NOM BLOG

How to Handle Polygamy? Consertative Party-Run British Government Ponders Recognizing Sharia Marriages

 

Paul Goodman writes for The Tory Diary:

The Government may recognise polygamous shariah marriages. The suggestion is contained in a discussion paper for the Government's draft integration strategy, which is in front of me as I write.  The paper for an internal "Integration and Tolerance Working Group", titled "Creating the conditions for integration", says:

"Similarly, religious marriage is not recognised by the State unless you choose for it to be so.  This leaves an individual who enters into religious marriages unprotected if their partner enters a second or third religious marriage.  This can be remedied by requiring both religious marriages and religious divorces to be registered with civil authorities.  Likewise, there could be a duty on anyone conducting religious marriages and divorces to register with the state."

Although this language doesn't specifically cite Islamic marriages, it clearly refers to them, since no other mainstream faith allows a person to enter into more than a single marriage at one time.  Under Islamic law, a man is permitted up to four wives.

... It also labels the Catholic Church and evangelical groups "illiberal", citing gay adoption and the case of Peter and Hazelmary Bull, who refused to allow a gay couple to stay in their hotel.  It refers to "faith groups who are not consumed by ideologies that preach hatred/destruction but have conscentious beliefs that are illiberal".

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