My Four Husbands and I:" Saudi Journalist Argues Women Should Have Right to Practice Polygamy Like M

[Mari333]

The headline "My Four Husbands and I" would give any reader a moments pause. In an Egyptian paper? A moments pause, condemnation, and fury (and just a little bit of praise from a select few like me).

Such was the response to Saudi journalist Nadine Bedair's controversial article published in the Egyptian independent daily Al Masry Al Youm that argues women, like men, should have the right practice polygamy.

If Muslim men are entitled to marry up to four wives, why can't women have four husbands? Bedair dares to ask.

"I have long questioned why it is men have a monopoly on this right. No one has been able to explain to me convincingly why it is I'm deprived of the right to polyandry," says Bedair.





http://www.care2.com/causes/womens-rights/blog/my-four-husbands-and-i-saudi-journalist-argues-women-should-have-right-to-practice-polygamy-like-men/

[dflprincess]

1. When a woman is married to more than one man it's "polyandry"

though personally, I'd call it crazy.

[Mari333]

2. well, I am glad she is challenging the patriarchy

god knows it needs to be challenged.

[BeatleBoot]

3. ...

[Skittles]

4. I doubt there's any Saudi gal that would want more than one husband

[Mari333]

7. she is shaking up the status quo

I like her for that.

[Skittles]

24. maybe they should start with their driving rules

[eShirl]

5. Good luck with that.

[Pavulon]

6. Is she still alive?

Pretty sure if she was in the magic kingdom she would be in jail getting beaten right now.

[Freddie Stubbs]

10. She probably can't buy life insurance now

[WolverineDG]

8. And why not?

Consenting adults & all that.

dg

[Nikki Stone1]

9. Four toilet seats to put down?

No thanks.

[WolverineDG]

11. Maybe not for you, or me

but if some woman wants to marry 4 hubbies, what's it to you?

dg

[FourScore]

12. I agree with the argument, but still it begs the question:

WHY?

[seabeyond]

13. why... would you want four wives???

:shrug:

[struggle4progress]

16. So that when one of them got tired of me being a useless lazy jackass, I'd have a backup

[seabeyond]

17. if you are a useless lazy jackass, how do you expect to get .... 1. nt

[struggle4progress]

18. I don't have one. But that wasn't the question. The question was: why would I want four?

[seabeyond]

19. maybe she is a lazy?, useless?, jackass? and she, too, needs a back up.

there ya go.

[struggle4progress]

20. The perfect marriage!

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[seabeyond]

21. lol. yawl can have four each..... set to go. nt

[struggle4progress]

23. Well, that actually sounds like a recipe for mayhem to me. A couple of people aware of their

own useless-jackass status from time-to-time and their own unrealistic expectations, however, seems perfectly workable

[FourScore]

22. Exactly my point, just the other way around. n/t

[vixengrl]

14. I think this bit of the article explains the point:

"People who attacked Nadine missed the point entirely...She was just trying to criticize polygamy by putting men in the shoes of women who accept to be part of such marriages. ... I think one of the good outcomes of Nadine's article is that it has rekindled the debate on women's issues in the country, especially those concerning how judges, and the legal system in general, treat women," he told the LA Times in an e-mail conversation.

Well, what do you think? Did Bedair write the article to help women gain the right to practice polygamy or were her intentions to highlight women's rights issues among Muslim women?

To be practical about the role of women in Islamic society, I am reminded of an article I just read linked from Huffington Post (I think it might have been from NYT) which was an editorial from an Iraqi woman whose husband entreated her to take the veil, although she did not wear it before they were married, and the implication was that her husband's request had much to do with the conservative movement in Iraq post-invasion that has led to extremism, the stalking and beating of gays and so on. She expressed to her spouse that she did not want to do it--but in the end she did. She described herself as so frustrated by this thing on her head that she wished aloud to her spouse that she wished he could live for one day with the hijab, and his eyes went red.

The difference between the status and expectations of women and men is simply different. From a realistic cultural perspective, a polygamous male is facing the prospect of more servants. A polyandrous woman is facing the prospect of more masters.

It illuminates the double standards to work out the thought experiment, and that I think is more what she intended.

[girl gone mad]

15. Sounds reasonable to me.

Not that I'd want four husbands myself, but in a polygamous society, there is bound to be a plethora of unattached men. If all parties involved are happy with such an arrangement, it should be allowed. This idea might also solve China and India's surplus single male problem.