Dutch authorities now recognizing polygamous marriages contracted abroad
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=13538
Rotterdam, Aug 15, 2008 / 05:19 pm (CNA).- Dutch authorities have recognized the marriages of Muslims who have several wives even though polygamy is banned in the Netherlands.
While bigamous or polygamous marriages are prohibited in the Netherlands, registrars accept marriages contracted in countries where more than one wife is permitted, a Netherlands Information Services news bulletin says.
Local authorities register all the marriages of immigrants possessing several wives who settle in the Netherlands.
It is not known how common polygamy is in the Netherlands because the Central Bureau for Statistics removes bigamous or polygamous marriages from its files on the assumption the records were created through administrative errors.
Spokesman T. Verhoeven of Rotterdam’s city council said polygamous marriages are registered almost every week. “They are simply acknowledged. It is important for us to check that the documents are authentic and that the husband does not have Dutch nationality,” he explained, saying the registration of such marriages in Rotterdam is “practically never” refused.
In Amsterdam local government employees must inform the authorities if they suspect marriages of convenience or exploitation of women are factors, but a spokeswoman said such suspicions have never been reported.
Step forward?
I am afraid the interpretation of the dutch case as a step forward is wrong. Local employees just registered when people from countries where polygamy is allowed want to register their wifes here in Holland.
At the moment there is starting a political discussion here about this thing and i expect that government agencies will prohibit registering polygamist marriages.
In practise though it is possible in holland that several people (men and women living together) formalise a 'living together contract' which is similar to marriage. We had that allready many years before gay marriage was allowed.
So the fact is that nothing has changed here in holland, and i doubt that there will be changes in europe.
Welcome news
This is, I think, basically good news, because this is a step forward - a small step but a step, nonetheless.
It is really high time that the West stopped ignoring that a polygynous family is just that - a family; that the wives in that family are just that - wives, and their marriage just as valid as those entered into in the "monogamy-only" Western culture.
Europe
I suspect other European countries will follow this law. The question remains, will America adapt the same. Usually America doesn't follow any European legal system pertaining to marriage. Only time will tell. None the less, great News!!!!!!!!!