WUNRN
IRAN PARLIAMENT FURTHER DELAYS
CONSIDERATION OF
BILL TO AMEND FAMILY PROTECTION
ACT ON POLYGAMY
07/27/2011 -
The Iran Parliament has once again delayed consideration of a controversial
bill to amend the Family Protection Act, which would give Iranian men the right
to multiple marriages without first proving adequate financial resources.
The Khaneh Mellat website cites MP Moussa Ghorbani as saying that the 23rd amendment to the Family Protection Act has been omitted from the parliamentary agenda and will be considered at a later date.
The bill was introduced four years ago and shelved after persistent protests from women's rights groups. However, it was reintroduced in Parliament last year, which once again rallied civil and women's groups against it.
Senior Shiite cleric Ayatollah Yousef Sanei has also spoken out against the bill and the practice of polygamy in general.
Polygamy is currently allowed for men under Islamic Republic law; however, they must prove that they can afford to run more than one household with equal provisions.