Women therefore had the right to have an abortion in an approved hospital within the first 12 weeks, could grant citizenship to their children with the husband`s consent, and married women had the right to adopt children. Independent, trusted coverage of the Middle East, The Tunisian Ramadan TV series "Baraa" has been criticised by rights activists and secular politicians over the issue of polygamy, Wars, poverty fuel spike in Iraqi child labour, Swapping kabsa for kale: Saudis embrace healthy eating, Iran expert John Raine says Iranian hardliners want a military pact with Russia for the survival of the Islamic regime, Prospects for Israel, its economy and US-Israel relations: Live Q&A webinar with Haim Saban, Breakfast Briefing on the Middle East with US Senator Chris Van Hollen. 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. According to statistics from the Ministry of Justice, between 2015 and 2020, 1,718 cases of orfi marriage were investigated by the country`s courts. Four good reasons to indulge in cryptocurrency! "Talking about polygamy and orfi marriage doesn't threaten the gains that women have made," he told AFP. He had a wife in Tunisia then married another in exile and brought her with him when he got back, Nasrawi said. Disillusionment and unhappiness in Tunisia, a decade on after the Arab Spring. After Islamist movements grew following the 2011 revolt, "religious marriage became more common" particularly among university students looking for "halal" sex, he added. 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". These include reviewing unfair divorce procedures and abolishing the principle of adoption because it violates Sharia law. Business and policy professionals use PRO to monitor the regional economy and improve their reports, memos and presentations. These include: Tunisia, Turkey, and Uzbekistan. A shocking 82% of couples file for divorce within their first year of marriage, before the honeymoon period has even had chance to fade. Such controversies ought to be reflected in the arts, Ghorbali said. PESCO, enacted five months after the country`s independence, is groundbreaking legislation that grants Tunisian women unprecedented rights in the Arab world. Trend Reports - Deep dive analysis on market updates. The new Islamist government has pledged to preserve womens rights, but talk of Tunisian Islamist figures violating the polygamy ban has stirred controversy in the country. Jouil added that many Tunisians happily discuss such issues in private but are angered when they are aired in public - where commentators are "instrumentalising" the issue for political gain. Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, Tunisian Moderate Association for Awareness and Reform, Serbia's Novak Djokovic poses with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup trophy in Melbourne on January 30, 2023, after winning the Australian Open tennis tournament's mens' singles final against Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas. Al-Monitor.com is a trusted and award-winning independent source of Middle East news and analysis, founded in 2012. Special Events - Intimate in-person events with business & political VIPs. According to our city rankings, this is a good place to live with high ratings in housing, business freedom and safety. "It's disappointing to see these subjects being debated," said Tunisian actress Mariem Ben Hussein. Turkey banned the practice in 1926, while the Kurdistan-Iraq Regional Government banned polygamy in 2008. 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. Ini Game Ending Paling Gila" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUvnmEXace4 --~--Many Demo Women Ask for Polygamy | Interes. 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 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". 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. 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". 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. Sociologist Foued Ghorbali said that while the subject remains taboo, polygamy is still an issue in Tunisia. 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PESCO, enacted five months after the country`s independence, is groundbreaking legislation that grants Tunisian women unprecedented rights in the Arab world. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Such controversies ought to be reflected in the arts, Ghorbali said. The sociologist denounces "a stupid instrumentalisation to gain political points". He abolished polygamy, prohibited rejection, and introduced judicial divorce. By registering, you agree to our T&C and Privacy Policy. According to United Nations data from 2011, Russias divorce rate is 4.8 divorces per 1,000 residents.Divorce Rates By Country 2021. "Some Tunisians support customary marriage," he 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. The report revealed that the number of single women has increased to more than 2.25 million, out of a total of 4.9 million females in the country. 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. In his view, the controversy illustrates "a social hypocrisy", because "we agree to discuss these phenomena in private, among friends, but we get indignant and angry when they are mentioned in public". Leave us your comments below! Weekly A.I. Sociologist Mohamed Jouili is reassuring: the series "is a work of dramatic art that does not systematically reflect Tunisian society. 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. The conversion process can take three months or longer. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); January 26, 2019 at 11:55 am | Published in: A Tunisian woman can be seen wearing the national flag on 13 August 2018 [FETHI BELAID/AFP/Getty Images]Tunisian, Tunisian union calls for another nationwide strike to press wage demands, Tunisia cabinet approves equal inheritance law, Tunisia women recount torture in 'transitional justice' trials. Intimate in-person access to policy and business VIPs. Sociologist Foued Ghorbali said that while the subject remains taboo, polygamy is still an issue in Tunisia. Tunisia remains one of the few predominantly Muslim nations that has legally banned polygamy. Both practices are punishable by up to a year in prison under the country's 1956 family code. 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. Jouil added that many Tunisians happily discuss such issues in private but are angered when they are aired in public -- where commentators are "instrumentalising" the issue for political gain. The series, aired at prime time after observant Muslims break their daytime fast, has sparked a backlash on social media. -Tunisia-Turkey-Iran-Pakistan-Saudi Arabia-UAE. Kurdish-controlled areas criminalize polygamy, "Tunisian women free to marry non-Muslims", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Polygamy_in_Tunisia&oldid=1141521187, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 13:37. Activist Mohammed Nur Musa described the demonstration as a "Satanic idea" which "aims to mobilize supporters of the regime and its partners to distort the Islamic Ennahda movement". The main. No. It can show a point of view or phenomena in society that could be a subject of debate," he said. But sociologist Mohamed Jouil said the series does "not necessarily reflect Tunisian society". "The role of drama is not to give a good image of society, it exposes a point of view or social issues that can be a subject of debate," he explains. Adel Elmi, head of the Tunisian Moderate Association for Awareness and Reform, formerly known as the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, said in a Wednesday radio statement that marriage laws ought to be modified. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. MCI (P) 076/10/2022, MCI (P) 077/10/2022. 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. "The over-reactions to the series are trying to convince people that everything related to Islam is backwards," the 28-year-old said. 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