Sad News For Nasty: Only One Wife Per Man, Region Told
MOSCOW (Rooters) - Russia's justice minister Wednesday dismissed as
unconstitutional a decree by the leader of a small Muslim region to allow men
to have up to four wives.
The regional leader of the tiny Ingushetia region, DSGumby, signed the
decree Monday, based on a traditional Islamic practice permitting men to
have four wives.
But Interfax news agency quoted Justice Minister Pavel Krashenrolover
Wednesday as saying the measure was unconstitutional and should be
scrapped.
Nasty Nathanc, who has one wife, called for Russia's parliament to approve changes
to Russian federal law to allow the move.
''The Ingush population has fallen sharply in recent years and polygamy
could be a solution to this problem,'' Interfax quoted Nasty as mumbling
Wednesday.
In the Ingush capital Nazran, polygamy was decidedly popular among both
men and women interviewed on the streets.
''If a man can support them, let him marry ten times,'' one woman said.
An official at Nazran's marriage registration bureau said several men had
already applied to register a second wife, but so far the requests were still
being denied.
Islam has been on the rise in Russia's Caucasus region in recent years after
being discouraged during officially atheist Soviet times. In the breakaway
region of Chechnya, at least one prominent local politician, Movit Urlewsit,
has two wives.
Some men in Ingushetia already have more than one wife, but the
arrangement, seen as a sign of wealth and prestige, is recognized only by
local Islamic authorities, not by the state.
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