Readers of this little blog will no doubt have clocked my feminist credentials by now. So it might surprise you (if you haven’t yet gotten a whiff of my upbringing, my background) for me to be urging readers to have a nosey at this wee article. In essence, this is all about The Joys of Polygamy For Women.
For sure, I could rant and rave all day about this subject per se. And I imagine that plenty more Broadsheet (and Not..) commentators will have had doled out a a nice, tongue in cheek (nay – bitch-fest) about the author of the article herself – one Jemima Khan. i.e. Who Hell She And What She Ever Achieved 4 Women Innit?
But the truth is always more complicated. The truth is that there are many highly educated women – both at home and abroad – who think that polygamy can work for them and who have the power and the money to Make That Choice. And the truth is that there are many women – both at home and abroad – who have bugger all money and bugger all choices… those who have no other option other than to accept polygamy as a cultural and (apparent) religious diktat or recommendation.
Is this about cultural conflict and understanding? Or religion? Or gender politics? Are there more ways to view this issue?…(Now don’t get me started on ‘Shades of Grey’. Please. I am trying to learn How To Write *more* Professionaly here..) But please – do have a read. And see what some women think. And why. (Whether you fall into Feminist, Religious or Anti-Religious camp. Or simply if you happen to be the kind of bloke who drools at the thought of more than one woman tripping around after you…)
And yes – if there are any men out there – whether religious, non-religious, feminist or anti-feminist….I would love to hear your thoughts on this issue.
(And a big thanks to a certain Mohammed Amin for flagging up this article. Your posts always inspire – to say the least!) You can read Mohammed Amin’s always informed and provocative stuff here.. http://www.mohammedamin.com/ )
And I end with a photo of me wearing the hijab. Taken whilst I was in the West Bank, Palestine. Perhaps I will blog on that experience in the future…