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From The Times

May 28, 2007

1,000 men living legally with multiple wives despite fears over exploitation

Dominic Kennedy

Polygamous marriage is flourishing as the Government admits for the first time that nearly a thousand men are living legally with multiple wives in Britain.

Although the families are entitled to claim social security for each wife, no one has counted how many of them are on benefits.

Ministers appear to be ignoring the separate practice of unauthorised polygamy, which is said to have become commonplace in some Muslim communities. The Ministry of Justice admits that it has no estimates of numbers for these unions, which are often presided over by an Islamic cleric.

A senior Conservative MP and immigration expert called for action last night to end the scandal of women being pressured into entering unrecognised marriages with no rights.

“The Government has no grip on the situation,” said Humphrey Malins, the former Shadow Home Affairs Minister and founder of the Immigration Advisory Service. “This is quite clearly exploitation of women.”

MPs and peers have struggled for years to extract figures from ministers about the extent of polygamy. The first official estimate was made in response to a freedom of information request by The Times asking for statistics on benefits that are paid to wives who share a husband.

“It is estimated that there are fewer than 1,000 valid polygamous marriages in the UK, few of whom are claiming a state benefit,” the Department for Work and Pensions said. “Because of the small numbers concerned, our IT systems do not specifically record such information.”

The Government has long reassured Parliament that its policy is to prevent the formation of multiple marriages by refusing to allow second wives entry into the country. Under British law, husbands and wives can have only one spouse at a time. Multiple simultaneous marriages constitute bigamy, a criminal offence.

Britain does recognise polygamous marriages that have taken place in countries where the custom is legal, such as Pakistan, Nigeria and India. The Home Office said that multiple wives in polygamous marriages may be allowed into the country as students or tourists.

Officials are advised to let extra wives into Britain even if they suspect that a husband is trying to cheat the system by getting bogus divorces.

“Entry clearance may not be withheld from a second wife where the husband has divorced his previous wife and the divorce is thought to be one of convenience,” an immigration rulebook advises.

“This is so, even if the husband is still living with the previous wife and to issue the entry clearance would lead to the formation of a polygamous household.”

Opposition politicians are concerned about the burden being placed by polygamy on the social security and tax systems.

A husband may claim housing benefit for each wife even if she is abroad, for up to 52 weeks, as long as the absence is temporary and for pressing reasons. In a draft Commons reply released under the Freedom of Information Act, officials explained another way in which the system made it easy to receive handouts.

“A polygamous marriage is the only circumstance in which an adult dependency increase is payable in income-related benefits,” it stated. “In any other circumstances an adult ‘dependent’ would have to make a separate claim.”

To calculate the amount of income support that is payable to an extra wife, officials subtract the rate paid to an individual from that paid to a couple. This produces the amount that a cohabiting spouse is deemed to need in social security benefits. If a man lives with two valid wives, his household is paid the rate for a couple, plus an amount for the extra spouse, the documents show.

Women who enter unrecog-nised multiple marriages in Britain are far more vulnerable. They can end up being dumped by their “husbands” with no safeguards.

Mr Malins asked the Government three years ago to reveal how many unregistered polygamous weddings took place in Britain, but he did not receive an answer. Now officials admit that they do not know.

“I’ve not been able to find out from the Government what the extent of the problem is,” Mr Malins said. “It’s a very serious issue.”

The practice is said to have become commonplace, at least among Kashmiris, a group that accounts for most of the 747,000 Pakistanis in Britain.

Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhammad practised polygamy. One of his motiva-tions was thought to have been charity, taking on widows in time of war.

In contemporary Muslim countries, patriarchal attitudes may leave a woman and children defenceless if they do not have a man to protect them.

Asian republics that were part of the former Soviet Union have debated the legalisation of polygamy to save war widows from being forced into prostitution and human trafficking. Tajikistan has an estimated 25,000 widows. Kyrgyzstan rejected an attempt to legalise polygamy this March.

People keep on mentioning that in Islam a man is allowed to have up to four wives. While that is true they have forgotten to also say is that the prophet also said that in relation to marriage you must obey the law of the land you live in. Therefore since Britain does not recognise polygamous marriages there is no islamic reason for people to keep on pursuing this! This is ridiculous and polygamy is a disgusting! As a muslim woman I am glad this is illegal in Britain. I have seen at first hand (in my own family) how woman have suffered in polygamous marriages. The only one who benefits is the dirty old man who gets to keep his old wife and bed a hot young new one without any thoughts for the consequences.

S Begum, London, London

I wish that polygamy was in fact legal in this country. I wonder that by allowing one section of our society to live here in a polygamous relationship but preventing others from entering into such marriage is not discrimination being practised. I have had a relationship with two women for over two decades. I have been married to both of them having had to divorce one before marrying the second. We now wonder about another divorce so that I may wed the first again and so on for years to come. We have all lived together for years and both wives love each other as much as me. My daughter with one wife is named after my second wife who was there for the birth. If I was to die from ill health or accident my widows would marry each other in a civil ceremony yet I can not be married to them both today to complete our family and let all know of our love for each other. Our love has outlived that of numerous friends who have ended their marriages in divorce yet we are seen as wrong and illegal

Mike Penchantski, Bristol, UK

First of all I would like to say; Islam does not permit temporary marriages and what the Shia’s do is nothing to do with orthodox Islam.
With regard to the multiple wife discussion a man is only allowed to have multiple wives if HE has the means to provide for them equally. So that means the time he spends with them and the financial support he to gives them, if he cannot support one then it is not permissible for him to take another as a wife, rather the shariah permits that he treats his wife with the respect that she deserves. There is a saying of our prophet peace be upon him, he said; he who is the best amongst you is he who is best in treatment to his wife or wives.
Isn't it better that a family is protected by a god fearing man rather then children growing up as orphans and widows having to struggle to raise a family individually or being stuck with a man who a terrible father and husband.
There were 30.7 million females compared with 29.5 million males in 2005 according to UK government statistics and if you also look at the statistics across the world you will generally find the same applies.

Abdullah, London, uk

We are today living in a very open society, where the law of many industrialised countries permit marriages between same gender; which is opposed by every religious of this planet.

But its very sad to read above article and a MP speaking against it! Successful societies are built on the foundation of strong and committed relationship. If one man is committed himself to take responsibility of two or more families. What is the problem? The think tanks of Europe should take his opportunity and make polygamy legal and set standards for it. U.K has been the leader in many revolutionary ideas in past; considering to make polygamy legal would surely benefit this nation in long run. Government is spending billions on fighting crime; which is the result of broken homes and unstable, uncommitted relationships. Please note; a person who is stable in his head & is confident can only enter into polygamy. Not one night stander! Stop debating on making more prisons and talk making polygamy legal.

A, London,

I think that deer from lincoln is completely mistaken about having 4 wives and as many concubines one can afford .
The maximum is 4 wives( if you can treat them equally in all respects) and no more.Slaves girls are not permitted .Is it not better for those wives and children to have protection and loyalty of a family life rather than having umpteen Boyfriends/girlfriends who do not even know whose children they are bringing up and for the children not to even know who their real parents are (not a fault on their part as all children are born innocent) and end up having broken families and all the social upheaval it brings.

Nisar, Leeds, England

Why are we not up in arms about all the men and women who have multiple "girlfriends" / "boyfriends" at the same time? Does this not create greater "exploitation" then those men who have multiple wives within a religious setting which closely regulates behaviour towards those wives? As for the benefit issue, the only evidence we have is that out of 1000 men (out of approximately 26million in the UK) only a few, if any, are claiming benefits for multiple wives- hardly a major problem surely given the total level of benefits paid out.

Jonathan Marshall, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Is it any surprise, quran has sanctioned men to have 4 wife at a time and as many concubines one can afford.
Four free women wives (some say nine) at a time and any number of slave girls are permitted...4:3

deer, lincoln, uk

To David Leslie, Perth

Good to see you back. Bigamy might be illegal. But living with more than one partner (or having a wife and having another bit on the side) is not. Although it did get John Prescott and John Major into trouble

Ali, Edinburgh, UK

At some stage as a Western culture we have to say certain activities are NOT acceptable in a Western nation. Cultural practices also include giving daughters away to pay debt, to marry daughters off at age nine and to honour kill daughters as the slightest whim. Its also cultural practice for Iranians to allow the local Mullahs to run prostitution rings with underage girls as long as the Mullah performs a temporary marriage. When do we say we are better than this? When do we say this is unacceptable? When will we wake up? Remember when these cultures come to power by fair means or fowl they force their evil culture on the captured population. There is no such thing as religious, human, feminist or homosexual rights in most cultures!

Tim, London,

It is, quite frankly, shocking that Kennedy has managed to reduce a fascinating and complex cultural issue like polygamy in Muslim societies to the red rags exploitation of women and benefits. I wouldn’t expect this type of article in a broadsheet. It already appears to have stirred up quite a bit of latent racial resentment in susceptible minds. In order to embrace multiculturalism and eliminate racism we need information to truly understand these cultures rather than be fed sensationalist rubbish.

Barbara, Bristol, UK

How about Muta - the Shia practice where a Muslim man and woman can have a temporary marriage blessed by an imam for a day which permits them to have sex without them committing adultery. A one night stand blessed by God?!

william, london,

Why would the government want to do anything about the situation, the husbands and their many wives will all pay indirect taxes, and if they don't the system will cover the cost (which means we the tax payer) whilst those in and around Westminster get on with their own lives, cumulative nose in trough and totally oblivious to what's going on around them. - Lets face it the neither the husbands or the many wives are ever going to complain about the government so that's one less faction of society for the MPs to worry about!!

Alan Allen, Leeds,

And the 'fascinating and complex cultural issue' of female circumcision?

is, quite frankly, shocking that Kennedy has managed to reduce a fascinating and complex cultural issue like polygamy in Muslim societies to the red rags exploitation of women and benefits. I wouldn’t expect this type of article in a broadsheet. It already appears to have stirred up quite a bit of latent racial resentment in susceptible minds. In order to embrace multiculturalism and eliminate racism we need information to truly understand these cultures rather than be fed sensationalist rubbish.

Adrian Moon, Bridgwater, UK

Barbara, Bristol, UK

It is an issue of gender equality. The women need an identity, the right to vote, and a single claim for benefit. When did this Government turn a blind eye to patriarchical oppression/ When women voters didn't turn out.

jane fleming, Whitlesey, cambs, uk

What would happen to me if I took another wife and tried to claim benefit for her? I'd be locked up!There is clealy something very wrong here and it should be sorted ASAP.How dare these people ignore OUR laws and be able to get away with it.The first step should be to limit only one wife eligable for any sort of benefit.That at least would make it fair for the rest of us,This is outrageous.

Robert, Derby, Derbyshire

Ahmed. You are not to see any polygamous marriages.

Immigrants. Come on over to the good old USA and see a
problem of millions of ILLEGAL immigrants.

Jerry Scroggin, Phoenix, Arizona/USA

If the numbers are not recorded how do the authorities know the numbers are small.

Bernard Parke, Guildford,

The benefits system should be run like a Christmas Club.
You can only draw out what you have paid in ! Simple!
That would resolve all the arguments once and for all.If people find themselves with financial problems,that should be where their family and friends come in.If they can't help,then that is when the Church and Charitable organisations could help.All the "do-gooders" could volunteer to work for these organisations and use their own money to provide assistance, I'm fed up working hard and seeing the Govt.take more and more from me in taxes to hand out un-worthy causes.

Mike, Dunstable, England

Why is the government running adverts which imply it is cheating the benefits system if you have a live-in partner, when they are prepared to subsidize bigamous 'marriages'? These arrangements are marriages only in the same sense that pagan handfasting is, but the local Wiccans cannot claim this benefit.

This is institutional racism; treating one group favourably on the basis of their ethnicity or relgion, discriminating against the others. It might even be sexism if 'husbands' can claim the benefit but women cannot.

V Samuel, Cambridge,

The main disadvantage of multiple wives is multiple mothers-in-law.

John, Norwich,

So what about adultery, one-night stands and mistresses. Is that allowed?

Dr Izhar Khan, Aberdeen,

Polygamy is illegal, therefore nobody can be living in a polygamous relationship in this country. Unless of course, we can all pick and choose from all of the legal systems around the world which bits we choose to follow. I will drive on the right, as it is legal in France. Of course, the government could have a go at applying the law equally to all.

David Leslie, Perth, Scotland

These people don't hurt anyone. Who cares if their culture is different or their skin is brown - tying the issue to benefits is a red herring by cultural imperialists.

I couldn't care less if people had 100 wives - 1 is hard enough work for me and I don't envy them but really, why is it our business?

Nick, London, UK

allowed...Approved? to apppease the muslim community....
yet u or i mix a mushy pea tin with a fish/chip paper wrapper and were F...ined......
Shia law next folks....or should i ask to what extent does it exist already????
still perhaps multiple marriges are better than multiple babies being dropped of by every tom , dick AND harry so that Tracy & co can 'ave a 'ouse wiv er freinds--
on u and me of course!!

mike, devon, uk

"The practice is said to have become commonplace, at least among Kashmiris, a group that accounts for most of the 747,000 Pakistanis in Britain"

Also as a member of the British Kashmiri community, I can't recall anyone in my family being in a polygamous marriage so I don't know how it could ever be considered commonplace.

Its probably if anthing becoming rarer, the idea of having two mother-in-laws would scare most men off the idea

Ali, Edinburgh, UK

Ahmed

'Many' or 'Any' ?

Adam, Birmingham, UK

But the UK is not an Islamic country! Another example of "one law for them, another law for the others"

John, Southampton,

What the hell is going on here? I am at my wits end with this Government, the country and the wet weekends who just sit there spouting leftist crap or grumbling into their tea. I hear there is a demo on the 15th June outside Downing Street - Muslims decrying 'oppressive Britain' and ordering fellow Muslims to 'rise up' against the dreadful oppression they experience here!!! People - get a grip. Our country isn't just going down the pan, it's down it and on it's way to being flushed out to oblivion. Rise up yourselves and grab your country back!

Luella Freeman, Stroud, UK

Few of them claiming state benefit? But the Department of Work and Pensions admit they do not have records, so how do they know? The answer is of course, political correctness has paralysed them from admitting there is a problem, never mind addressing it. The case for identity cards gets stronger every day. The problem is that under New Labour the implementation of a properly functioning system would be an impossibilty.

B. J. Carroll, Hong Kong, China

We have a rule of law in this country & its not sharia law. Therefore polygamous marriages cannot be allowed no matter what the circumstances. We call it bigamy & it carries 7 years imprisonment, What a farce that this country turns a blind eye to muslims who carry on this practice & also gives state benefits for the extra wives. The law should be applied to everyone equally in this country. What would happen if a married christian british man went to Pakistan & got married to two or three other women - he wouldn't be allowed to get away with it & would be arrested for bigamy once he got back here. He definitely wouldn't get benefits for the extra 'wives'. What game are our political leaders & our police playing if they are allowing this practice to carry on.

Lynda Plum, London, england

Ahmed says "I don't see many polygamous marriages. ." He shouldn't see ANY!

Steven Wells, London, UK

I see two issues here.
1. the benefits system is a joke, albeit not a humourous one.
2. As part of our primate ancestry polygamy evolved when we lived on an empty planet; Earth is now the reverse of empty.

Gerry, exeter, england devon

The ineptitude of this government knows no bounds - but that's been known for a long time. So why are they still in power? Well the electorate of course.
The Tories are trying REAL hard to be NuLabour MKII, beause that's what the electorate keep on saying they want - 3 election victories for Blair.
The British electoate have a lot to answer for. You get the government you deserve.

eddie reader, birmingham, uk

The UK, as a western country, is gone.

Fabio C, London,

Another example of the PC state turning a blind eye to non whites.

mark, reading,

One law for them and one law for us, this statement makes me racist.

Mr. Minit, singen, Switzerland

we pretend to practice multiculturalism but want to pick and choose which bits we want or fashionable.

Multi-anything is not about fashion but about peoples views and ways of life. It is about total inclusion without any filter. Polygamy is a way of life in some of these communities and as such should be adopted or we get rid of multiculturalism. The choice is simple.

afolabi adeosun, northolt, uk

This story only points to the need for immigration control.

Nick Knight, Dublin , Ireland

What a horriffic thought. Being nagged constantly by more than one of them. Poor guys.

David B, LARKHALL, UK

Is polyamory viewed equally by the law? Are polyamory breaches of law similarly ignored?

dita, london, uk

The practice is said to have become commonplace, at least among Kashmiris, a group that accounts for most of the 747,000 Pakistanis in Britain.

I would like to know where the above information has been obtained from, is there any evidence to back this up as I am a member of the so called kashmiri community. I don't see many polygamous marriages.

This seems to be another example of the Times hyping up an issue which concerns a small minority. It seems to me that the Times is making mischief by publishing this article, another article bashing muslims.

Ahmed, Warwick, UK

good grief, the UK is so far up it's arse on issues of inter-national marriage its dangerous.
UK national Married to US national, with European parents - living in USA (not claiming benefits).

JJ, New York, USA

How can the British have anything but contempt for a system that allows immigrants to receive benefits that they are not able to claim themselves?

It is about time the whole system of benefits was given a complete overhaul.

Pat Thornton, Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria