Some say that we've finally reached gender equality, but this story proves that feminism has still a long way to go. Polygamy for men is a concept that still exists in some societies and, unfortunately, not a very feminist one.
Khuzatul Atiqah lives in Shah Alam, the state capital of Selangor, Malaysia. When she became pregnant with her fifth kid, Khuzatyl started feeling unwell. It seemed that she was having a really difficult pregnancy this time, struggling to move around with ease, which led her to use a wheelchair. And instead of caring about herself, the devoted wife and mother was worrying that her husband, Samuel Dzul, wouldn't make it with a full-time job and four children.
In such cases, couples usually find someone to help them with taking care of the children and household — someone to hire or even a family member, if they're lucky. But what Khuzatul did was really unexpected - to me, at least: she found a second wife for her husband.
Yes, you got it right. While people freak out even in the thought of their partner cheating on them, Khuzatul decided to make an arrangement so that her husband - and children - would be taken care of.
She met single mother Nur Fathonah on social media in 2018 and asked her to be her husband's second wife. Fathonah was reluctant at first but was convinced to visit Khuzatul and Samuel’s home and break the fast with them. Fathonah saw they were a happy family, and felt that she got along very well with them. So she agreed to become Samuel’s second wife. The two were wed in a simple marriage ceremony.
While polygamy for Muslim men is allowed in the country under the Islamic Family Law, it wasn't something Khuzatul and Samuel had considered for their marriage.
And against all the odds, this arrangement has been a harmonious one, as the two wives became best friends. They even opened a recording studio in Shah Alam, which the three of them run together.
Khuzatul had once rejected the idea of polygamy. However, as she said in one of her Facebook posts, her feelings on the matter changed after seeing how her father-in-law and his three wives lived all together with ease and harmony.
Sure enough, Khuzatul's pregnancy and health make the case sensitive and special. Nevertheless, Muslim feminists reject the law on polygamy - and rightly so.
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