Oz mosque leader's 'polygamy better than divorce' post sparks outrage

Melbourne, July 11 (ANI): A controversial Facebook post by a mosque leader in Australia, which suggests polygamy is better than divorce, has sparked off controversy and calls for the woman to come forward and protest, according to a report.

"If your husband is telling you that he wants to take another wife and you are not doing the right thing by him, then know that he is thinking straight and using a weapon that doesn't have severe consequences," read the post by a Preston mosque leader.

The official website of the Preston Mosque posted the statement on its page, but has since have taken it down due to a backlash from Islamic groups, including the Islamic Council of Victoria.

Joumah El Matrah, executive director for the Australian Muslim Women's Centre for Human Rights, said she and a number of other people wanted to provide women with alternative advice because the 'Muslim marriage is a partnership, it is not a woman serving a man'.

"We are deeply concerned by the advice provided by Preston Mosque; it reflects a poor understanding of marital discord in Muslim families," The Age quoted Matrah, as saying.

Matrah said she is deeply concerned that such advice was being given since polygamy was not legal in Australia and did not reflect the growing push against it in Islamic countries.

She said the government was not contributing in any way to helping root out or eradicate polygamy, except to point out that it was an illegal practice.

Matrah also pointed out the government did not stop conservative mosques secretly pushing these views in Australia, and added that only in this case it has been exposed. (ANI)