Preventing Muslim Men from “Doing Injustice”: Ending Polygamy in Muslim Majority Countries

Abstract

This essay is an analysis of the importance, efforts, and issues in preventing Muslim men from “doing injustice” in marriage in the 47 Muslim majority countries (MMC) in Africa and Asia. It has three main sections: Islam’s Commands about treating Muslim women, especially in marriage and divorce; MMCs’ Approach to marriage as proposed in the International Human Rights Instruments; and Features of polygamy laws in the MMCs that identifies the efforts in preventing Muslim men from “doing injustice”. It concludes highlighting individual responsibility on the matter.

Keywords: Adolescent fertility rate, Bangladesh, CEDAW, Divorce laws, Malaysia, Marriage laws, Muslim majority countries, Pakistan, Polygamy, Polygyny, Polygamy forbidden, Polygamy in Islam, Muslim women, Slaves, Slavery, TFR, Total fertility rate, Tunisia,

JEL Classification: Z12, Z18