Category Archives: Polygamy

Sister Wives fans are seeing some new dynamics fall into place for the polygamist family. Previously, many viewers felt as if Meri Brown was the one most on the outs with Kody Brown, while Robyn Brown got most of his attention and affection. After recent events including a dramatic car ride to Utah, some are noticing that Meri Brown seemed calm and collected while Christine Brown was argumentative and upset. Whats more, Robyn Brown reached out to Meri Brown and apologized in a somewhat unexpected move.

RELATED: Sister Wives: Kody Brown Calls Fan a Jackwagon While Live-Tweeting Show

The Sister Wives episode, entitled Felons No More, featured the Brown family preparing for a trip to Utah where theyd meet up with fellow polygamists, the Dargers.

The Browns visit their polygamist friends to discuss the sudden and exciting possibility that polygamy will be decriminalized in Utah. The car trip to get there is a mess, but once there, the excitement is palpable, reads the TLC synopsis.

Things turned dramatic from the start, with Kody Brown discovering a flat tire on the car they were planning to drive. It wasnt long until things got worse, with Christine Brown pushing back on just about everything the Sister Wives cast suggested for the trip.

Christine was not thrilled that she had to take a car ride with all five of the Sister Wives adults packed into one undersized car. Robyn sat up front with Kody while the other three wives were squeezed into the back. Christine did not look happy.

Whats more, Christine Brown even suggested the families do a video conference call rather than visiting in person.

Things must have gotten pretty tense during the ride to visit the Darger family, because Robyn Brown went out of her way to apologize to Meri Brown. Specifically, Robyn Brown apologized to Meri Brown for getting her involved in the dramatic Sister Wives outing.

Apparently, Meri originally had her own plans about how to get to Utah to visit the Dargers, and it didnt involve the car trip.

I felt bad because I asked Meri to drive with us on our trip and if she would have flown she wouldnt have had to deal with our drama! Sorry Meri! wrote Robyn Brown on Twitter.

Dont you wish you were a fly on the van wall while we were traveling? So much gossiping! Naughty sisterwives! she added later.

Sister Wives fans had plenty to say about the trip to visit the Dargers and all of the drama involved. Some felt as if Kody Brown was the real catalyst for difficulty, because he pushed for all of the wives to travel in the same car, but not the right one.

You must drive the same car, but not the one that makes the most sense, joked one Redditor.

First of all, who has a family that large and ALLEGEDLY wants togetherness but doesnt even have more than one comfortable option for taking the adults together in one car? And the one car you DO have he doesnt want to take because its not cool enough? This guy, pointed out another viewer.

The logical solution was proposed by all of the wives but they were ignored because Kody had to prove that they were a cohesive, happy family to the other polygamist family they were visiting. Calling the wives bossy was so uncalled for, and the fact that they took no offense to it shows how theyre used to his toxic language, suggested another fan.

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Sister Wives: Why Robyn Brown Apologized to Meri Brown Over Utah Car Ride - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

The newest season ofSister Wiveshas started with plenty of drama. Inthe season premiere, the Brown family grappled with the idea of polygamy. In the second episode, they discussed potentially being arrested simply for entering the state of Utah. There is plenty more to come, but Brown family followers are curious; could Kody Brown and his four wives, Meri Brown, Janelle Brown,Christine Brown, and Robyn Brown, really be arrested just for stepping foot in Utah? The answer is a resounding no.

In the most recent Sister Wives episode, the Brown family packed into the family minivan and headed back to their home state. In 2010, when fans met Kody and his wives, they resided in Lehigh, Utah. By the end of the first season, the family was settled into Las Vegas, Nevada, becausethey feared being prosecutedfor their plural lifestyle.

RELATED:Sister Wives: Did One Of The Brown Kids Just Reveal The Familys Best Kept Secret?

Since then, they have rarely trekked back to the state as a group. Meri visits Utah often because her bed & breakfast,the Lizzie Heritage Inn, is located there. Christine travels back as well to see her children who live in the area. Still, it was the first time the entire family traveled back in a single car. This time, their visit was to spend time with another polygamist family, the Dargers. The Dargers are reportedly inspired HBOs hit series,Big Love.

When the most recent episode ofSister Wivesaired, the Brown family could have potentially faced charges. At the time of filming, polygamy was still a felony in Utah. Since the production crew filmed the episode, the state of Utah has decriminalized polygamy. Would Kody have been arrested for entering the state of Utah, even when polygamy was a felony? It wouldnt have been likely.

For several years, the Utah government has been reluctant to pursue polygamy charges unless other serious crimes had occurred. After all, Utah still has the highest number of polygamists in the United States. SinceKody and his wiveswere passing through and were not committing other crimes, it is incredibly unlikely that Kody would have been charged with anything.

While discussion of a potential felony charge led to much drama during the episode, its important to note that Kody and his wives lifestyle isnt legal in any state, including the state of Arizona where they currently reside. Polygamy is a felony at the federal level, but states are left to decide how to best deal with it in most cases. According toCNN, Utah voted to decriminalize polygamy in May 2020, reducing the charge from a third-degree felony punishable by five years in prison to an infraction, punishable by a fine.

While Kody doesnt seem particularly interested in moving back to Utah for good, one of his wives is interested in the idea. His third wife, Christine, has made it clear that she would like toreturn to Utah, now that most of her children are out of the house and have relocated to the general, Utah area.

RELATED:Sister Wives: Could the Upcoming Season End in 2 Divorces?

Christine and Kodys daughter,Mykelti Padron, currently lives in Utah with her husband, Tony Padron. Aspyn Brown also relocated to the area following her graduation from UNLV, and Paedon Brown lives in Utah, too. Christines three youngest children, Gwendlyn, Ysabel, and Truely Brown, still live at home. Mykeltis current pregnancy might make Christine even keener on moving. Mykeltis daughter will be Christines first grandchild but Kodys third.

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Sister Wives: Would the Brown Family Really Be Arrested if They Returned to Utah? - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Opinions of Wednesday, 24 February 2021

Columnist: Prince Adjei

Queer file photo

On June 26 2015, the highest court of the United States of America simply referred to as the(US Supreme Court), struck out all state laws banning same-sex marriages from their statutes.

This singular act by the supreme of the most powerful nation in world meant that, same-sex marriage had became not just acceptable in all the fifty states in America, but also legal.

I remember that day pretty well, because I was glued to my television set, watching the Cable News Network (CNN) and witnessed for myself how the host of Anderson Cooper 360 (Himself a gay) took the live feed in a jubilant mood over the surprising decision by the Supreme Court.

It was also quiet interesting watching the kind of pictures painted outside the Supreme Court following the infamous verdict- men kissing men passionately, and women kissing women passionately and locking tongues all over with careless abundance.

Need I repeat that all this happened within the very precincts of the US supreme court?

At long last! the US has asserted itself not only as the most powerful nation on the earth, but also the 'freeist' country in thewhole wide world by fully endorsing gay marriage and approving LGBT rights.

The gay pride parade was insane, trust me, it wasn't surprising that a few months later, some countries in the European Union (EU) joined in the legitimization of such an aborminal act.

I recall vividly that on that evening, I called up one of my Brazilian friends, a woman who had always been a strong advocate and a strong supporter of LGBT rights to pick her mind on what had just happened in the US.

In her exhilarating voice, she said to me.....GUY GEE, you know this is the best news I have received in my entire life. So good to be true.. She added.

Being a bisexual herself, she had engaged me in several arguments and matured conversations on this subject and I remember how she often called me deranged, dumb, misinformed and bias especially ( when she was in her angry mood) even though she was a very calm and sweet person.

Sadly we've lost touch for years now due to the fact that ,each time we discussed the issue the argument somehow degenerated. The last one of such, really did! Especially after I had shared with her a YouTube link of a documentary by Anderson Cooper and CNN talking about the history of gay/LGBT rights.

The documentary in question showed how in the 1970s, men and women who showed the tendencies associated of today's LGBQTI's were consider "Act of Madness" by the American Psychological Association.

So how did we get here, such that today America has boldly accepted and legalized such tendencies?

The documentary as I watched it on the YouTube link revealed that in the 1970s a few bravemen like Huey Newton (then the leader of the infamous Black Panther Movement) were the early persons who openly voiced out in support for the recognition of LGBTs.

These men and women really stood their grounds to ensure that their rights were fully recognised and respected.

It is important to emphasize that from that period through to now, the world have witnessed persons of high societal standing openly admit to, and advocated support and recognition for their rights on their sexual preferences.

Among some of these personalities are notable ones like, Elton John and one of my favourite giver mentors in the world Ellen De Generes.

Today what started as a canker described by the American Psychological Association (APA) has become an accepted practice in America and most countries in Europe.

America just like their counterparts in Europe who have equally regularized same sex marriage are sovereign states with the rights to self determination, and no one can hold it against them.

However, , the attempt by the US and it's allies to brazenly push the agenda of LGBTQI down the throat of other countries to accept it as a 'new normal' is what is quiet worrying and annoying.

Just hold on with your thoughts for now.

In 1472 the first whiteman arrived at the shores of Ghana and I'm sure you have been told during your history lessons back in school what they did?

The whiteman introduced us to the ways of his God and inculcated into us the ways of his God whilst ironically condemning our God and our ways of life.

They introduced to us christianity which majority of us now gladly practice without questions and through this religion, condemned our long practiced system of polygamy.

The irony of the situation is that the whiteman having forced us to believe that, our long cheerished system of marriage including polygamy was bad, today, they have come back with another agenda to tell us that in addition to accepting their marriage of one-man-one-woman, we must also accept a man marrying to a man and a woman marrying to a woman as right and normal.

Let me paint a picture for you here to make it clearer to you in order to help you get the context right.

Supposing I come to the Upper West side of Manhattan, New York as a Ghanaian (African) and set up an Office to arrange polygamous marriages between US men and women or vice versa... Will the American laws grant me the freedom to run my business freely or will their top shot New York lawyers come after me strongly for breaking the laws of the state of New York??

Does it make sense to you now??

So if they won't allow us to do that and create heavenly matchmaking service between US men and African women, what right do they have then to foist LGBT rights on us and ask us to legalise it under our laws?

I'm not so keen on the religious or spiritual angle to this whole debate rather the commonsense and rationality of it.

So if they won't allow me to legally conduct polygamous marriages for their citizens, why would they hold it against if equally prevent same-sex marriage in our country? The next article would try to answer why..

It's that simple!!

Prince Adjei (GuyGee), MA. (Public Administration) as the Records Information Management Project Coordinator of a Private company in United States of America. He opens the line of communication between clients, customers, and businesses to get projects done. With over 8 years in both public and private sectors, Prince Adjei (GUYGEE) has experience in management consultation, team building, professional development, strategic implementation, and company collaboration. Prince Adjei (GuyGee) has managed projects in Records, Information and Management, where he was a finalist for the PMI Project of the Year. Prince Adjei (Guy Gee) holds an MPA from Kean University, Union, New Jersey and a current PMP certification.

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Why the threats when the Western World is against polygamy and Ghana is against LGBTQ+? - GhanaWeb

There has been a lot of speculation on social media about the cast of Sister Wives. Specifically revolving around inter-familial relationships. The family has been accused of marrying relatives with a focus on Caleb and Maddie. While the Brushs are not blood-related, there is some truth to inter-family marrying. And it includes Kody and one of his wives.

The Brown family has never been immune to scandals. From Season 1, they were under scrutiny when choosing to live their truth. Coming out as polygamists cost them a lot. Meri worked with at-risk youths, which she loved but lost her job as soon as she revealed her true self. Once Kody married Robyn, their poly life became even more scandalous to the point it was a felony and he risked jail time

Kody feared he would be thrown in jail. No one wanted him to be prosecuted. In the middle of the night, the whole family moved to Vegas to escape a life that could separate them. Though they had more freedoms, it caused a strain on the relationships. No longer were the wives and kids in one home but each had an individual home in a cul-de-sac. Meri, Janelle, Christine, and Robyn developed autonomy especially as the kids started to fly the coop. But, as their lives went on in front of the cameras, more was revealed about the Brown family and viewers werent always receptive.

Kody has one legal wife. Originally it was Meri but they divorced in 2014 so he could marry Robyn. He did that so he could legally adopt her three children from a previous marriage. Aside from Robyns three, all of the children are related via Kody. But, in one episode, the family visited Kodys family farm and viewers learned he and Janelle are more than just husband and wife.

Prior to Janelle dating Kody, her mother met his dad, William and they ended up getting married. She was one of three of his wives listed in his obituary, according to In Touch. So, technically, Kody and his second wife are step-siblings. Yet, social media has been really abuzz with questions about Kody and Janelles daughter, Maddie. In 2016, she married Caleb Brush in a beautiful ceremony surrounded by family, the first Brown child to wed. But, theres been speculation these two are actually cousins. Is there truth to that?

After almost five years and two children, here is the truth about Maddie and Caleb Brush. They are not technically related by blood but are family. Caleb is the brother of Kodys sister-in-law, Erica Brush Brown. So, Erica married into the Brown family making her non-blood related. Therefore, Caleb is not a blood relative but someone who might be at family reunions. So, yes, it may seem odd but it is perfectly legal and not incestuous.

As viewers saw on the most recent episode of Sister Wives, Utah is working on decriminalizing polygamy. Along with their friends, the Dargers, the Browns are still trying to erase the stigmas associated with plural marriage. Leave your thoughts on the family dynamic below and watch the series Sunday nights at 10 pm on TLC or discovery+.

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How Is The 'Sister Wives' Cast Truly Related, Are The Brush's Cousins? - TV Shows Ace

While polygamy in Thailand isnt as prevalent as it was a century ago and the marriages arent recognised under Thai law, the lifestyle is still practiced by some. Thai media reporters recently interviewed a polygamous trio and apparently life is good, according to the husband with 2 wives. The wives didnt seem to do much talking in the interview.

Reporters from the Thai news outlet Sanook spoke with 44 year old Wacharatorn Tum Sironam about his taboo family arrangement. The trio have been living together for 7 years. Tum says his family is perfectly happy, they have no arguments and they work together to care for Tums 4 children, 2 from each wife.

Tum has nicknames for his wives which translate to big wife and little wife. In the past, Thai law assigned women in polygamy marriages a certain category.

Polygamy in Thailand could be freely practiced before 1 October 1935. Polygamy was recognised under civil law. The old family law assigned wives to three categories, in accordance with the way they became wives. (The official wife known as mia klang muang, the minor wife known as mia klang nok, and slave wives known as mia klang thasi.)

While polygamy has since been abolished, it is still alive in Thailand. Wikapedia

Worapat Pla Sroinam, who has been with Tum for 18 years, is called the big wife. Tum says their love has remained strong over the years. One day, Tum told her he wanted another wife to join the family.

Pla was shocked, but said it would be okay as long as Tum loved them both the same, Tum says. He then spoke with Kochakorn Wan Tapchom, admitted that he was married and asked her to be his little wife.

The family now runs a noodle shop in Ratchaburi province, west of Bangkok, where they sell noodle soup for 10 baht. The Pla and Wan each receive 10,000 baht per month to help with the family business.

SOURCE: Thai Residents

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Polygamy is not under Thai law, but the lifestyle is still practiced - The Thaiger

Having friends as a family is important. It allows the parents to chill with adults and for children to make friends their own age, ensuring that everyone gets some time away from each other while still enjoying time as a family. So, when you're a part of a polygamist home, what kind of family friends do you have? The answer is other polygamists, of course.

This episode of 'Sister Wives' sees Kody Brown and his family meet the Dargers, their friends and a polygamist family in Utah. Utah brings out mixed feelings in the hearts of the Browns, seeing that not too long ago they had to leave the state on account of the fact that polygamy is a criminal offense here. However, the Dargers have fought tirelessly to protect their lifestyle. So, who are the Dargers?

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A fifth-generation polygamist, Joe is an entrepreneur who runs a construction company and a real estate development company. Although only legally married to Alina, he also considers Vicky and Valerie to be his wives. The four of them have 20 children together and five step-children, seeing that Valeries was previously a part of another polygamist family. He is also the grandfather to 17 children.

The family is no stranger to reality TV, seeing that they have been featured on the show before, alongside starring in a documentary titled 'My Three Wives'. Their lives also served as inspiration for the HBO series 'Big Love'.

The Darger family takes the concept of sister wives quite seriously. Joe married cousins Alina and Vicky together, on the same day back in 1990. He then went on to marry Valerie in 2000, who was in a previous marriage but got a divorce. Here's where it gets interesting. Vicky and Valerie are twin sisters. In an article by Huffington Post, Valerie addressed why she married her twin's husband.

"The fact that Joe was married to Vicki didn't bother me at all. I took it as a sign he would be a good husband for me as well," she said, justifying her choice. "As teenagers, Vicki and I liked some of the same guys. I thought it might even be good if we married the same man." Vicki hosts a podcast by the name 'Moms I Love' and also works as a bookkeeper. Valerie and Alina work for a family-owned residential and commercial cleaning service.

The state of Utah recognizes polygamy as a criminal offense. This makes even consenting polygamist families felons who risk being arrested and prosecuted. The issue is far worse than being tried and getting sentenced to jail. Polygamist families are afraid to contact social services or ambulances. Under the banner 'Families not Felons', polygamist families such as the Dargers and the Browns protested it.

In early 2020, polygamy in Utah was decriminalized, allowing these families to live freely. In the past, Joe Darger has even gone as far as to dare prosecutors to charge him. However, as reported bySalt Lake Tribune, the Utah Attorney General's Office maintained that its policy is to not prosecute consenting adults whose only crime is bigamy, seeing that the real issue is polygamists who commit fraud and abuse. But seeing that it is now decriminalized, it looks like the family can live in peace.

Their friends, the Browns, however, have no intention of returning to Utah. At least for now, that is. Seeing that the family is falling apart, only time will tell what lies ahead for the Browns.

Catch new episodes of 'Sister Wives' Season 15 on Sundays at 10/9c on TLC.

Originally posted here:

Who are the Dargers? Meet the family on 'Sister Wives' who fought to decriminalize polygamy in Utah - MEAWW

Sister Wives returned to TLC on Feb. 14 at 10 p.m. EST and the Brown family appeared to be more divided than ever amid the COVID-19 crisis and ongoing problems in their polygamous marriage. Heres what went down between Kody Brown and his four wives (Meri, Janelle, Christine, and Robyn Brown) on the Sister Wives season premiere.

The Brown family has wrestled with the aftermath of various moves from Utah to Las Vegas and from Vegas to Flagstaff, Arizona since their very first season on TLC. The new season of Sister Wives looks like it will be no exception.

Kodys fourth wife, Robyn, still wasnt sold on the idea of owning a home in Flagstaff. With the Browns scattered all over the city and hardly seeing each other, she said she was still praying to find an available rental.

Still, Kody and his wives were no closer to building one home or building homes at all on their large joint property in Arizona, Coyote Pass. For now, they were still very much separated, and admitted they felt like they were four different families.

RELATED: Sister Wives: Fans Criticize the Browns BusinessesStop Doing MLMs

Maddie Brown Brush (Janelle and Kodys daughter) and her husband, Caleb Brush, introduced their daughter, Evangalynn Kodi Brush the couples second child after the birth of their son, Axel to the rest of the family on the Sister Wives season premiere. Kody and his wives oohed and aahed over the adorable baby.

Of course, the Sister Wives family admitted they were also sometimes concerned about Evangalynns health and future. The little girl was born with FATCO syndrome, a genetic condition that affects the growth of the bones in her extremities. Janelle explained that Evie might need surgery when she was about a year old, which would naturally worry any grandparent.

Despite their worries, Maddie and Caleb said they were more than ready to advocate for their daughter and to teach her to advocate for herself as well.

RELATED: Sister Wives: Maddie Brown Brush Just Revealed This Heartbreaking Truth About Her Baby

The new season of Sister Wives looks like it will face some of the marital issues between Kody and his wives head-on. Kodys second wife, Janelle, called a meeting between all five of the Brown adults. She asked each of her sister wives to explain why theyd entered polygamy.

For Kodys first wife, Meri, and his third wife, Christine both of whom will struggle in their relationships with Kody this season the answer was primarily religion. Polygamy, which they often refer to as plural marriage, is a core principle of their fundamentalist Mormon sect (the Apostolic United Brethren, or AUB). For Robyn and Janelle, their answers mostly had to do with being part of a large family and community.

But that sense of togetherness just wasnt happening anymore, they all agreed. In fact, they hadnt all sat down together in months.

Janelle placed the blame on the familys decision to go public and the scrutiny (both in the media and legal system) that ensued. The Browns were forced out of Utah due to a criminal investigation about their practice of polygamy. After they moved to Las Vegas, they could never recapture what they once had as a singular family unit.

But Robyn fretted that this really came down to her inclusion in the family. Asking her sister wives to address the pink elephant in the room, she wondered, Are you guys saying its because of me coming into the family?

Robyns sister wives adamantly denied thats what they meant. Janelle jumped up to give her youngest sister wife a hug, while Christine agreed, No, I think its Vegas, is what happened.

RELATED: Sister Wives: Fans Criticize Christine Brown For Her COVID-19 Choices

As for Kody, he had a unique take on the issue of plural marriage. Although hed always been an activist for polygamous families, he announced that he no longer wanted to advocate for polygamy. Now, more than ever, he said he recognized the inherent unfairness in the relationship. And, seeing his wives so unhappy much of the time, he didnt feel right promoting the practice anymore.

The problems between Kody and his wives were also readily apparent on the Sister Wives season premiere. Kodys first wife, Meri, was reserved and mostly silent.

Meanwhile, Kody and Christine traded a few jabs over dinner. When she pointed out that she only saw her husband one or two nights a week, she couldnt help adding that he seemed to be on his phone most of that time, anyway.

Im just always looking for a fight, apparently, Kodys third wife quipped.

But Kody hinted at even deeper troubles in his relationships. He admitted that he did spend too much time on his phone but he did so deliberately, in order to avoid engaging when he knew it would just end up in a fight.

The rest of the season teased more conflict in the Browns complicated relationships, with a few moments in which some of the wives seemed to reach their breaking point.

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What Happened on the Season Premiere of Sister Wives? - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Polygamy is associated with the Muslim population. Why do you say it is a myth?Polygamy is not confined to Muslims alone. The Status of Women in India report of 1975, the only study on this so far, shows that all communities in India are polygamous. Interestingly, the least polygamous were the Muslims. I studied the census from 1930 onwards and found that in every census, Muslims were the least polygamous, followed by the Hindus. In any case, in both communities, polygamy was going down. Secondly, that polygamy leads to population growth is also a myth. Polygamy has its own limit in India statistically. In India, for 1000 men, there are 943 women. Statistically, no man in India has a full wife but a 0.9 wife. So where is the second woman coming from for polygamy?

Which community is the most polygamous?Tribal communities have 16% polygamy, Hindus are 5.8% and Muslims are 5.7%.

The next myth you deal with is the one which says Muslims dont believe in family planning.This was a belief that both Hindus and Muslims had. Before I accidentally started this study 25 years ago, even I believed Islam is against family planning. But when I studied the subject I found that nowhere does the Quran prohibit it. In fact, there are interpretations which, according to my conclusion, show that not only is Islam not against family planning, Islam is a pioneer of family planning. It is surprising and remarkable that 1,400 years ago, when there was no population pressure anywhere in the world, the Quran was talking about planned families. For instance, a verse in the Quran says: Young men you should marry when you can afford it, when you can bring up a family. One person seeks a clarification from the Prophet and asks: Im a poor man but I have sexual needs so what should I do? The Prophet repeats the words of the Quran and tells him to try fasting as that represses sexual desire. These two verses of the Quran are, according to me, a recommendation to family planning. In another verse, a man with many children says he doesnt want to have any more. At that time, the only family planning method was the withdrawal method called Al Azl and this man wanted to practise it. However, he says that the Jew had called the method a form of infanticide. The Prophet tells him the Jew lied. This means even this method is allowed. There are other verses as well, which means we have made a mistake in the interpretation. The only thing that every interpretation prohibits is sterilisation. Yet, more than 20% of Muslims have adopted sterlisation. They have gone out of the way, even violating Islamic principles for family planning.

What about the Muslim birth rate being the highest?The allegations from the right wing have been that the Muslims have been multiplying fast as an organised conspiracy. I admit that the Muslim birth rate is the highest and demography has changed in the last 70 years. 84% Hindus has come down to 79.8% and Muslims have gone up from 9.8% to 14%. But Muslims are catching up fast with family planning and they will not overtake Hindus in birth rate. After 60 years, there was 4.2% increase in the Muslim population; the projection is that in 2100, Muslims will become 18% of the population. There is no question of Muslims overtaking. Professor Dinesh Singh, former VC of Delhi University, who is an expert, studied the data and said that they can never overtake the Hindus.

So the slogan Hindu Khatre mein Hai (Hindus are endangered) is fake news?Absolutely fake news; it seems to be mischievous propaganda. Likewise with Hum Paanch, Hamaare Pachees (We are five, and 25 are ours) or Hum chaar, hamare chalees (We are four, and 40 are ours). I want to challenge them -- give me one Muslim with four wives and 25 children; one in a population of 1.3 billion!

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Interview: SY Quraishi, author, The Population Myth: Islam, Family Planning and Politics in India - Hindustan Times

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Polygamy is the practice of having more than one spouse at the same time. This practice is outlawed in India, except for Muslims and some tribal communities, as their customary laws permit it. At the very top of the misinformation campaign is the propaganda that Muslims have multiple wives to have more children. Muslims in the country are subject to the terms of the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act of 1937 which is interpreted by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board. But in a judgement of February 2015, the Supreme Court of India stated that Polygamy was not an integral or fundamental part of the Muslim religion and monogamy was a reform within the power of the state under article 25. This meant that although their personal law permits Muslim men to have as many as four wives, the Supreme Court has ruled that a Muslims fundamental right to profess Islam does not include the practice of polygamy.

At the very centre of the debate around polygamy lies the belief that Islam encourages polygamy, which eventually leads to population growth. The reality, however, is different. There is only one verse in the Quran (Surah An-Nisa [4:3]).

The only study on the subject of polygamy ever done was by the Committee on the Status of Women in India, 1974, which showed that polygamy as a practice was not just exclusive to Muslims but was prevalent among all communities of India. In fact, it was found that Muslims were the least polygamous among all the groups (Figure 4.3).

Trends through three decadal Censuses, from 1931 to 1960, confirm that polygamy cuts across all communities, is declining among all of them, and, most importantly, is least among the Muslims (Table 4.15). The Hindu Marriage Act of 1955 imposed a ban on polygamy for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains so it is quite possible that the numbers have changed in the years and generations hence. However, the Report of the Committee on the Status of Women in India, 1974, Ministry of Social Welfare was the last to look at polygamous marriages in India.

Also read: Former CEC S.Y. Quraishi busts myths about Islam and family planning in his new book

There is an interesting dimension missed by everyone. Polygamy is not even possible in India, as the number of women has been significantly lower than the number of men throughout the seven decades under study, as shown in Table 4.16.

Statistically, therefore, no Indian man has even one full wife! Each has 0.9 of a wife. Experts, in any case, are of the opinion that polygamy cannot lead to a high birth rate as the number of polygamous men, however few, would result in an equal number of unmarried men (who will not find wives). Another Indian study shows that the average number of children from the second wife of Muslim men was only 1.78 as compared with 4.67 from the first wife. Thus, it is clear that the presumption of a high polygamy rate among Muslims is unfounded and that polygamy is not a factor leading to high birth rate among Muslims.

There is one area in which Muslims fare better than all other religious communities. In India, Muslim children are more likely than their Hindu counterparts to survive to their fifth birthday, despite Muslim parents being poorer and less educated on average than Hindu parents. By age five, mortality among Muslims is about 18 per cent less than among Hindus.29 In their 2010 article titled The Puzzle of Muslim Advantage in Child Survival in India, Bhalotra et al. described this consistent pattern as the puzzle of Muslim advantage in child survival in India. It was demonstrated that no factor education, wealth, family demographics, state trends, cohort effects, development expenditure, village-level health services and health infrastructure could explain the Muslim mortality advantage that has existed since the 1960s. Health behaviours like breastfeeding, antenatal care or even place of delivery had very little role to play in explaining this disparity.

The only plausible explanation for the highest child sex ratio among Muslims could be the emphasis of Islam on gender equality. The sacred text of the glorious Quran bears witness to the fact that in Islam women are considered as vital to life as men. Men and women are equal and therefore have similar rights and duties, as given in the Quran and the Hadith:

Never will I waste the work of a worker among you, whether male or female, the one of you being from the other.

(Al-Quran 3:195)

Observe your duty to Allah in respect to the women, and treat them well.

(Prophet Muhammeds last sermon) Verily, women are the twin halves of men.

(Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi) And for women are rights over men similar to those of men over women.(Quran, 2: 228)

Also read: If India can look after pregnant women so well, why are more under-5 kids wasting & stunting

It is true that a Hindu-Muslim fertility differential persists in the demographic reality of India. However, this is due to the relative backwardness of the Muslims in almost all the factors that determine fertility behaviour, namely, literacy, income, access to services, etc. Nor will this gap in fertility persist for a very long duration, as the fertility level of Indian Muslims is steadily declining with improvement in literacy and living standards among them. Religion is not as important in determining fertility levels as it is made out to be, but factors like literacy level, age of marriage, exposure to mass media and economic factors come together to determine the fertility levels of Indian Muslims.

If religion were the only factor, then it would become rather difficult to explain the high unmet need for family planning among the Muslim community. The truth is, a combination of these factors and their inter-relatedness is the cause behind the relatively high fertility levels among Muslims. Lack of such an understanding could result in religion bashing and even communal violence, given the existing conflicts between competing religious groups like the Hindus and Muslims. It is, therefore, imperative to understand that the presumption that Muslims relatively higher fertility levels have their roots in Islamic theology, as well as the anti-nationalist propaganda against them, is completely baseless. They are merely a means to vilify the community and a part of communal propaganda by some vested interests.

This excerpt from The Population Myth: Islam, Family Planning and Politics in India has been published with special permission from Harper Collins, and will be launched on ThePrints SoftCover.

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Muslims poorer, less educated than Hindus. But their kids more likely to survive till age 5 - ThePrint

Joe Darger and his three wives, Alina, Vicki, and Valerie. Pic credit: TLC

The Dargers are an orthodox Mormon family who lives in Utah. At the helm of the family is husband, Joe Darger, and his three wives, Alina, Vicki, and Valerie.

Between the four spouses, they share 25 children, including five children from Valeries previous (plural) marriage, and 17 grandchildren. Of the 25 children, one of Joe and Alinas children, daughter Kyra, passed away from a heart defect at just five months of age.

Joe married his first two wives, cousins, Alina and Vicki, on the same day during a joint ceremony in 1990. Alina is his only legal wife. He later wed his third wife, Valerie, ten years later. Valerie is Vickis identical twin sister. Are you keeping up with the family dynamic?

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The Dargers have appeared on TLCs series Sister Wives, a documentary entitled My Three Wives, and their lives inspired the characters and events in the HBO series, Big Love. The family also published a book about their lives. The Dargers went public with their familys lifestyle choice to bring awareness to the culture in hopes of decriminalizing it.

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The Dargers, aside from their unique marriage, are much like any other typical American family. They wear contemporary clothing, attend public school, play and coach sports, and attend concerts and sporting events. The family frequently posts on their Twitter and Facebook pages.

As told in an interview by NPR, Theyre not members of any organized polygamous faith, like Warren Jeffs FLDS church, and they are not welcome in the Mormon church, which officially renounced polygamy in 1890 and does not tolerate it now.

Modern-day Mormons denounce polygamy and members are excommunicated for it.

Joe is an entrepreneur who runs a construction company and real estate development company. Vicki has a podcast called Moms I Love and works part-time from home as a bookkeeper while she tends to the little kids at home. Valerie and Alina work for a family-owned residential and commercial cleaning service and also do seasonal decorating.

Unlike their fellow polygamist friends, The Browns of Sister Wives fame, The Dargers share one home, with only one kitchen. Joes three wives share the responsibilities of cooking and other household chores.

Each wife has her own bedroom and Joe rotates between the three on a nightly basis. They have clearly stated, similarly to their plyg friends, The Browns, that their intimate relationships are separate and its an unwritten rule to not speak about them with each other.

Plural marriage has always been a part of the Dargers lives. Joe is one of 17 children and his father had four wives. Vicki and Val have 38 other siblings and three moms. Alina has 31 siblings and two moms.

The foursome has written a book about their lives, entitled Love Times Three: Our True Story of a Polygamous Marriage. You can read an excerpt of their book here.

In a recent interview by The New Yorker, the Dargers detail how they met, how their marriages work like other typical marriages, and discuss how they changed the law against polygamy.

In 2017, the polygamist quartet fought to decriminalize polygamy in the state of Utah and won in February 2020.

Once a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison in Utah, polygamy now carries a reduced offense. Essentially, it didnt legalize polygamy, but now they liken it to getting a traffic ticket.

You can catch the Dargers on this weeks episode of Sister Wives at 10/9c on TLC.

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Who are The Dargers? Meet the polygamist family with one husband, three wives, and 25 children - Monsters and Critics