degree sexual assault in the charges handed up against him recently in the McLennan county, Texas, state court. The charges against Odiong – who was first arrested in July – involve two women. He could receive up to life imprisonment if convicted of the first-degree charge, a stiffer penalty that stems from the fact that the alleged victim in the case was a woman whom Odiong was prohibited from “marrying or purporting to marry” under Texas law. The second-degree counts each carry up to 20 years ...
Read more

More Confusion over alleged death of Rochas Okorocha in London Hospital

-
Image
(IdomaVoice) Many people are currently in confusion following a viral report alleging the death of former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha. Reports claimed that Okorocha passed away in a London hospital, allegedly suffering from “acute gorilla,” a supposed condition affecting urination that causes severe health complications. The report quickly went viral on social media platforms, with many mourning the renowned philanthropist. However, Dr. Ebere Nzewuji, Media Aide to former Governor Rochas Okorocha, refuted the rumors, describing them as a “fake viral message” that began circulating on social media on the evening of Wednesday, November 6, 2024. Dr. Nzewuji confirmed that, at the time of the rumors, Senator Okorocha was present at his office in Unity House, Garki, Abuja, engaged in his regular activities. The development has left many people, especially supporters of the former governor, confused.   Credit:  IdomaVoice
Read more

Flashback! Man marries his own mother after impregnating her

-
Image
  woman married her own son in Zimbabwe.  The woman and her son claim to be in love with each other and they decided to take their relationship to the next level and get married considering that the mother, Betty Mbereko (from Mwenezi in Masvingo) is now six months pregnant and expecting her son’s child, and her grandchild. Mbereko, 40, has been a widow for the past 12 years and has been living with her 23-years-old son Farai Mbereko. She confirmed that she is six months pregnant and that she has decided it is better to “marry” her son because she does not want to marry her late husband’s young brothers, whom she says are coveting her. Betty stunned a village court last week when she said the affair with her son had begun three years earlier. She said after spending a lot of money sending Farai to school following the death of her husband, she felt she had a right to his money and no other woman was entitled to it. “Look, I struggled alone to send my son to school and no one h...
Read more