Muftis have Come Out in Favor of Polygamy to Protect Widows of Those who have Died Fighting in Ukraine, Gaynutdin Says

Paul Goble
    Staunton, Dec. 22 – Many have asked why the leading muftis of the Russian Federation have come out in support of polygamy for the faithful, but the answer is simple, Mufti Ravil Gaynutdin says. They want to ensure that the widows and children of those Muslims who have died fighting in Ukraine will have the support of two parents.
    The head of the Muslim Spiritual Directorate of Muslims of Russia says that many Muslims who have gone to fight in Ukraine are understandably worried about what will happen to their wives and children if they die in combat. Polygamy is one way to ensure that the Muslim community will protect them (t.me/DUM_RF/3539).
    In response to criticism from various non-Muslim Russian leaders, Gaynutdin says that what the muftis are supporting is religious and not civil marriage and therefore is exclusively “the internal affair” of the ummah, although many Russian officials and commentators see things very differently.
    Significantly, the mufti did not underscore the fact that polygamy has a long tradition in Islam and that it continues to be a feature of life in many Muslim communities, including those inside the current borders of the Russian Federation. Instead, he addressed the need for it now in terms of losses in Ukraine.
    Gaynutdin’s words more than almost anything else so far highlight just how large these losses have been and how concerned the leaders of that community are about those deaths even if they continue to speak out in favor of Putin’s policies. This new call for polygamy puts the Kremlin in a difficult position, one in which it will face opposition regardless of what it does.