Category Archives: Polygamy

This couple has now become a throuple after they invited a teenage girl to join their relationship and she accepted.

Eliana Cuchietti and Nazareno Fernandez started out as a couple like any other in the Argentine city of Mendoza, where they managed a call centre together.

Maira Fernandez was just 18 when she joined the company and the three quickly hit it off, becoming friends and often socialising outside work hours.

We started seeing that we felt things we didnt understand, Maira, now 23, told local newspaper Dario Los Andes.

The three of us got together without problems, but if I got together just with Eli, we would miss the other one. Something was going on.

RELATED: 10 ways to know your relationship is healthy and happy

If there were just two of us, whatever we did, we would miss the other person, she said.

This led to the question of how we would continue. We have a polyamorous relationship of three. Were not in an open relationship, were not swingers. Were a throuple and we love each other.

Though neither Eliana nor Maira had previously had a same-sex relationship, it was the women who made the first move.

We had organised a get-together at our house and we decided not to go out dancing, Eliana said.

We were having a meal after spending the whole day together.

At one point, Mai and I decided to play a prank on Naza, and we told him we were going to be girlfriends because we no longer liked men.

We had dinner, I offered him wine. He said no and she said yes. Then we kissed. It all became clear.

Nazareno described that moment as a male fantasy but he didnt believe it was going to lead to a lasting, meaningful relationship.

As a man, its a normal fantasy. I was in the middle of two beautiful women, but I didnt believe that I was about to form part of a three-way relationship.

Everything was natural and problem-free from the outset. What we were feeling happened: The three of us loved each other, we protected each other.

It was what the relationship was missing because we had previously noted that just the two of us felt incomplete.

Months later, Maira moved in with Eliana and Nazareno who has three daughters, each from different relationships and they bought a bigger bed.

Nazarenos father accepted his sons new three-way relationship straight away, as did Elianas parents, even though she initially found it difficult to tell them.

With Maira, it was a different story she initially told her dad she was in a relationship with Nazareno, now 41, which was difficult for him to accept because she was just 19 when she told him.

He eventually accepted their relationship, and she and her mother who already knew then told him about Eliana.

She said: He went through a process and he now asks me about them more than about me.

The three will shortly be celebrating their fifth anniversary and they would like to get married, even though polygamy is not legal in Argentina.

Nazareno added: We would like to be parents but its still too early.

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Couple in relationship with teen reveal throuple bedroom issue - NEWS.com.au

Okay, uh... let's start with the positives I guess.

I think there are a few neat world-building wrinkles in episode five. I'm a sucker for anything involving slimes, so the slime info dump and the dish made from them was good fun. I enjoyed the bits regarding this land being more western in style with naming conventions and the comedic beat of Kazuya realizing this. It also sets up a neat little alter ego/secret identity in the form of "Kazuya" for when he needs to go undercover. I also thought that Ikumi Hasegawa's performance as Aisha during the last scene was good, with her slurping noodles and talking with her mouth full adding that extra bit of texture to her line delivery. Souma realizing that polygamy is the norm in this world is kinda great. It's presented as a very practical "yeah bro it's normal here?" a rare moment where Souma finds himself intellectually on the back foot and not automatically telling others how things should be.

The rest of the episode was... less enjoyable for me. Much of the first half of the episode was the cast slurping noodles or planning a date for Kazuya. Perhaps it would have been more engaging if I felt more attached to the cast, but at the moment I don't feel like I know enough about them to appreciate downtime scenes like this. Low tension scenes can work for me, but I either need to be more familiar with the cast or more character development needs to happen in these moments for them to really pop. I simply was not engaged for the first half or so.

When the date proper started to ramp up is when things began to happen, but not in the way I was hoping. Look, I'm just not a fan of harem stuff as a rule. I didn't like Tenchi Muyo! when a friend begged me to check it out in the '90s, and in the decades since I haven't found it any more appealing. Aisha absolutely throwing herself at Kazuya with the "please use me" stuff, the cast sitting around talking about which day of the week they'll have... I dunno gang, I get that a lot of people enjoy this stuff but it's not for me. I guess all I can do is hold out hope that the cast ends up being more distinctive than their hair color and their day of the week in Souma's schedule...

Rating:

Grant is the cohost on the Blade Licking Thieves podcast and Super Senpai Podcast.

How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom is currently streaming onFunimation.

Parenthood is undeniably one of the most universally desired goals in adulthood, with most people having life plans that include children. However not all couple who desire a pregnancy will achieve one spontaneously and a proportion of couple will need medical help to resolve underlining fertility challenges while some may never be able to have their own genetic children and will result to use of donor gametes (sperm/egg) or even adoption.

Infertility is a global health problem and a social destabilizing condition for couples associated with stigmas and a major cause of marital frictions. Many homes go through the pains of the childlessness with the issues of infertility fast becoming a common occurrence in the county. According to the World Health Organization, infertility prevalence rates are difficult to determine due to the presence of both male and female factors which may only address the woman and an outcome of a pregnancy diagnosis or live birth.

The African society places a high premium on the size of the family, be it nuclear or extended. The womans place in marriage remains precarious till confirmed through child bearing. In most case, a woman has to prove her womanhood through motherhood, and the man also having to confirm his manhood in the same fashion. Children are held as a source of pride, strength and economic fortune for the family, a mans wealth and strength being equated to his progeny. Infertility therefore involves a feeling of loss even though previously inexistent; it is thought to be tangible and therefore impacts negatively on a couples mental and social wellbeing. Infertility may constitute a crisis in the affected family. The attendant emotional, psychological, cultural and social burden drains the couple of self-worth and esteem. In most African society, a womans childlessness may be viewed as a punishment for a social misdemeanour or attributed to other factors including witchcraft and the disaffection of ones ancestors. The unsolicited and often inpatient societal demands and expectations place on such couples an unimaginable pressure and tension.

They may become isolated and neglected consequent upon the attendant social stigmatization. Childlessness is a dreaded outcome of any marriage in the society and often leads to polygamy and broken marriage but rarely child adoption in the traditional African setting. Female infertility is stigmatized in western as well as non-western cultures. The notion of child-bearing being a hallmark of womanhood, the high premium placed on children by extended families as well as difficulties in the procedure for legal or permanent adoption make stigmatizing attitudes experienced by infertile woman particularly severe in non-western cultures.

Although the socio-cultural setting has before now focused on the female, fertility issued are shared by both male and female sexes.

Demographic studies have shown that more women are delaying childbearing at the present time than previously. This trend is expected to cause a corresponding rise in the mean age at which women first present themselves at fertility clinics. It is unclear as to whether women who present to fertility clinics at an older age have a different diagnostic profile from that in younger women. However, research has proven that older women may be more likely to be diagnosed with unexplained infertility and that this is due to the negative effect of age on ovarian reserve. Clinicians have also observed that most infertile couple present at the infertility clinic at least after 5 years of trying to conceive usually after the age of 37 years when their natural fertility is already declining. Fertility declines with age in both male and female. Infertility in older women may be due to a higher risk of chromosomal abnormalities that occur in the eggs as they age as well as diminished ovarian reserve. Older women are also more likely to have health problems that may interfere with fertility. The risk of miscarriage also is much higher with advancing maternal age.

An overwhelming amount of evidence has accumulated in the last five to seven years that point to the fact that there has been rise in the male infertility and some researches have shown it at an incidence rate of 40-50%. Despite the high prevalence of infertility in Nigeria, not much effort has been made at tackling the problem. This high prevalence of infertility on men has been associated with sexually transmitted infection, and in women pelvic inflammatory disease, post-abortal or post-partum genital tract infection and even environmental toxin.

THE IMPACT OF INFERTILITY ON THE COUPLE

When a woman cannot bear children, it tremendously affects her identity, but the pain can extend far beyond her to affect her relationship. Conflict often arises amongst couple over which treatment or when to adopt. Most treatment options available for management of infertility may be very expensive and emotionally draining. Infertility also affects a womans relationship with other members of the family like the mother and father in laws. Misunderstanding may be arising from their perception of what infertility is and what its management should entailTO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK.

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INFERTILITY AS A CAUSE OF BROKEN HOMES (PART 1) - THISDAY Newspapers

Religions have differing views on marriage and polygamy. For example, because Buddhism does not regard marriage as a sacrament and only a secular affair, forms of marriage vary by country. For example, Thailand legally recognized polygamy in 1955, and Myanmar outlawed polygyny in 2015.

In Christianity, the Roman Catholic Church condemns polygamy. The Lutheran Church accepts some polygamists. The Anglican Communion ruled that polygamy was permissible in certain circumstances in 1988.

In Islam, a Muslim man may have more than one wife at the same time, up to four wives, according to Islamic marital jurisprudence.

Hinduism allows polygamy with circumstances. For example, traditional Hindu law allowed polygamy if the first wife could not bear a son. Additionally, Balinese Hinduism allows for sanctioned and unrestricted polygamy, but the marriage is regulated by adat or traditional customs.

In the United States, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Mormons practiced polygamy from 1847 to 1857. The U.S. government made polygamy illegal in response to the LDS Church, and the church outlawed the practice in 1890. Some small groups that split from the LDS Church still practice polygamy.

Around the world, the legal status of polygamy varies. Societies either outlaw, accept or encourage polygamy.

In those countries that accept or encourage polygamy, polygyny is most common. In countries where marriage is legally monogamous, de facto polygamy is allowed if adultery is not illegal. In this case, there would be no legal recognition for non-official spouses.

In every country in North America and South America, polygamy is illegal, and practice is criminalized. In the United States, polygamy is illegal in all 50 states; however, in February 2020, the Utah House and Senate reduced punishment for polygamy to the status of a traffic ticket.

All of Europe and Oceania, except for the Solomon Islands, do not recognize polygamist marriages. In Australia, polygamous marriage is outlawed, but polygamous relationships are common within some indigenous Australian communities.

In Indonesia, polygamy is legal in some areas, such as in Bali, Papua, and West Papua. Balinese Hinduism allows for polygamy, which has been practiced for centuries by the Balinese and Papuans. Protests to outlaw polygamy and polygamous marriages occurred in 2008 in Indonesia, but no action has happened.

In India, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore, the governments only recognize polygamous marriages for Muslims. They have specific legislation for polygamous marriage that only includes Muslims.

Some countries that have outlawed polygamy may recognize polygamous marriages from other countries. For example, Sweden recognizes polygamous marriage performed abroad. Switzerland outlawed polygamy, but polygamous marriage conducted in another country is handled on a case-by-case basis. Polygamous marriages entered into abroad in Australia are recognized for limited purposes only.

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Countries Where Polygamy Is Legal 2021

The polygamy has existed in all over the African continent thanks to the fact that it represents an aspect of their culture and religion. These types of marriages have been more present in the whole history of Africa like no other continent in the world. One of the reasons why this has happened is because the African societies have managed to see that children were a form of wealth and this way a family with more children was considered to be more powerful. Under these circumstances the polygamy in Africa was considered to be part of the way you could build an empire.

Only after the colonial era in Africa has appeared the polygamy has started to be perceived as a taboo, as this was one of the things imported along with the colonists that took over some regions of Africa. Some people are saying that there was also an economic reason why this has happened: there were many issues of property ownership that conflicted a lot with the European colonial interest.

At first the polygamy was very popular in the west part of Africa, but as the Islam has started to diffuse in this region, the prevalence of polygamy has started to continuously reduce due to the restrictions that appeared to the number of wives.

For example polygamy is very widespread across Kenya and right now one of the most prominent single individual that is popularizing this practice is Akuku Danger who as managed to become famous thanks to the fact that he is married with over 100 wives.

Even if people are thinking about the fact that South Africa is by far one of the most developed countries in the region, there are still many traditionalists out there that are constantly practicing polygamy. Even the president of South Africa: Jacob Zuma is declaring openly that he agrees with plural marriages and he is currently married to 3 wives. And at the same time he has 20 children with these and the two previous wives that he had in the past.

Another country where the polygamy is accepted is Sudan. Under these circumstances the Sudanese president: Omar Hassan al-Bashir has always sustained polygamy and he says that these multiple marriages are one of the options available for Sudan in order to increase its population.

Overall the polygamy in Africa is a very common practice that you are going to find all over Africa, but it tends to be more popular especially in the West African countries. This practice is very common among the animist and the Muslim communities. For example in Senegal there are almost 47% of the marriages where they feature more than one woman. In the Arab nations the percentages are even higher and there is also the Bedouin population that you can find in Israel, where around 30% of them are part of multiple marriages. And along with all that there are also the Mormon fundamentalists who also live in polygamous families.

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Polygamy in Africa - Polygamy.com

Lifetime Documentary TV Series

Escaping Polygamy is an American documentary television series that premiered on December 30, 2014 on LMN. The show now airs on Lifetime, but can also be viewed on Tubi, and follows the work of three sisters who left the Kingston clan, a polygamous group based in Salt Lake City, Utah known as The Order,[1] as they help family and/or friends break free of polygamy.[2][3] They have also helped people escape from the FLDS Church and the AUB Church. The show was originally on A&E, but later moved to Lifetime. The series was renewed for a fourth season on March 4, 2019 and premiered on Lifetime on April 1, 2019.[4] Since the fourth season aired, Jessica Christensen, one of the three women on the show, said on Instagram that she would not be filming a fifth season of the show and that if the show were to be renewed it would have to feature different people.[5] However, there has since been no official announcement from Lifetime regarding the future of the show.

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Escaping Polygamy - Wikipedia

Jessie L. EmbryUtah History Encyclopedia, 1994

Brigham Young In Memoriam

When establishing the LDS church, Joseph Smith recorded numerous revelations he claimed to receive, often in answer to questions about the Bible, which are now included in the Doctrine and Covenants, part of the LDS canon. In answer to his question as to why many of the Old Testament leaders had more than one wife, Smith received what is now known as Section 132. Although the revelation was not recorded until 1843, Smith may have received it in the 1830s and married his first plural wife, Fanny Alger, in 1835. Polygamy was not openly practiced in the Mormon Church until 1852 when Orson Pratt, an apostle, made a public speech defending it as a tenet of the church. From 1852 until 1890, Mormon church leaders preached and encouraged members, especially those in leadership positions, to marry additional wives.

A majority of the Latter-day Saints never lived the principle. The number of families involved varied by community; for example, 30 percent in St. George in 1870 and 40 percent in 1880 practiced polygamy, while only 5 percent in South Weber practiced the principle in 1880. Rather than the harems often suggested in non-Mormon sources, most Mormon husbands married only two wives. The wives usually lived in separate homes and had direct responsibility for their children. Where the wives lived near each other, the husbands usually visited each wife on a daily or weekly basis. While there were the expected troubles between wives and families, polygamy was usually not the only cause, although it certainly could cause greater tension. Since polygamy was openly practiced for only a short time by Mormons, there were no established rules about how family members should relate to each other. Instead, each family adapted to their particular circumstances.

Reactions from outside the church to statements about polygamy were immediate and negative. In 1854 the Republican party termed polygamy and slavery the twin relics of barbarism. In 1862 the United States Congress passed the Morrill Act, which prohibited plural marriage in the territories, disincorporated the Mormon church, and restricted the churchs ownership of property. The nation was in the midst of the Civil War, however, and the law was not enforced. In 1867 the Utah Territorial Legislature asked Congress to repeal the Morrill Act. Instead of doing that, the House Judiciary Committee asked why the law was not being enforced, and the Cullom Bill, an attempt to strengthen the Morrill Act, was introduced. Although it did not pass, most of its provisions later became law. Out of a number of other bills introduced during the 1870s against polygamy, only the Poland Act passed, in 1874. It gave district courts all civil and criminal jurisdiction and limited the probate courts to matters of estate settlement, guardianship, and divorce.

The Mormons continued to practice polygamy despite these laws, since they believed that the practice was protected by the freedom of religion clause in the Bill of Rights. To test the constitutionality of the laws, George Reynolds, Brigham Youngs private secretary, agreed to be tried. In 1879 the case reached the Supreme Court, which upheld the Morrill Act: Laws are made for the government of actions, and while they cannot interfere with mere religious belief and opinion, they may with practices.

In 1882 Congress passed the Edmunds Act, which was actually a series of amendments to the Morrill Act. It restated that polygamy was a felony punishable by five years of imprisonment and a $500 fine. Unlawful cohabitation, which was easier to establish because the prosecution had to prove only that the couple had lived together rather than that a marriage ceremony had taken place, remained a misdemeanor punishable by six months imprisonment and a $300 fine. Convicted polygamists were disenfranchised and were ineligible to hold political office. Those who practiced polygamy were disqualified from jury service, and those who professed a belief in it could not serve in a polygamy case. All registration and election officers in Utah Territory were dismissed, and a board of five commissioners was appointed to direct elections.

Because the Edmunds Act was unsuccessful in controlling polygamy in Utah, in 1884 Congress debated legislation to plug the loopholes. Finally, in 1887, the hodge-podge Edmunds-Tucker Bill passed. It required plural wives to testify against their husbands, dissolved the Perpetual Emigrating Fund Company (a loan institution that helped members of the church come to Utah from Europe), abolished the Nauvoo Legion militia, and provided a mechanism for acquiring the property of the church, which already was disincorporated by the Morrill Act. The Cullom-Struble Bill with even stricter measures was debated in 1889, but the Mormon church helped to prevent its passage by promising to do away with polygamy.

All of these pressures had an impact on the church, even though they did not compel the Latter-day Saints to abolish polygamy. Church leaders as well as many of its members went into hidingon the underground as it was calledeither to avoid arrest or to avoid having to testify. Mormon church President John Taylor died while in hiding. His successor, Wilford Woodruff, initially supported the continued practice of polygamy; however, as pressure increased, he began to change the churchs policy. On 26 September 1890 he issued a press release, the Manifesto, which read, I publicly declare that my advice to the Latter-day Saints is to refrain from contracting any marriages forbidden by the law of the land. The Manifesto was approved at the churchs general conference on 6 October 1890.

Mormon polygamists in federal penitentiary

Rather than resolving the polygamy question, however, according to one historian: For both the hierarchy and the general membership of the LDS Church, the Manifesto inaugurated an ambiguous era in the practice of plural marriage rivaled only by the status of polygamy during the lifetime of Joseph Smith. Woodruffs public and private statements contradicted whether the Manifesto applied to existing marriages. As a result of the Manifesto, some men left plural wives; others interpreted it as applying only to new marriages. All polygamous general authorities (church leaders including the First Presidency, Council of the Twelve Apostles, church patriarch, First Council of Seventy, and Presiding Bishopric) continued to cohabit with their wives. Based on impressionistic evidence in family histories and genealogical records, it appears that most polygamists followed the general authorities example.

Neither did all new plural marriages end in 1890. Although technically against the law in Mexico and Canada, polygamous marriages were performed in both countries. Mormon plural families openly practiced polygamy in Mexico; the Canadian government allowed Mormon men to have only one wife in the country, so some men had a legal wife in the United States and one in Canada. In addition, a few plural marriages were performed in the United States.

During the Senate investigation in 1904 concerning the seating of Senator-elect Reed Smoot, a monogamist but a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Mormon Church President Joseph F. Smith presented what historians have called the Second Manifesto on 7 April 1904. It included provisions for the church to take action against those who continued to perform plural marriages and marry plural wives. Matthias Cowley and John W. Taylor, both apostles, continued to be involved in performing or advocating new plural marriages after 1904, and, as a result, Cowley was disfellowshipped and Taylor excommunicated from the church. In 1909 a committee of apostles met to investigate post-Manifesto polygamy, and by 1910 the church had a new policy. Those involved in plural marriages after 1904 were excommunicated; and those married between 1890 and 1904 were not to have church callings where other members would have to sustain them. Although the Mormon church officially prohibited new plural marriages after 1904, many plural husbands and wives continued to cohabit until their deaths in the 1940s and 1950s.

Fundamentalist groups who believe that the church discontinued polygamy only because of government pressure continued the practice. As they were discovered by the LDS church, they were excommunicated. Some of these polygamists have appointed leaders and continue to live in groups, including those in Colorado City (formerly Short Creek), Arizona, and Hilldale, Utah. Others, such as Royston Potter, practice polygamy but have no affiliation with an organized group.

More reading onThe History of Polygamy is available.

The Wives of Brigham Young

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The History of Polygamy | History to Go

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was born in 1977 in Nigeria. The esteemed writer and activist grew up during the Nigerian Civil War and, at 19-years-old moved to the United States to study. Among her books and essays is her critically acclaimed novel Americanah, which examines race and what it means to be Black in America, Nigeria, and Britain.

The book, which won the US National Book Critics Circle Award tells the story of Ifemelu, a brilliant and strong Nigerian woman whose experiences sometimes echo that of the author herself. Ifemelu migrates to the United States and struggles but never lets go of her high school boyfriend, Obinze, who also left Nigeria, but for London instead.

Though it is a love story, it also leans into politics and feminism. It is unscrupulously authentic in addressing the realities of where we still are today and how the color of ones skin is often used as a judgement vehicle. I came from a country where race was not an issue; I did not think of myself as Black and I only became Black when I came to America, says Ifemelu.

RELATED: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: A Literary Star Is Born

The harshness of that reality is digestible because of the graceful way in which the generic is replaced by beautiful and elegant descriptors used to tell the story of the characters complexions: caramel, sable, and gingerbread.

Adichie, who divides her time between Nigeria and the US, has had her work translated into more than 30 languages.

Alex Wheatle is an award-winning writer of Jamaican descent who grew up in South London. Wheatle began reading the works of authors Richard Wright and John Steinbeck while imprisoned for his participation in the Brixton riots of 1981. His young adult novel, Liccle Bit, delves into themes of love, family, loyalty, and having to make tough life choices through the experiences of 14-year old Lemar.

The teen, shares a home with his mother, his big sister, and her baby. As he struggles to find himself, and side-step gang activity, he navigates his way around those who wish to take advantage of him for their own gains. It is a poignant story served up with rich humor.

Aminatta Forna is an award-winning writer born in Scotland and raised in Sierra Leone and Great Britain. She also spent some of her formative years in Iran, Thailand, and Zambia. Although she has several novels, her memoir The Devil that Danced on the Water stands out as her captivating storytelling makes you feel like you are in the midst of what is happening.

It is a powerful and personal retelling of corruption, history, and how as a child, Forna lived through unstable post-colonial Africa, exile in Britain, and the fallout from her fathers Mohamed Fornastance against the tyranny in their homeland.

You will get to experience her relentless pursuit to uncover the truth about what happened to her father, as well as her pain and her sorrow.

If you have seen the movie The Sun Is Also a Star, then you are familiar with the work of New York Times bestselling author Nicola Yoon. The film, which is based on the young adult fiction book, stars actress and activist Yara Shahidi and actor Charles Melton. The story follows two teens Natasha and Danielwho meet and fall in love over the course of a single day in New York City.

RELATED: Yara Shahidi Honors Her Black Roots And Iranian Heritage With New Adidas Collaboration

Natasha and Daniels paths are drawn together as she tries to keep her family from being deported, and he is on his way to a college interview. The story addresses what it means to fall in love and also the beauty of possibilities. Yoon, who grew up in Jamaica, is also the author of Instructions for Dancing and Everything, Everything.

Being married can be beautiful, but it can also test your beliefs, and those themes are at the heart of the story of the two main characters from Nigerian writer Ayobami Adebayo's book Stay With Me. Yejide and Akin meet in college and fall in love knowing that polygamy wasnt something either wanted. But that gets tested as the couple struggled to have a child.

After years of drinking teas meant to help her get pregnant and consulting with fertility doctors, Yejide's in-laws visit and with them Akins second wife. Blinded by jealousy and hurt, Yejide believes that her only chance of saving her marriage is to get pregnant and she does but the cost of that decision is a tough price to pay.

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Five Black Authors With Global Roots To Read This Month - BET

SALT LAKE CITY Google Fiber announced on Monday it had mostly completed its build out of Salt Lake City, with plans to expand into seven other cities in northern Utah.

"Most residents in Salt Lake City should be able to get Google Fiber service now. Doesnt mean were going away. Well still fill in some neighborhoods we havent gotten to quite yet but the bulk of the city is done and were really, really excited about that," said Angie Welling, Google Fiber's director of communications.

Google announced it is currently building its fiber service in South Salt Lake, Millcreek, Taylorsville, and Holladay. It has also signed agreements to expand into North Salt Lake, Sandy and Woods Cross.

The internet giant first moved into Utah when it took over Provo's city-run internet service provider in 2013.

The completion of Google Fiber in Salt Lake City has been years in the making. In 2015, the company announced it would begin construction on its high-speed internet infrastructure, securing permission from the city council to build in the right of way on streets and connecting to homes. It now competes with XMission, XFinity, and CenturyLink.

"It took a little longer we anticipated for various reasons. Its a big construction project," Welling said.

The Utah State Legislature has advanced broadband internet infrastructure as a necessity, especially coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic when everyone was forced to work from home and children had to pivot to remote learning. Governor Spencer Cox has pushed it as a rural Utah job creator.

"Its the future. Its not even the future. Its the now and we need that readily available," Hildale Mayor Donia Jessop told FOX 13 in an interview Monday.

Mayor Jessop has pushed for increased internet infrastructure in the Utah-Arizona border community. Hildale City spent some COVID-19 relief money to expand its internet access to lure companies to town and create jobs.

"We have huge production companies moving in, mortgage companies moving into Hildale. Number one thing do we have fiber available? Its the first question," she said.

Welling said it was an issue that Google Fiber and other internet companies do grapple with.

"Its a very fair question. The rural issue is a tricky issue to solve. Its the right thing for policy makers to be talking about and asking questions about and its the right thing for internet service providers to be exploring how we can improve internet access in rural areas," she said. "Its not an easy fix."

The mayor said right now, businesses do have access to the higher speed internet through local companies, but not all residences do.

"Right now at my house, I have to go around like, 'You have to turn that off, that off because I have to have my computer right now.' Thats how bad it is," she said. "So what I would like to see is enough ISPs [internet service providers] to make the price low enough because of the competitive nature that more companies bring, keep prices low enough so every citizen can afford good fiber connection in their home."

All new development in Hildale will have fiber access built in like they do with any other utility. But Mayor Jessop said it has not been easy. She recalled one company describing the internet access issue by saying "your community is unique."

"Im like, 'I know. Ive heard that a time or six,'" she joked, referencing the community's history with polygamy.

The Utah State Legislature has twice considered a bill to create a state office to focus on expanding internet access in under-served communities, including rural Utah. Rep. Jennifer Dailey-Provost, D-Salt Lake City, got it through the House of Representatives with bipartisan support, spurred by the collective experience of the COVID-19 pandemic. She had support from the governor's office.

But it failed in the Utah State Senate in the final days of the legislative session.

"I actually spoke to a senator after that and asked why it happened, why he voted no," Rep. Dailey-Provost told FOX 13. "The answer was very simple: it was he didnt like it had the word 'equity' in it. That was really frustrating. It just got caught up in politics and partisanship."

Rep. Dailey-Provost said she is not sure if she will try to run the bill again in 2022 or explore other ways to expand internet access across the state. But she said the state needed to address the problem.

"This needs to be something we need to lay the groundwork for and needs to be a top priority always," she said.

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Google Fiber says it's finishing SLC, plans to expand to 7 other cities - fox13now.com

France has adopted a bill titled "reinforcing respect for the principles of the Republic," criticized for marginalizing Muslims.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced Friday on Twitter that the parliament had adopted the bill.

"We give ourselves the means to fight against those who put forward religion to question the values of the Republic," Darmanin added.

The bill, rejected by the Senate in its session on Tuesday, was voted on in the French National Assembly, which has the last word on the validity of a law. The bill was passed by 49 votes in favor versus 19 against.

Meanwhile, right-wing parties announced that they would appeal against the law with the Constitutional Council, claiming it does not go after "Islamists" enough, while left-wing parties said they are preparing to do the same over its alleged violation of the Constitution.

Content of law

France, which has the largest Muslim population in Europe, has been criticized for interfering with the lives of Muslims with the law.

It contains measures to ensure the religious neutrality of public officials while moving from a homeschooling system in which parents' declaration is sufficient to one that requires authorities' permission.

Besides, the text contains an array of articles, including on the fight against certificates of virginity, polygamy, and forced marriage, as well as others punishing online hate crimes, protecting public officials and teachers, and mandating greater "transparency" in funding management.

France criticized by international groups, civil society

France has been criticized by international organizations and non-governmental organizations, especially the UN, for targeting and marginalizing Muslims with this law.

Since being announced as a bill, attacks on mosques and masjids, including arson, have increased in the country.

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Criticized over marginalizing Muslims, French bill adopted - The Nation