Category Archives: Polygamy

Timing counts for a great deal in politics and last Fridays gruesome Islamist terrorist attack in the north-western suburbs of Paris was no different. On October 3, President Emmanuel Macron delivered a hard-hitting speech where he vowed to fight Islamist separatism and combat the threat it posed to the core values of the secular French Republic libert, galit, fraternit.

Offering a robust defence of the constitutional secular principle of lacit, Macron warned that a minority of Frances estimated six million Muslims were in danger of establishing a counter-society. Fast forward to October 16: an Islamist terrorist decapitated schoolteacher Samuel Paty on the street, before being shot dead by the French police.

Paty had shown cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad considered an act of blasphemy under Islam - during a civics class on freedom of expression. The perpetrator who brought on Patys gruesome demise is reported to be an 18-year-old Chechen-origin refugee who was unknown to Frances intelligence services.

Counter-society arguments are not without credibility when examining public attitudes within Europes Muslim communities. A 2016 IFOP poll commissioned by the think-tank Institut Montaigne found that 29 per cent of French Muslims felt the Islamic legal and moral code of sharia was more important than French secular law. A quarter of the French Muslims polled were classified as hardliners usually being young, low-skilled people, poorly integrated into the labour market and living in the outskirts of cities. This hardliner group approved of the burka, polygamy, and the general supremacy of Islamic law.

There are similarly worrying patterns on the integration front in Germany especially within the countrys sizeable Turkish-origin population. A migrant group, according to German sociologist Claus Mueller, separated from the mainstream by cultural and religious lifestyles.

A 2016 German study on integration and religion produced by the University of Mnster exposed the popularity of controversial and regressive attitudes held among some ethnic Turks living in Germany. Out of the ethnic Turks interviewed in the study, 47 per cent agreed that following the core tenets of Islam was more important to them than abiding by the laws of Germany.

This view was shared by 36 per cent of second and third generation respondents. Nearly a third of the ethnic Turkish respondents (32 per cent) supported the statement that Muslims should strive to return to a societal order like that in the time of the Prophet Muhammad. 7 per cent of the Turkish-origin respondents agreed with the view that violence can be justified as a means to spread and enforce Islam.

Britain is by no means in the clear when it comes to problematic attitudes within its Muslim population. An early-2015 ComRes survey of British Muslims, commissioned by BBC Radio 4, found that 27 per cent of the respondents had some sympathy for the motives behind the January 2015 Islamist terrorist attack on the Charlie Hebdo offices, which saw 12 people killed. Following the attack on the satirical magazine (which is known for publishing cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad), 24 per cent of the British Muslim respondents disagreed with the statement that such acts of violence can never be justified.

Last Fridays beheading was not simply a gruesome murder of a teacher it was a vicious attack on the integrity of the French secular republic. It also speaks to the broader matter of sovereignty in the West. Who decides what is acceptable when it comes to mocking religions? Which authority should be in control of what kind of materials are used in schools? And to what extent should religious sensitivities be respected in the public sphere?

The attack will reignite debates over whether or not the political classes of Western Europe have overindulged in pursuing social liberal policies which have failed to understand the potential social risks of poor integration outcomes for migrants and refugees especially those who originate from religio-political contexts which vastly differ from conventional liberal democratic society.

It will also shape discussions on social cohesion and how certain religio-political ideologies - with their totalitarian and separatist impulses - have been allowed to spread in Europes post- Enlightenment democracies. In the post-Covid world, one of the greatest challenges for Western Europe is how to create high- trust, cohesive societies where support for aggressively anti-democratic ideologies is significantly reduced. Building local communities which are resilient to the advances of religio-political separatist ideologies, should be at the heart of social policy across the Western world.

Dr Rakib Ehsan is a research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society

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The Islamist beheading in Paris should be a wake-up to the rest of Europe - Telegraph.co.uk

Local soapie Suidooster has everyone talking with its current storyline.

After being married to Mymoena (Jill Levenberg) for over 30 years, AB (Cedwyn Joel) announced that he would be taking a second wife, Farah (Lee-Ann van Rooi).

On the latest episode, AB tied the knot with Farah while Moena prayed for strength to face her new reality.

It's the first time a polygamy storyline has ever been done on Afrikaans television. Jill shares that she pitched the storyline because she thought that it is an important issue that needs to be explored.

"I don't think it's ever been explored from a woman's perspective and point of view and I think it's important that we don't only choose storylines that are safe but that we actually challenge our audiences.

"I thought that this was an important storyline and relevant because it happens so often in our society, and a lot of people are not even aware of it."

Lee-Ann adds: "The love triangle is a universal dilemma. It's reflected legally in many cultures. So, I knew it would be different, interesting, challenging, a perspective worth a story."

For Cedwyn, it was important that they tell the story in a truthful way, so they did their homework and researched the rules that govern polygamy and the marriage.

The happy couple Farah (Lee-Ann van Rooi) and AB (Cedwyn Joel).

Photo: Suidooster TV

While the actors say, they weren't surprised by the reaction from viewers; they were shocked by some of them.

"I was a bit shocked at some of the reactions on social media, and I was surprised at how involved people got on social media. But it was heart-warming to see the love for the show, and it was great to see how involved people got because they were challenged or informed. Some people didn't know that it existed, some people were emotional because they have gone through something similar and it sparked debate, and that's the most important thing", says Jill.

She continues: "The other thing I noticed was how some people started to attack artists personally because they get angry at the character. Some people got personal with artists. It is vital to remember as artists we are just holding a mirror up to society. It's our job to inform, educate, entertain and challenge. I think people need to remember that we are characters portraying roles."

What they hope viewers take away from this storyline is more understanding and tolerance for other cultures and religions.

"Even though we may not understand certain aspects of certain cultures that we need to respect each other and we cannot judge one another's religion and cultures, we need to practice tolerance and respect for one another," says Jill.

Cewdyn adds: "The layperson out there who doesn't know how it works immediately has sex on the mind and that is very far from it.

Lee-Ann hopes that people will pay more attention to the relationships that they are in.

"Treasure your partner. Do the work to make it work, and if not, then adjust accordingly. But mostly to live your life. And be responsible for the choices you make."

Will Mymoena (Jill Levenburg) come to terms with her new reality?

Photo: Suidooster TV

Viewers can expect lots more drama, intrigue and twists from AB, Moena and Farah's relationship.

Cedwyn says that the challenge now for AB is to reconcile the idea with Moena and Farah so that they can come to an amicable arrangement. He has to treat them both equally and satisfy them in terms of taking care of them.

"There's going to be a lot of fireworks still cause these things need to be sorted. Of course, there are hidden things, particularly from Farah. I don't think she was very truthful with AB when she first approached him, I think she had ulterior motives, and AB was blown away by this woman even though his wife and children warned him."

The new Mrs Samsodien (Lee-Ann van Rooi).

Photo: Suidooster TV

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Suidooster stars about the polygamy storyline: 'There's going to be a lot of fireworks' - News24

- Sekati Kemmonye is a man of God who believes man cannot live by one woman alone

- He is a father of many who blessed himself with two beautiful wives

- The happy preacher had people talking when he posted a photo of his ladies gleefully holding hands and posing next to each other

PAY ATTENTION: Win a prize of N115,000, N75000 or N38000: participate in Big Naija Independence contest by Legit.ng

What is better than having a wife to go home to, a shoulder to cry on and a partner to spend the rest of your life with? A popular pastor from Botswana named Sekati Kemmonye believes the answer is two wives.

Sekati and his babes dressed in matching shirts and trousers. Photo: Sekati KemmonyeSource: Facebook

Polygamy, an African tradition that had been turned into a big abomination is slowly creeping its way back to civilisation and even religious clerics are embracing it.

Kemmonye has become the talk of the town after proudly parading his two irresistible wives on social media.

It all started with a photo of the cleric draped in identical shirts with his ladies as they sat next to one another during a family safari.

Family means love. Photo: Sekati KemmonyeSource: Facebook

Their fits collectively spelt out love and their faces glimmered with satisfaction as the proud husband flaunted the fruits of togetherness.

His photographer Innocent Suge also marvelled at how the family lived in harmony and shared a bond so strong.

Sekati went ahead to post a picture of himself and his two wives standing tall with their kids who were also dressed in matching clothes.

It was a family affair like no other.

The trio and their children. Photo: Sekati KemmonyeSource: Facebook

They knew nothing like segregation and made sure everyone went on their outing.

The family enjoyed a stroll and drive in a national park.

As Legit.ng scrolled through the pastors Facebook account, we came across a post of the family man fiercely supporting men who were courageous enough to get two apples of their eye.

He termed people who opposed polygamy as pretenders and said even religion allows such practice.

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In other news, after Kevin Wesley left Christianity and gave up on Jesus Christ, he started practising an ancient African religion.

His newly-found faith was followed by two wives who seemed to give him purpose and drive.

Top 5 Nigerian couples proving love does exist in this world | Legit TV

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Polygamous pastor proudly shows off his 2 wives, many children - Legit

Sister Wives celeb Kody Brown didnt open the door that eventually led to the TLC reality series for his family, as viewers surmised. Instead, it happened to one of his wives. The Sister Wives patriarch often made it sound as if he alone paved the way by bringing the suggestion to the family. But despite fans assuming the reality show was all Kody Browns doing, he did have some help.

It seems Kody Brown wasnt the Sister Wives adult initially approached with this offer of a road to reality fame. It was Christine Brown, who, at the time held a job as a spokesperson for Principle Voices. She said, I became a spokesperson for our faith and I loved it.

From the way the Sister Wives mom and wife describes this, she was a local media celebrity. Christine talked about polygamy both on the news and at colleges. Kodys third wife also describes her job back then as spending two years educating people on polygamy.

Because she was so open about her family, she was approached several times about doing a documentary with her family. One day she happened to mention how documentary makers showed interest in their family to Kody Brown. The Sister Wives husband asked Christine to tell him about this if it happens again.

As fate would have it, shortly after Kody Browns request to Christine, she was contacted again. This time a man named Tim Gibbons contacted her through Principle Voices. He was looking to do a reality show about a polygamous family. So Christine came home and told Kody and the leader of the Sister Wives family met with this man.

Christine believed that Kody saw how Tim seemed to understand the Sister Wives spouses and their mission. Their mission included educating the viewers on just how normal they are as a family.

Kody contemplated doing the reality show with Tim at the helm because of what Tim envisioned. Apparently, Kody, as well as Christine felt this man understood how the family wanted to be portrayed.

He understood that people ridiculed polygamy and also that it got a bad rap. Along with Tims vision, he made promises about keeping their comfort at a decent level despite cameras around.

He also vowed to respect their privacy by not airing anything they didnt want the public to see. From what Christine says in a book, the adults from Sister Wives penned years ago, Tim kept those promises.

After Kody Brown became sold on the idea, the debate within the family started. Everyone did not welcome the idea of cameras following them around but eventually, it was a go.

So, the cameras came to follow the Kody Brown brood. That was back in 2010 and the Sister Wives camera crew is still around the Browns in 2020.

Before the show made it to the screen, the Sister Wives parents told their kids to let their friends know about their polygamous tribe. This way it would lessen the shock about the familys polygamous lifestyle.

While the kids had a few close friends who already knew, Kodys children were pleasantly surprised when they told the ones who had no idea. Thats all except for one of the older kids.

It seems one of Maddie Browns friends mortified her with the questions she started asking. Once this friend found out Maddies polygamous background she asked her if this means her father molests her. She also asked if this means she needs to marry an uncle.

The friend of this Sister Wives daughter also wanted to know if Maddie could wear the color red. Apparently this girl thought it was taboo. Maddie came home from school just horrified, according to Christine.

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Just think about it for a second. You know that a camera crew is coming and they not only expect to film you and your kids but inside your home as well. How does one get ready for this event?

It sounds like Kodys wives scrambled. As far as the way Christine explains it, she needed to do some redecorating in her house. Then she had to worry about what shed look like on camera. It wasnt easy getting things in order for Kody Browns wives.

It also wasnt easy to look comfortable while a camera crew documented every aspect of Kody Browns life. Especially the interaction between him and his wives. Getting used to the camera was not an easy feat for anyone in the Sister Wives clan.

Come back daily to Soap Dirtfor a lot morenews fromSister Wives.

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'Sister Wives': What Kody Brown Didn't Reveal About the Show - Soap Dirt

SINGAPORE: Women in our society are like pieces of meat put on the table for men to slice, declared Chan Choy Siong in a fiery speech in the Legislative Assembly in April 1960.

Choy Siong, the People's Action Party (PAP)Member for Delta and a passionate champion of womens rights, was speaking in support of the Womens Charter Bill.

She said it would bring about a revolutionary change in society as men would no longer be able to take women as pieces of merchandise.

The bill, which became law in 1961, was indeed remarkably progressive for the times. It gave women and men equal standing in marriage and banned polygamy for non-Muslims.

FIGHTING AGAINST POLYGAMY AND MUCH MORE IN 1950S

This ban on polygamy was what another pioneering feminist, Shirin Fozdar, campaigned for relentlessly during the 1950s.

Shirin, who began making speeches about womens rights when she was a schoolgirl in India, came to Singapore in 1950 with her husband to spread the Bahai faith. She soon discovered that many of the men she and her husband met at social events were there not with, as she had presumed, their one and only wife, but with their second, third or fourth wife.

Horrified that polygamy was so rife and that women and children had so little legal protection, Shirin got together some of the leading women in Singapore and formed the Singapore Council of Women (SCW).

Shirin and the SCW wrote letters, gave talks, and met with political and community leaders throughout the 1950s.

Following the 1955 Legislative Assembly general election, which was Singapores first political election and which saw David Marshall of the Labour Front becoming the Chief Minister, Shirin wrote an open and angry letter to Mr Marshall.

Before the elections, the Labour Front and the PAP promised to work for the uplift of the underdog and see that justice and equality prevailed. The women in this country were praying for the election of courageous and just men, who would remove the inequalities between the sexes in this country, she said.

But political rivalry and immature statesmanship have plunged this country into turmoil and unrest, Shirin said.

How much better it would be if instead of making the Legislative Assembly an arena for politicians to indulge in verbal bouts, the elected representatives would unite together on this one important issue of removing the injustices done to women. This would be repaying to some extent the debt of gratitude that you each owe to your mother, who happened to be a woman.

The SCWs open letter had, however, little effect on the politicians. It was only during the campaigning for the 1959 General Election that womens rights made an appearance, and the issue was only raised by the PAP.

Voting had become compulsory in 1959, and with women forming half of the electorate, the PAP, then an opposition party, went all out to secure the female vote.

Its The Tasks Ahead manifesto spoke of monogamous marriage laws, jobs for women, equal pay for equal work, care of widows and orphans, and of encouraging women to be active in politics.

Chan Choy Siong and others from the PAPs Womens League spoke rousingly at PAP rallies about how women needed to be freed from being the playthings of men.

Even Kwa Geok Choo, the wife of PAP leader Lee Kuan Yew, joined the fray.

In her first and only political speech, Mrs Lee argued the case for equal pay for equal work, saying: Our society is still built on the assumption that women are the social, political and economic inferiors of men. This myth has been made the excuse for the exploitation of female labour.

Having convincingly won the 1959 election, the PAP government set out to deliver on its promise to the women of Singapore and in 1960 it tabled the Womens Charter Bill.

At the final reading of the Bill in Parliament in March 1961, Choy Siong declared that the law would give the women's movement a very flat and level road on which to travel.

THEN THE WOMENS MOVEMENT DISAPPEARED FOR A LONG TIME

The Womens Charter indeed was a landmark legislation, as Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam noted in his recent speech about women and gender equality a speech that is itself likely to become another landmark in the womens movement here.

But the road for women has not been quite as flat and level as Choy Siong anticipated and as the rest of us would have liked.

The lively womens movement of the 1950s all but disappeared in the 1960s. With the Womens Charter in place and polygamy banned, the SCW had little else to campaign for.

Shirin moved in 1961 to Thailand to work with destitute women and girls. Without her galvanising presence, SCWs membership dwindled and it was dissolved in 1971.

Meanwhile, the PAPs interest in getting more women into politics also seemed to dwindle. Most of its women MPs left when the Barisan Socialis faction split from the party, leaving just Choy Siong in Parliament.

When Choy Siong retired from politics in 1970, the House became an all-male affair. It would remain without the benefit of womens views and voices for 14 years, until the general elections of 1984. The opposition parties did have some women candidates, but none got elected.

When in 1979 the Government announced a quota on the number of women admitted to medical school, there was no woman in Parliament to argue against this blatantly discriminatory move.

There was no woman in the nations highest policy-making body to take issue with statements like that of Health Minister Toh Chin Chye who said it was difficult for a woman to be a good doctor because she had to be a wife and a mother besides performing night duty in government hospitals.

The quota, which meant women could only make up a third of each intake of medical students, would remain in place until 2003. It was one of several discriminatory laws and policies that AWARE campaigned against for many years, and which were only rectified about 15 years ago.

A "PROPER ROLE"

The problem was that while the Womens Charter was, at that time, a progressive law in making women and men equals in a marriage, it was not legislation that established gender equality as a fundamental value for Singapore.

Polygamy was banished, but patriarchy persisted.

It was evident in the all-male Parliament we had for 14 years, and in sexist statements such as girls should be girls that emerged in the wake of Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yews controversial 1983 National Day Rally speech.

The late Mr Lees remarks sparked what became known as the Great Marriage Debate that led to a slew of sexist, elitist, and eugenicist comments and schemes designed to get graduate women to marry and have lots of children.

Shortly after this speech, Minister of State for Education Tay Eng Soon called for girls schools to cater to feminine interests and activities so that the girls would grow up better prepared for their natural and proper role in life as wives and mothers.

The following year, it became compulsory for lower secondary girls to do home economics, which meant they would not be able to opt for technical studies.

Educational and other policies have flip-flopped over the years, sometimes seriously affecting the options open to women (and men).

While we have adopted as fundamental values which are enshrined in our Constitution - non-discrimination on the grounds of religion, race, descent or place of birth, we have made no commitment to the principle of gender equality.

GENDER EQUALITY AS A FUNDAMENTAL VALUE

AWARE was set up 35 years ago because of this.

We believe gender equality should be a fundamental value. We consider it vitally important to remove the gender-based barriers that can and do limit the ability of people to explore and develop their full potential.

We have been able to contribute to the removal of some of these barriers, but the goal of a national commitment to the principle of gender equality has proved elusive.

It was thus astonishing to hear, on a Sunday (Sep 20) morning in September, Mr Shanmugam argue a passionate case for precisely this. Astonishing but encouraging and energising.

Sixty years ago, Singapore took a step ahead of many countries, including those much more developed than us, when the Womens Charter became law. Singapore today is among the most developed countries in the world.

We take pride in appearing at or near the top in all manner of global rankings and indexes. It is time to take pride in being a leader in gender equality.

Margaret Thomas is President of AWARE and a former journalist.

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Commentary: Goodbye to those days, when women were 'pieces of meat for men to slice' - CNA

Sometimes having more isn't necessarily a good thing. TakeHong Kong singer Alan Tam, for example. He found himself caught between two women and recently spoke upabout his polygamy.

According to reports, Alan went on Hong Kong radio show Happy Daily recently and apologised to his wife Sally Yeung and mistress Wendy Chu. He said: "It's not good to have two wives. I've made them suffer. I hope you all don't learn from me."

The 70-year-old has been married to wife Sally since 1981and the couple is still legally married. However, it's been reported that they're both leading separate lives with Sally devoting herself to her Buddhist studies while Alan pursues a relationship with Wendy.

Alan reportedly met Wendy, who is 20 years his junior,in 1991and the pair have a 25-year-old sonHoward. There were rumours that Sally's inability to conceive children was what prompted Alan to strike up a relationship with Wendy.

He only came clean to Sally about his long-term affair after his father's death in 2006.

bryanlim@asiaone.com

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1 man, 2 wives: Alan Tam says his polygamy made the women in his life suffer - AsiaOne

Islamic tenets and the new generation entertainment cravings will be the point of deliberation, as Islamic scholars gather for a round table discussion 11th of October 2020, at the Ostra Halls and Hotel, Ikeja. The Roundtable series is put together by renowned Nigerian actress and producer, Kabirah Kafidipe, popularly known for her role in the movie Saworoide as Araperegangan, as a prelude to the premiere of her latest movie titled A date with Asmau

The theme of the event which is Islam and entertainment in todays generation will provide a lot of insight into the position of Islam and contemporary entertainment. The round table series will have great Islamic scholars as guest speakers: Ustadh Muhammad Abubakar the founder of 1 ummah convention, Sheikh Abdulfattah Adeyemi a marriage councillor, Hon. Abdulhakeem Abdullateef, Surveyor Hassan Elias Fnis, Brother Mufutau Adebowale and Sis. Fatimah Habeeb Adeyemi.

The event will feature activities like Quran Competition, Nasheed, Business Empowerment Session and also an opportunity for guests to Network

The round table panellists are Sherif Bakare, Ibraheem Mohammed, Muhammad Muttin, Ramzan, Safee Peter, Mutiat Olagoke, Rahmah Zakareeyah and Aishah Adams.

A special feature at this event is the premiere of A date with Asmau, a dawah movie written by Kabirah Kafidipe. featuring Ibrahim Chatta, Afeez Oyetoro, Kabirah Kafidipe and many more.

The movie according to Kafidipe will trigger a lot of emotions, create a better understanding of Islam on some issues especially Marriage, Polygamy, family among others and put these in the right context as against the stereotype understanding people peddle in the society which in most cases have no basis in Islam she further stated that A Date With Asmau promises to be entertaining to viewers as well.

Round table series is proudly supported by Lotus Capital ltd, Invigorate visuals, touche royal, the essence, Haltv, Siddiqah foundation, classic meals and others.

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'A Date With Asmau': Scholars to Dissect The place of Islam in Today's Entertainment - THISDAY Newspapers

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) For more than 80 years, the grave of the first woman to vote under an equal suffrage law in the United States was marked with a misspelled name.

Not anymore.

On Tuesday morning, her descendants, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and others gathered at Seraph Young's corrected headstone in Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.

"She was a pioneer for women's suffrage," Herbert said in a press call after the wreath-laying ceremony. Her story is an example of how people today can also be pioneers and clear a path for future generations, he said.

On Feb. 14, 1870, Young became the first woman not just in Utah, but in the country to vote under an equal suffrage law when she cast her ballot in a Salt Lake City municipal election.

While she has been celebrated across Utah this year, on the 150th anniversary of her historic vote, Young faded from public memory pretty quickly after that first election. Her great-grandchildren didn't learn about their connection to her legacy until just recently.

Team members at Better Days 2020, a nonprofit that promotes Utah's suffrage history, had to piece together much of Young's life when they began researching her almost three years ago.

"At that time, we weren't sure she had voted in the historic election, we didn't have a photo of her, and we didn't know what happened to her after 1870," Katherine Kitterman, historical director for the nonprofit, said in an email.

"Her memory has not always gotten the recognition it deserves," Kitterman said, "but we're proud of the role we've been able to play in rectifying that and honoring the legacy of her historic vote, which has affected not only Utahns but women across the country."

After she died at the age of 91 in 1938, Young was buried at Arlington National Cemetery with her husband, Seth Leland Ford, who fought for the Union Army in the Civil War. On the back of Ford's headstone, Young's first name was listed as "Serath" instead of "Seraph."

Story continues below video

Last year, the Better Days 2020 team submitted a request to correct the mistake. With help from the White House, Arlington officials placed a new headstone in March. Young is now also listed on the national cemetery's website among the prominent women buried there and is described as "a pioneering figure in American history in her own right."

When a historian first told Russell Rice Jr., who lives in Maryland, that he was the great-grandson of Young, he said he thought "they got the wrong person." But when he learned that his grandmother, Cherry Ford White, was Young's daughter, it clicked.

Rice and his own granddaughter, 9-year-old Hope Rice, both attended Tuesday's ceremony celebrating Young. They were joined by Kitterman, state Sen. Deidre Henderson, R-Spanish Fork, Utah first lady Jeanette Herbert and White House officials, including a member of first lady Melania Trump's staff and national security adviser Robert C. O'Brien, among others.

"I am sure (Young) had no idea that her simple act of civic duty would set in motion events that would span generations," Henderson said in a statement. "I am grateful that the stories of Seraph Young and other important women who paved the way are finally being unearthed to inspire the women of the future."

Historians know, based on newspaper reports from the time, that Young was the first American woman to vote, according to Kitterman. None of the other 25 or so women who are thought to have voted with her was named in articles.

Young worked as a teacher at the University of Deseret's model school, a primary school, when she cast her historic ballot at age 23. She was also the grandniece of Brigham Young, the second president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

After first voting in 1870, Congress stripped Utah women of their suffrage in 1887 as part of federal anti-polygamy legislation. They later regained their right to vote when Utah became a state in 1896.

In addition to Young's milestone, this year also marks the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which expanded voting rights for women across the country, and the 55th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act that prohibited discriminatory practices, such as poll taxes and literacy tests, that kept people of color from voting.

Becky Jacobs is a Report for America corps member and writes about the status of women in Utah for The Salt Lake Tribune. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by clicking here.

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Historic female voter honored by with gravestone correction - The Herald Journal

Every four years since 1856, the Republican Party has produced a platform articulating its priorities for the next president.

But like so much else disrupted by President Trump, the Republican National Committee has dispensed with producing a 2020 platform, instead passing a resolution renewing what delegates enacted in 2016, bashing the news media and offering wholehearted support for Mr. Trump.

The Republican Party has and will continue to enthusiastically support the presidents America-first agenda, reads the resolution, adopted this past weekend in Charlotte, N.C., just before the start of the Republican National Convention.

Most of what is on that agenda also remains a mystery and is subject to change. Several times this summer, Mr. Trump has been asked by friendly Fox News hosts to articulate his second-term priorities, and he has regularly failed to reveal his plans.

So while the G.O.P. platform of 1856 called for abolishing those twin relics of barbarism polygamy and slavery and building a transcontinental railroad, the partys official stance in 2020 is that it is for whatever Mr. Trump says.

In June, the Republican National Committee announced it would not write a 2020 platform. It has instead carried over its 2016 version, word for word, including more than three dozen outdated condemnations of the current president which was, when the document was written, Barack Obama.

Though in practice, a partys platform often has little correlation with how a candidate campaigns or would govern as president, it has for more than a century served as guidance for what political parties believe.

Republicans this week found themselves maintaining that keeping the 2016 platform indicated that their partys principles and priorities have not shifted during the Trump era.

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The G.O.P.s official stance in 2020 is that it is for whatever Trump says. - The New York Times

Every four years since 1856, the Republican Party has produced a platform articulating its priorities for the next president.

But like so much else disrupted by President Trump, the Republican National Committee has dispensed with producing a 2020 platform, instead passing a resolution renewing what delegates enacted in 2016, bashing the news media and offering wholehearted support for Mr. Trump.

The Republican Party has and will continue to enthusiastically support the presidents America-first agenda, reads the resolution, adopted this past weekend in Charlotte, N.C., just before the start of the Republican National Convention.

Most of what is on that agenda also remains a mystery and is subject to change. Several times this summer, Mr. Trump has been asked by friendly Fox News hosts to articulate his second-term priorities, and he has regularly failed to reveal his plans.

So while the G.O.P. platform of 1856 called for abolishing those twin relics of barbarism polygamy and slavery and building a transcontinental railroad, the partys official stance in 2020 is that it is for whatever Mr. Trump says.

After the resolution was adopted over the weekend, Mr. Trumps re-election campaign late Sunday night announced a set of core priorities for a second term in the form of 50 bullet points under the heading Fighting for You! The list functions as a greatest hits of Mr. Trumps recent proclamations, including, under his plans for confronting the coronavirus crisis, pledges such as Return to Normal in 2021 and Develop a Vaccine by The End Of 2020, which, of course, take place entirely in Mr. Trumps current term in office.

The priorities document, which for reasons unexplained capitalizes nearly every word in it, also pledges to Hold China Fully Accountable for Allowing the Virus to Spread around the World. There is also a pledge to send a manned mission to Mars and Get Allies to Pay their Fair Share.

There is no mention of abortion or the Second Amendment, which have long been animating features of the social conservative wing of Republican politics. The only foreign country mentioned by name is China, under a section titled end our reliance on China. A section on innovation offers a goal to Partner with Other Nations to Clean Up our Planets Oceans.

It offers no specifics.

This is probably the stuff hes been talking about that they think is going to move votes, but this is not a platform, said Justin Everett, a former Colorado state legislator who as a delegate to the 2016 Republican convention was on the partys platform drafting committee. It does not have anything about the conservative issues like the Second Amendment and life. Hes staying away from that.

In June, the Republican National Committee announced it would not write a 2020 platform. It has instead carried over its 2016 version, word for word, including more than three dozen outdated condemnations of the current president which was, when the document was written, Barack Obama.

Party officials punted on a 2020 platform as part of their logistical jujitsu when Mr. Trump ordered his nominating speech moved from Charlotte to Jacksonville, Fla., after Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina, a Democrat, refused to allow thousands of delegates to gather without social-distancing guidelines in place.

By July, the authorities in Jacksonville came to the same conclusion, and Mr. Trump announced that he would deliver his nomination acceptance speech Thursday night on the White House grounds, an unprecedented maneuver by a sitting president that has raised ethics concerns.

Though in practice, a partys platform often has little correlation with how a candidate campaigns or would govern as president and in 1996, Bob Dole publicly rejected elements of the Republican Party platform and said he hadnt read other parts of it it has for more than a century served as guidance for what political parties believe.

In June, Mr. Trump called for delegates to write a new short form party platform. No such document was ever produced, despite efforts by Jared Kushner, the presidents son-in-law, to create one.

Those who are involved in crafting party platforms tend to care quite a bit about what is in them. Bill Gribbin, a longtime Republican Party official who drafted and edited the 2016 platform, wrote a Wall Street Journal op-ed in June arguing the need to create a new version for 2020.

This year the platform should be Mr. Trumps chance to strut and show the troops how he has delivered for them, Mr. Gribbin wrote. The party could use it to recruit and sell G.O.P. candidates down the ballot. But how would you react to a sales pitch four years out of date?

Jim Bopp, a former Republican National Committee member from Indiana who sat on the partys platform committee at five different conventions, said the 2016 platform was the most conservative the party had ever passed.

It fairly reflects the Republican Party as it existed then and as it exists now, Mr. Bopp said on Monday.

But he added that not producing a new platform represents a missed opportunity for Mr. Trump to promote his first-term record.

You lose that opportunity to say, Look how we fulfilled the promises and what wonderful results we have obtained as a result, Mr. Bopp said. Certainly the campaign can fill that in and has filled that in.

The 2016 party platform, which the party resolution enacted on Sunday, states that it will remain in place until the 2024 Republican convention, and it includes language opposing gay marriage and endorsing parents rights to place their L.G.B.T.Q. children in conversion therapy.

We support the right of parents to consent to medical treatment for their minor children and urge enactment of legislation that would require parental consent for their daughter to be transported across state lines for abortion, the platform states.

Republicans this week found themselves maintaining that keeping the 2016 platform indicated that their partys principles and priorities have not shifted during the Trump era.

The tenets and the basis of the Republican Party are still the same being the party of conservative values, less taxes, border security, national security and life, said the former governor of Oklahoma, Mary Fallin, who served as a co-chair of the G.O.P.s 2016 platform committee. It would have been nice to have been able to write a new platform, but these are not normal times for the world.

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Why the G.O.P. Punted on a New Party Platform for the 2020 R.N.C. - The New York Times