Let's Get Married For, Oh, The Next Two Hours
Iranian women activists are furious with the country's interior minister, Mostafa Pourmohammadi, for telling a religious conference this week that one way to deal with teenage hormones in a country where extramarital sex is illegal is to have them practice "temporary marriage."
Temporary marriage, known as "sigheh," is a contract between a man and a woman that allows them to be married for a specific period of time, from an hour to 99 years. While Sunni Muslims consider it illegal and the same as prostitution, temporary marriage is allowed under Shia Islam. Iran started promoting it as an alternative to "living in sin" about 15 years ago; however, the practice is considered improper by society.
While temporary marriage may work for Iranian men, it can be a real problem for women. The activists point out that young women who enter into these arrangements often find it much harder to marry when they are older. Also, as the BBC reports, "There are already tens of thousands of children from temporary marriages whose fathers will not acknowledge them."
11:46 AM ET | 06- 5-2007 | permalink
