Polygamy in Muslim Countries: A Comparative Study in Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia (original) (raw)

2021, Proceedings of the 2nd Southeast Asian Academic Forum on Sustainable Development (SEA-AFSID 2018)

This study intends to describe polygamous laws in Muslim countries such as Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia. In general, the provisions (legislation) relating to family law in modern Muslim countries are linked to polygamous rules, something that can be classified into three. Firstly, countries that completely prohibit the practice of polygamy such as Turkey and Tunisia. Secondly, countries that allow polygamy with relatively strict (complicated) conditions such as Pakistan, Egypt, Morocco, Indonesia and Malaysia. Thirdly, countries that more loosely handle polygamy, such as Saudi Arabia, Iran and Qatar. This research, used samples from three countries representing three approaches to law in response to polygamy: Tunisi, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia. The results of this study were as follows; first, the Tunisian Family Law prohibits polygamy, the Indonesian Family Law allows polygamy under strict conditions, and the Saudi Family Law allows polygamy without strict restrictions. Secondly, majority of the citizens follow the laws applying in their country on polygamy. As a result, Tunisians are not polygamous and very few Indonesians practice it in while in Saudi Arabia, it is a common practice.