Polygamy in Kazakhstan
Encyclopedia
The practice of polygamy
has had a long history in Kazakhstan
, which officially decriminalized the practice in 1998, being the only Central Asia
n country to do so.
Many proponents of the legislation of polygamous civil marriage in Kazakhstan have argued that legalizing polygamous marriage would help balance out the uneven population, while others have cited the Qur'an
as an argument in favor of such legislation, which permits men to marry up to four wives; according that he treats them equally and can financially look after them.
Opponents argued that the practice was dangerous to society, while other groups viewed the legislation as discrimination against women, since it would not allow for polyandrous marriages
, which sparked a social debate over a possible "common ground" resolution.
men supported the legislation of polygamy in Kazakhstan, while only 22% of women supported the idea, though with some reservations.
Polygamy
Polygamy is a marriage which includes more than two partners...
has had a long history in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
, which officially decriminalized the practice in 1998, being the only Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
n country to do so.
Polygamous marriage
While currently illegal, there have been numerous proposals in the recent years to legislate polygamous marriage in the country; the most recent attempt in mid 2008. A similar bill was introduced in 2007, though was swiftly killed in the parliament. In February 2011, presidential candidate Amatay Asilbek stated that legalizing polygamy was one of his campaign positions.Many proponents of the legislation of polygamous civil marriage in Kazakhstan have argued that legalizing polygamous marriage would help balance out the uneven population, while others have cited the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
as an argument in favor of such legislation, which permits men to marry up to four wives; according that he treats them equally and can financially look after them.
Opponents argued that the practice was dangerous to society, while other groups viewed the legislation as discrimination against women, since it would not allow for polyandrous marriages
Polyandry
Polyandry refers to a form of marriage in which a woman has two or more husbands at the same time. The form of polyandry in which a woman is married to two or more brothers is known as "fraternal polyandry", and it is believed by many anthropologists to be the most frequently encountered...
, which sparked a social debate over a possible "common ground" resolution.
Public opinion
A poll conducted in 2004 found that some 40% of KazakhKazakhs
The Kazakhs are a Turkic people of the northern parts of Central Asia ....
men supported the legislation of polygamy in Kazakhstan, while only 22% of women supported the idea, though with some reservations.