Analysts dispute about aims of polygamy fatwa

The withdrawal of the fatwa on polygamy does not cancel the fact that it is enshrined in the Koran; while its main purpose is to clarify the procedure and responsibility for concluding a religious marriage, a representative of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims (SAM) and an Islamic scholar believe. In their turn, human rights defenders are sure that the fatwa fails to protect women's rights and could have caused harm.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on December 19, the Russian SAM's Council of Ulems issued a fatwa stating that polygamy among Muslim males in Russia is permissible; a Muslim can be in a religious marriage with four women with equal treatment of all his wives. On December 23, the Russian General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) made a submission to the chairman of the SAM of Russia on the need to eliminate violations of the law in connection with the fatwa on polygamy permissibility. Referring to the submission and the reaction of the public, the SAM has withdrawn the fatwa.

Ramzan Kadyrov has repeatedly spoken out in support of polygamy.

The SAM's Council of Ulems could not permit polygamy, since it is already legalized in the Koran, Damir Mukhetdinov, First Deputy Chairman of the Russian SAM, has explained.

Leonid Syukiyainen, Doctor of Law, has emphasized that the official legalization of polygamy in Russia is excluded. He has added that there were attempts to legalize polygamy at the regional level in Russia.

"In Ingushetia, in late 1990s-early 2000s, they registered second and subsequent marriages; several dozen of them were registered," the expert said.

In the Muslim environment, for centuries, there has been a tradition of guardianship of widows, supporting them and granting social status to them. "This means giving them the status of a married woman, which is very important for the Muslim society. This can be an incentive to enter into the second and subsequent religious marriages ... This is exactly the motivation for polygamy that exists in other Muslim countries," Doctor Syukiyainen has explained.

In his opinion, this is what the fatwa was intended for by explaining the polygamy issue.

In her turn, Ekaterina Sokiryanskaya, an expert on North-Caucasian issues, believes that legalization of polygamy through the SAM would have increased discrimination against women.

Katerina Neroznikova, the coordinator of the "Marem" movement, is perplexed about the fatwa. "Why is it needed at all, since everything is already permitted by the Koran?" she has asked.