It seems rather odd to me that the same people who constantly champion freedom of the individual and the right to conduct your own private relationships in the fashion you choose are sometimes the same people who seek to prevent things like polygamy from being legal.

They'll campaign for gay marriages, they'll probably even be campaigning for the right to marry animals in the not too distant future and they probably have no qualm with people living in 3 or 4 way relationships, but if a Muslim (or Christian or Jew, some of them DO practise polygamy too) wants to make that relationship legally binding and formal, all of a sudden personal freedom isn't worth zip.

And for any Christians who oppose polygamy, go and read your Bible, you'll be hard pressed to find a prophet who wasn't polygamous. And nowhere was it ever prevented in the New Testament, which would indicate it still stands as a valid and legal practise.

NorthOfNorth wrote on Jun 29^th, 2008 at 3:17pm:


- because formal marriage is a vestige from Australia's largely Christian past. It's a legislative fossil from a religious past in a secular society. It's also one of the last sacred cows. The point is that those people choosing to live in defacto relationships are now in the majority. Marriage is dying out, but the establishment of marriage is defended, mainly by Christians against corrupting influences. If it wasn't for the religion aspect, most people wouldn't bat an eyelid.

Personally I don't see the problem with allowing polygamy. We'd solve the Child Care crisis pretty quickly if there were more polygamous relationships (although it would probably put babysitters out of business).

It already exists in one form in Iceland where a form of 'serial polygamy' is almost the norm.  Iceland is also apparently the 'happiest place on Earth' according to a recent survey. After a divorce, everybody stays friends and multi-parent families are common. It sounds typically laid back and Scandinavian - a bit like the Sweden of the 1980's that I remember.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/18/iceland

abu_rashid wrote on Jun 29^th, 2008 at 2:28pm:

Assalaamu Alaikum Abu Rashid, Ahlan wa Sahlan to the ozpolitic forums.

Great post.

[abu_rashid wrote on Jun 29^th, 2008 at 6:37pm:


Can you prove it?

Even if Muslims did get here before white settlement (no I am not white either), what the hell does that matter?

Did they colonise Australia? No.

Was Australia set up under Muslim law and doctrine? No, it was set up to mimic the way of life in England, with Australia in fact coming directly under English law.

What point are you trying to make? Muslims had no input in to early Australian settlement by Europeans. How were they heavily involved? Do we ever hear about early settlers going to the Mosque to pray?

I don't think so.

I've seen the argument here (or maybe elsewhere, I'm not going searching, though I feel it was here) about Muslim men needing another wife to satisfy their urges, or getting married temporarily to satisfy their urges.

If that is the case, and they still love their wives, why not opt for an open marriage if mutually acceptable by both parties? Open relationships are not at all uncommon these days.

Australia does not need polygamy. Australia does not need to make any laws to suit any religion.

The argument about rights for gays does not come in to play here at all. Being gay is a biological drive, and something people have no choice in what so ever, according to recent scientific study. Giving them equal rights in regards to relationship status and tax benefits is not being swayed by a particular minority group to have their own way, it is recognising that they are people who deserve to be treated fairly and not discriminated against.

Introducing polygamy to appease the Muslim community is not something I support, nor would it be the case for introducing polygamy for the Mormon community.

It goes against our traditional ethos and way of life as being Australian.

Multiculturalism is destroying Australia. It has been proven not to work. We need just the Australian culture. Some cultures just do not mix, and encouraging multiculturalism is detrimental to a nations identity. Be happy you live in a country where you are free to worship whatever God you like, in public, without government sanctioned oppression.

I for one cannot understand why any sane man would want TWO women nagging him day and night, unless Muslim women are every mans dream.

Or maybe it is just that they are conditioned by their culture to be subservient and passive.

Oh and don't give me that bullshit about not understanding Muslim culture.

As a Catholic, I was once engaged to a Muslim girl. I'm not getting in to that though.

Adopt the Australian culture, accept we have a good thing going here, or piss off. Nobody wants our country to start mimicking the standards you see in Middle Eastern countries.

Quote:


abu.....you have a very serious credibility problem. You say that Muslims have been in Australia before European settlement, and that they were heavily involved in that settlement.

Utter crap, and that will forever reflect on what you say here, and unless the currently credible Malik also trashes your stupid claims, it will also reflect on his position.

Was Captain Cook a Muslim?  Flinders?  Magellin?  Vasco de Gama.  That French dude who raced Flinders?

Aussie wrote on Jun 29^th, 2008 at 7:40pm:

Why would you doubt that Muslims had visited Australia prior to the Europeans? You have the largest population of Muslims in one nation just to the north of Australia who were engaged in heavy trade. In fact they came across Islam from traders that came from Yemen and India. From there, Macassan trepengers from south west Sulewesi did come and trade here and had a good relationship with Indigenous Australians from as far back as the 1400's.

Regarding Muslims helping settlers, it may surprise you to know that Muslims had also come to Australia in the mid 1800's from Afghanistan and Pakistan and helped build much of the telegraphing system that we had in Australia. Perhaps if you also check your facts you will find that Burke and Wills were accompanied by Afghan Cameleers and such cameleers saved the lives of many European explorers.

Many of the Afghans stayed in Australia, marrying into indigenous families. You will find that in central and northern Australia that there are Afghan-Aboriginal's with Muslim names, in fact those who didn't have Christianity forced on them by the colonialists you so love still retain their Islamic identity today.

Why should we not accept polygamy among 3 or more consenting adults? Why should we not accept polyandry for the same reasons? Why should consenting adults be denied legal recognition of these arrangements where there is consent among all concerned?