Polygamy in Russia: Myth or Reality?

Magomed Daudov, head of the administration of the head of Chechnya, spoke in favor of legalizing polygamy in Russian legislation.

The reason for the discussion was the wedding of 47-year-old policeman Najud Guchigov and 17-year-old Louise-Kheda Goilabiyeva last week.

According to media reports, Guchigova, presumably, already had a wife with whom he did not stop the relationship.

Daudov’s proposal gave rise to a discussion not only among State Duma deputies and religious leaders, but also became the most discussed topic in social networks.

Currently, Russian legislation does not provide for the possibility of entering into more than one marriage.

A 2006 poll showed that two-thirds of Russians would view the legalization of polygamy negatively. In 2015, 22% of respondents were in favor.

Meanwhile, in some countries, polygamy is not against the law: the current president of South Africa, for example, has eight wives, and the ex-king of Swaziland became the record holder - he had 70 wives.

In law

Magomed Daudov, in an interview with Gazeta.Ru, said: “I’m not sitting as a deputy now, but it would be nice if polygamy were legalized. But just so that everything is in accordance with Sharia: if a man can support another wife, then why not? This is common, which means it would be nice to regulate it somehow.”

Internet users reacted with irony:

Photo: social network

This is not the first time that Russia supports polygamy. Attempts to legalize polygamy were made in different regions of the country.

Back in 2006, the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, spoke in favor of the official resolution of polygamy in the republic. LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky also spoke in favor of this.

State Assembly deputy Edward Murzin came up with the same initiative in Bashkiria. “We don’t have enough normal men, there aren’t enough ladies for everyone. That’s why the birth rate is low—few people dare to raise a child without a husband,” said the deputy.

And in the early 2000s, the President of Ingushetia, Ruslan Aushev, made a sweeping gesture to allow polygamy in the republic, despite the ban contained in federal legislation. Soon, Ingush men were again deprived of the opportunity to “have” several wives.

The blogosphere has criticized recent attempts to return to the conversation about the legalization of polygamy. It was even discussed that the State Duma may consider a bill introducing criminal liability for this violation of the law. But the rumors were refuted by the head of the family, women and children committee, Elena Mizulina.

Photo: social network

“This is ridiculous, because the reason is not the absence of a criminal law, but the fact that there are not enough men, perhaps men with whom women would like to start a family and have children,” Mizulina said, adding that in one situation laws are not passed.

In religion

The Koran allows men to have several wives, if a person is willing to bear responsibility for them.

According to the statement of the first deputy chairman of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia, Damira-hazrat Mukhetdinov, lately polygamy in the Muslim environment has become common, not only in the Caucasus, but also in the European part of Russia.

The representative of the Russian Orthodox Church, Vsevolod Chaplin, believes that both the legalization of polygamy and the introduction of criminal penalties for it are aimed at destroying the traditional family.

“Of course, in our tradition, there is one wife, in sorrow and in joy together. But even in the Russian Empire, different peoples lived in their own way, and different rules were allowed,” Chaplin explained.

In social networks, in response, they propose to legalize at the same time polyandry (or multi-man):

Photo: social network

Famous polygamists

 

Polygamy is not allowed in all Muslim countries. It is prohibited by law in Turkey, Tunisia and Algeria.

For remarriage in Iran, the consent of the first wife is necessary. In Iraq, Morocco, Pakistan and Syria, you need to obtain permission from the authorities.

In the US, polygamy has been banned since 1882, in France, with 1993, but the state makes an exception for migrants.

Among the famous polygamists is South African President Jacob Zuma: he has eight wives (five are official). And the king of Swaziland Sobhuz II had, according to various estimates, to 70 wives, who gave birth to his 67 sons.

One of them, Mswati III, the next king of Swaziland, imposed a ban on sex with minors in the country due to the escalation of the AIDS crisis. Just a week after that, the king made his eighth wife a minor girl and fined himself a cow.

Recent studies by Arab scholar Amin Dauhal show that men who have polygamous marriages have four times the risk of narrowing of the coronary vessels than those who have one wife.