Iranian women fight controversial ‘polygamy’ bill
The controverisal 'polygamy' bill would reduce Iranian women's rights even further.
© Al Mak/Demotix
On a summer night in 2008, the wives of some Iranian members of Parliament started receiving phone calls.
“Would you mind if I married your husband – just for a week?” asked the female voice on the end of the line.
The callers argued that taking another wife is a Muslim man’s right. By allowing it, the MPs’ wives would be performing a good Islamic deed. Some of the wives hung up in shock.
But marrying the MPs was the last thing the callers actually wanted. In reality, they were women’s rights activists opposed to a controversial “Family Protection Bill” which the Iranian government proposed in 2007.
The activists say they discovered that at least 65 male members of the country’s 290-strong parliament had two or more wives. This is despite the fact that polygamy contravenes the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which Iran has ratified. Article 23 stipulates that states must ensure that men and women have equal rights when marrying or at the dissolution of marriage. More Here ... Amnesty International
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