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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The son of the leader of one of the main Islamic parties in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region hailed his father as a “hero” on Thursday for tying the knot to his fourth wife, 35 years his junior, saying he completely supports the marriage and the right for men to have four wives.
Kurdish social media was set ablaze on Tuesday evening when a short video circulated on Facebook showing Ali Bapir, the head of one of the main Islamic parties in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, with his fourth wife, a young woman 35 years younger than him.
Sharif Ali Bapir, the leader’s son, confirmed the news of his marriage, lashing out at those criticizing his father. “I one hundred percent support my father’s position [decision] and I hope that he will be able to complete Sunnah and have four wives at the same time,” he told Rudaw’s Nwenar Fatih during an interview.
Sunnah refers to the practices and traditions of Prophet Mohammed, which Muslims strive to follow.
He described his father as a “hero” for going ahead with his marriage despite the criticism, adding that big age differences between spouses are also common in the West, providing former US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron as examples.
“In a mostly-Muslim society [like Kurdistan], a reality has been created where it is seen as a shame and crime for men to enjoy their right [of having more than one wife] despite having material and moral abilities,” Sharif said.
Many criticized the Islamist politician for tying the knot for the fourth time as Iraq and the Region are suffering from high unemployment, with many young men and women unable to start a family, as protests are contained throughout the country over the state’s mismanagement of its economy.
Social media users also posted footage showing the newly-wed pair.
Serokê Komela Dadgerî ya Kurdistanê Elî Bapîr bo cara 4 Zewicî ..
— Dildar Herki (@dildarherki) June 1, 2022
Li beşeke Soşyal Medya Başûr xelik wî rexne dikin !
Endamên partya wîjî ev vîdîo weşandine dibêjin herdû alî razîne u bi helalî xelik çima li ser jiyana taybet diaxive !?
Têzanîn berê Sê hevjînên wî hene ev ya Çarê pic.twitter.com/GoY1NG3wXZ
Tuesday also marked the 21st anniversary of the establishment of the Kurdistan Justice Group (Komal). It was established by Ali Bapir who was a long-time commander of the Islamic Movement in Kurdistan (IMK) - an umbrella group of Islamic political forces formed in 1987. He is a well-known figure in the Kurdish and Iraqi political scene. The group holds one seat in the Iraqi parliament and seven in the Kurdistan parliament.
“Anyone who perceives the tradition and the sharia of God and his prophet as inappropriate and strange, they must know that they have lost their entire faith,” Sharif wrote on Facebook late Tuesday.
He said that the people criticizing his father should instead focus on all the ills of the Kurdish society and the misbehavior of other officials.
Under the Kurdistan Region’s law, Ali Bapir is not allowed to marry a second wife unless the first wife consents in front of a competent judge.
The Iraqi Personal Status Law of 1959 permits polygamy only with the judge’s permission which is given when certain conditions are fulfilled. These conditions state that the husband “must have financial sufficiency to support more than one wife” and that there is a “legitimate interest” to enter the marriage. An example of these legitimate reasons is having a first spouse unable to have children.
In 2008, the Kurdistan Region parliament amended the 1959 law, requiring the wife’s consent. Law 15 of the amendment states that “marrying more than a woman is not allowed unless authorized by the judge,” on the condition that several requirements are met.
The judge’s authorization in the Kurdistan Region depends on the first wife’s consent, medical certifications proving that the first wife has a disease “that prevents having sexual intercourse” or infertility, proven financial ability by the man to provide for his wives equally, and a signed document by the man in which he vows to treat his wives “fairly and equally.”
When the law came into force that year, Kurdish men who could not obtain the consent of their first wife to marry another woman often traveled to Mosul or Kirkuk to legalize their second or third marriages. Both cities are under the control of the Iraqi federal government.
According to statistics released by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) judicial council on permits provided for multiple marriages in the Region, 73 were issued in Erbil, seven in Sulaimani, and 21 in Duhok. Activists say that real figure is much higher.
Sarkawt Ahmed, head of Sulaimani’s Directorate of Combatting Violence against Women, told Rudaw on Wednesday that most of the cases they deal with stem from marital problems caused by polygamy. Often times, the husband has not married his second wife in accordance to the law, adding that most of them marry “in secret.”
“For example, we get cases where they don’t mention that the reason is another woman. After investigating we find out that the husband has married another woman, behind his first wife’s back, and that is the reason for the problems,” Ahmed added.
Polygamy, illegal in most parts of the world, is still common for men in many Muslim countries as Sharia law (Islamic law) permits them to marry up to four wives.
“[Kurdish] Men are leaning more towards Arab women and say that Arab women are ok with marrying a man who has another wife. They also say they are better for married life,” Payam Ahmed, member of the legal department of Wadi organization that seeks more rights for women in the Region as part of its program, told Rudaw on Wednesday about the loopholes men find to marry multiple wives.
Ali Bapir’s first wife died in 1996 in a fire. It is unclear whether he had obtained the consent of his other two wives or whether he traveled to areas under Iraqi control to legally sanction his most recent marriage.
Some Facebook users mocked Ali Bapir’s new marriage, while others commended it.
“The number of Ali Bapir’s wives is more than his party’s seats [Iraqi parliament] …if he wanted to follow God’s orders, he could have married a widower … honestly what kind of illness is this to marry a girl 35 years your junior,” one Facebook user wrote.
“Congratulations, she embraced an honorable and truthful man,” read another comment.
Another social media user commented on the post Sharif Ali Bapir had published, allying with him. “Those who have a big mouth and are against this act [of Ali Bapir], I am certain that if they could get hold of a girl younger, they will not say no,” the user stated.
“Even though their age difference is a lot, any action that is not against the sharia of God is acceptable. Congratulations,” another person wrote.
Rudaw English reached out to Ali Bapir’s head of office and the Komal spokesperson but both declined to comment on the matter.
Additional reporting by Aveen Karim
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