Sydney, June 24 (ANI): A key representative of Sydney’s Islamic community believes that polygamous marriages should be recognised to protect the rights of women.
Sheikh Khalil Chami of the Islamic Welfare Centre in Lakemba today said polygamous marriages, although illegal, existed in Australia and should be recognised.
He told Triple J’s Hack program that: “If you know there is law that will help you, there is community will help you. Why not? Why not change the law?”
The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Sheikh Chami as saying that he was asked almost weekly to conduct polygamous religious ceremonies, but had declined to perform such ceremonies.
He also claimed that there were other sheikhs without any qualifications, without any place, who conducted such marriages.
Islamic Friendship Association of Australia president Keysar Trad said recognising polygamous unions would help protect the rights of women in the relationship.
“This idea of plural sexual relationships, it is not so much frowned upon by society as long as these people don’t say we want a polygamous relationship,” he said. (ANI)