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Zhirinovsky Demands Legalization Of Polygamy In Russia
WASHINGTON, Feb 5 (IslamOnline) - When President Ruslan Aushev of the Muslim majority republic of Ingushetia in the Russian federation tried to legalize polygamy last year, there was much hue and cry.
In the end, Aushev had to back out mainly due to pressure from Russia. Given this immediate history, observers state that it will be interesting to see then how Russia's parliament will react to a similar move being introduced by ultra-nationalist Vladmir Zhirinovsky.
Zhrinovsky told the Moscow Times over the weekend, "There are nine million fewer men than women throughout the country, and we obviously need to stimulate the birth rate. If a healthy, strong and handsome man can feed two or more families, why shouldn't he?"
Recent data indicate that Russia's population is falling by half a million annually due to accidents, disease, civic unrest, drug addiction and alcoholism. The World Health Organization reports that if the current trend continues, there will be 130 million Russians in 2015, down from the current 145 million.
Zhrinovsky said that his party will introduce a draft law in the Duma (Russia's parliament), to amend Russia's Family Code to make room for men to take multiple wives, with the stipulation, however, only if they can afford them.
"We propose placing limits to exclude men who cannot provide for more than one family," he said.
"Ten percent of the male population in Russia can provide for several families. This means millions of Russian women will obtain their legal status as wives and not feel abandoned by their husbands."
He also claimed that a majority of Russian women approve of his suggestion and said, "I am interested in liberating Russian women from loneliness."
Zhrinovsky will face tough opposition from the Orthodox Church which believes polygamy as a severe sin. But Zhirinovsky remains unfazed about the possibility of Church opposition, saying, "As for the Church, if it's against polygamy, then it's against humanity and the nation's survival. They will pray when the nation is nearly extinct."
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