'Make polygamy compulsory': Twitter debates state-enforced multiple marriage
Rather than debating the social and religious implications of polygamy, a trending hashtag, which translates to "let polygamy be compulsory" asks the state directly gets involved in marital affairs.
2 min read
23 Oct, 2017
![Saudi marriage [Getty]](https://www.newarab.com/sites/default/files/media/images/BFA72BE0-DF6B-4CCA-9BC7-EDD108AAAE0F.jpg "Saudi marriage [Getty]")
Marriage is often a topic that is widely debated on Arab social media [Getty]
The subject of marriage has consumed the Arab Twittersphere yet again, with a trending hashtag demanding that states make it compulsory for men to marry more than one wife.
Polygamy is not nescessarily a taboo subject in the Arab world. It is often discussed through various heated debates with polarising viewpoint holders passionately arguing their case.
Just recently, a debate sparked after an Egyptian woman attended the wedding of her husband and his second wife.
In September, a psychologist in the UAE had even developed a programme to help women accept being a second wife, comparing a woman who is angry when a man marries another to a first-born child feeling left out when a new sibling arrives.
Religious arguments are always brought in, with Muslims debating the context surrounding men being allowed to marry four women in Islam.
But in this case, rather than debating the social and religious implications of polygamy, the hashtag, which directly translates to "let polygamy be compulsory", asks that the state directly gets involved in marital affairs.
Naturally, the suggestion sparked a lot of anger:
Someone had even compared a man with four wives to a photo of a lion with four lionesses standing by his side
Translation: I wonder what kind of a message the photographer intended to give with this photo
While others didn't really mind as much
Translation: I believe in polygamy because this is the law of Allah
Gender equality was also on the agenda
In the midst of the heated debate, this Twitter user took to the hashtag to express his love for his own wife *aww*
Polygamy is not nescessarily a taboo subject in the Arab world. It is often discussed through various heated debates with polarising viewpoint holders passionately arguing their case.
Just recently, a debate sparked after an Egyptian woman attended the wedding of her husband and his second wife.
In September, a psychologist in the UAE had even developed a programme to help women accept being a second wife, comparing a woman who is angry when a man marries another to a first-born child feeling left out when a new sibling arrives.
Religious arguments are always brought in, with Muslims debating the context surrounding men being allowed to marry four women in Islam.
But in this case, rather than debating the social and religious implications of polygamy, the hashtag, which directly translates to "let polygamy be compulsory", asks that the state directly gets involved in marital affairs.
Naturally, the suggestion sparked a lot of anger:
Twitter Post
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Twitter Post
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While others didn't really mind as much
Twitter Post
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Gender equality was also on the agenda
Twitter Post
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Twitter Post
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