But in one episode, the series' main character, Wannas, declares to his wife and children that he has the right to marry a second woman under Islamic law, which "trumps all other laws". "The over-reactions to the series are trying to convince people that everything related to Islam is backwards," the 28-year-old said. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Moreover, the freedom of speech that came with the end of Ben Ali's dictatorship allowed people in favour of such practices to openly say so. Read: Tunisia women recount torture in 'transitional justice' trials. Activist Mohammed Nur Musa described the protest as a satanic idea aimed at mobilizing supporters of the regime and its partners to distort the Islamic Ennahda movement. This is a failed plan that will not deceive the wise Tunisian people, he added. The strongly secular Free Destourian Party (PDL) founded by one-time members of Ben Ali's ruling party has been one of the loudest voices against "Baraa", saying that "putting these questions back on the table is out of the question" and an affront to women's dignity. In this context, researcher of Islamic civilisation, Sami Braham, wrote that: "Unmarried women who missed a wedding opportunity believe that opening the door to polygamy will enable them to get married." Tunisia was the first Arab state to officially abolish polygamy in 1956, [1] [2] the same year of its official independence. The NGO has called for the intervention of the Tunisian High Audiovisual Authority (Haica), a body that controls media content. It can show a point of view or phenomena in society that could be a subject of debate," he said. In most West African countries, polygamy is also recognised and regulated by the civil law that allows a man to marry up to four women under certain conditions, including the financial capacity to support multiple wives and families. The sociologist denounces "a stupid instrumentalisation to gain political points". driven curation of top business stories accross 12 industries in the region. 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Rent in Tunis is, on average, 93.08% lower than in New York. A shocking 82% of couples file for divorce within their first year of marriage, before the honeymoon period has even had chance to fade. Business and policy professionals use PRO to monitor the regional economy and improve their reports, memos and presentations. Talking about polygamy and Orfi marriage does not threaten the profits women have made, he told AFP. "Some Tunisians support customary marriage," he said. Apr 13, 2022, 11:28 AM SGT. Polygamy is a taboo issue in Tunisia and a crime punishable by law, under Article 18 of the Personal Status Code. According to the latest report published by the National Office for Family and Population in December 2017, Tunisia is one of the countries with the highest rate of reluctance to get married, with figures standing at 60 per cent much higher than the ratios of other Arab countries. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you. Rights group Aswat Nissa ("Women's Voices") said polygamy and customary marriage were "forms of violence against women" and that discussing them "normalises a culture of impunity". According to the Muslim tradition, men can have up to four wives. Al-Monitor.com is a trusted and award-winning independent source of Middle East news and analysis, founded in 2012. But sociologist Mohamed Jouil said the series does "not necessarily reflect Tunisian society". The PDL also blames Ennahdha, politically dominant after the 2011 revolt, for a rise in "crimes" under the family code and has frequently called for its rival to be dissolved. Can you have 4 wives in Tunisia? No. The series, broadcast on the private channel El Hiwar Ettounsi since the beginning of Ramadan, the holy month of Muslims, after the breaking of the fast, has sparked controversy by addressing two practices prohibited by Tunisian law: polygamy and religious marriage known as orfi. Broadcast on the private channel El Hiwar Ettounsi after the break of the fast since the beginning of Ramadan, the holy month of Muslims, the series has triggered controversy by addressing two practices prohibited by Tunisian law: polygamy and religious marriage called "orfi". The group has urged the country's broadcast regulator to take the programme off the air. France 24 is not responsible for the content of external websites. Moreover, the freedom of speech that came with the end of Ben Ali's dictatorship allowed people in favour of such practices to openly say so. Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month for the first 3 months. But in one episode, the series' main character, Wannas, declares to his wife and children that he has the right to marry a second woman under Islamic law, which "trumps all other laws". Keywords: Dynamics, Gender, Polygamy Law, Tunisia One of phenomenon were risen in the Muslim world in the 20 th century was the existence of the family law reforms which is The Personal Status Code passed in 1956 by late Tunisian President Habib Bourguiba prohibited polygamy, raised the age of marriage for girls to 17 years old, facilitated womens ability to obtain divorce in court, and banned forced marriages for minor girls. Summary about cost of living in Tunis, Tunisia: A single person estimated monthly costs are 400$ (1,116DT) without rent. Italian firm gears up to restart works on Total's Mozambique gas project, Burkina scraps 1961 military aid pact with France, 'Like a war zone': Greek train survivors recount chaos, Bears freed from illegal bile farm in Vietnam. Polygamy is expressly prohibited under Tunisian law. Join over 50,000 readers who access our journalists dedicated newsletters, covering the top political, security, business and tech issues across the region each week.Delivered straight to your inbox. According to statistics from the Ministry of Justice, 1,718 "orfi" marriage cases were examined by the country's courts between 2015 and 2020. [2] PESCO, enacted five months after the country`s independence, is groundbreaking legislation that grants Tunisian women unprecedented rights in the Arab world. post-revolution initiative to cancel all laws that contradict Islamic principles. The strongly secular Free Destourian Party (PDL) founded by one-time members of Ben Ali's ruling party has been one of the loudest voices against "Baraa", saying that "putting these questions back on the table is out of the question" and an affront to women's dignity. Its supporters, such as Archbishop Gabriel Roric of the Reformed Episcopal Church (an Anglican denomination), however, maintain polygamy is a source of "African pride," saying those who opposed it were misguided by the western world's approaches to marriage. In early 2018, a group of women held a protest to demand the re-legalisation of polygamy. The practice was permitted in Islam and should be legalized if it deemed in the best interest of society, Elmi said, proposing Tunisias marriage laws be referred to courts for modification, under certain conditions. The "exaggerated reactions against this series aim to make people think that everything related to the Muslim religion is retrograde," Nadia Abdelhak, a 28-year-old civil servant, told AFP. TUNIS - A Ramadan TV series dealing with polygamy has sparked a heated debate in Tunisia, an Arab pioneer in women's rights that banned the practice decades ago. Tunisia's 2011 revolt, which overthrew Bourguiba's successor Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, brought in a parliamentary system ideologically divided between secularists and Islamist-leaning parties such as Ennahdha. This study intends to describe polygamous laws in Muslim countries such as Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia. Join the Middle East's top business and policy professionals to access exclusive PRO insights today. Such controversies ought to be reflected in the arts, Ghorbali said. Disillusionment and unhappiness in Tunisia, a decade on after the Arab Spring. Cell.Albania: +355698129583 Cell.Italia: +393357589095 [26] Use of Maslahah Another basis for the abolishment of polygyny lies in the jurisprudential concept of maslahah. A Ramadan TV series dealing with polygamy has sparked a heated debate in Tunisia, an Arab pioneer in women's rights that banned the practice decades ago. Tunisia became the first Arab state to formally abolish polygamy in 1956, the same year it gained official independence. She claimed that it also "indicates a lack of awareness of those who demand it," adding that "this will not affect the lifestyle of Tunisian society or the achievements of Tunisian women". Text Alerts - Be the first to get breaking news, exclusives, and PRO content. Intimate in-person access to policy and business VIPs. Tunisia remains one of the few predominantly Muslim nations that has legally banned polygamy. All rights reserved. Turkey banned the practice in 1926, while the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq banned polygamy in 2008. Contents1 How many wives can [] Such controversies ought to be reflected in the arts, Ghorbali said. It also changed the law so that divorce cases had to go through the courts, meaning a husband could no longer simply declare a marriage over. Turkey banned the practice in 1926, while the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq banned polygamy in 2008. Meanwhile the Head of the National Union of Tunisian Women, Radhia Djerbi, said in a statement to Alkhaleej Online that the articles of the Personal Status Code were approved by the Tunisian Constitution and cannot be amended through protest. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. For the LDP, these crimes (polygamy and habitual marriage, editor`s note), punishable by one year in prison, have resurfaced in Tunisian society since the Islamist-inspired Ennahdha party came to power in 2011. 3 min. Turkey banned the practice in 1926, while the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq banned polygamy in 2008. Most often asked questions related to bitcoin! Tunisia has some of the strongest womens rights laws in the Middle East. Any individual who engages in the union of marriage before the dissolution of their previous/current matrimony is sanctioned by one year of imprisonment and/or a fine, even if the first marriage or the new marriage were not contracted in accordance with the law. Copyright 2023 SPH Media Limited. "It's disappointing to see these subjects being debated," said Tunisian actress Mariem Ben Hussein. More women are graduating from university. Concise, actionable scenarios and predictions from top regional experts. Trend Reports - Deep dive analysis on market updates. He added that he also calls for a revision of all articles of the personal status law a set of laws that establish women`s rights and freedoms in Tunisia and not just the article on polygamy. Tunisia became the first Arab state to formally abolish polygamy in 1956, the same year it gained official independence. But since the Islamic al-Nahda Party came to power in October elections last year, Tunisian womens rights organizations have been apprehensive about the possibility losing some of their rights. Ben Faraj told Alkhaleej Online that "polygamy will open the door to the emergence of new social problems that do not exist today," pointing out that "the implementation of this idea is almost impossible in Tunisia, as polygamy had not exceeded 5 per cent since it was allowed centuries ago". Post-independence leader Habib Bourguiba outlawed polygamy in the family code passed just five months after the country's 1956 independence from France, a piece of legislation that was nothing short of revolutionary in the Arab world at the time. "It's not the role of drama to present a positive image of society. Tunis (AFP) A Ramadan TV series dealing with polygamy has sparked a heated debate in Tunisia, an Arab pioneer in women's rights that banned the practice decades ago. 2021 Al-Monitor, LLC. TUNIS (AFP) - A Ramadan TV series dealing with polygamy has sparked a heated debate in Tunisia, an Arab pioneer in women's rights that banned the practice decades ago. These include: Tunisia, Turkey, and Uzbekistan. He pointed out that political parties close to Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi supported these moves and called on people not to follow these calls. All done! In current times, Tunisia is still one of the very few predominantly Islamic nations that has legally banned polygamy. The Islamic revolution calls for multiple wives, Published September 1st, 2012 - 10:04 GMT. . This places Tunisia as one of the worst divorce centres in the Arab world. "The over-reactions to the series are trying to convince people that everything related to Islam is backwards," the 28-year-old said. A number of activists believe the call for polygamy was motivated by political parties in order to target the Islamic Ennahda movement and distort its image before the upcoming elections. Read this subscriber-only article for free! Since independence in 1956, the Tunisian state has been involved in legislation on the status of women in the family, denying women the right to vote for members of the National Constituent Assembly. Rights group Aswat Nissa ("Women's Voices") said polygamy and customary marriage were "forms of violence against women" and that discussing them "normalises a culture of impunity". Tunisia was the first Arab state to officially abolish polygamy in 1956,[1][2] the same year of its official independence. In practice, judges give less than 5 years of imprisonment. The main character of the series "Baraa" (Innocence), Wannas, beats a rosary and demands, from the third episode onwards, to be united with a second wife. You will get the updates within 24 hours. Live Video Q&A - Hear from our top journalists and regional experts. LIBRA & ARIES CONSULTING SH.P.K The news was announced by President of the Forum of Freedom and Citizenship, Fathi Al-Zghal, who confirmed that "the demonstration is spontaneous and comes within the framework of advocacy to solve the problem of spinsterhood in the country". Free shipping for many products! The PDL, a sworn enemy of Ennahdha whose dissolution it is calling for, warns against "an attack on the dignity of women if obscurantist forces are in decision-making positions". Please watch: "Sebulan Belum Tamat ! Tunisia became the first Arab state to formally abolish polygamy in 1956, the same year it gained official independence. But sociologist Mohamed Jouil said the series does "not necessarily reflect Tunisian society". We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Sociologist Foued Ghorbali said that while the subject remains taboo, polygamy remains a problem in Tunisia. Demographics . 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