Polygamy breeds strange bedfellows

"As a Muslim woman from Pakistan, I have seen the negative effects of polygamy. Women are always shortchanged when polygamy is allowed to flourish,"

A Christian and Muslim group converged on Canadian Parliament yesterday to make sure that polygamy is not decriminalized in Canada. During the gay marriage debate, opponents argued that legalized gay marriage would lead to the decriminalization/legalization of polygamy. Proponents said that was preposterous.

But the finding of a Justice Department official study into polygamy conclude that criminalization of polygamy severs no purpose. Currently there is a trail in B.C., against a leader of a fundamentalist Mormon colony, that will test Justice's findings.

Institute for Family Values and Muslim Canadian Congress are right to fear that polygamy may be decriminalized in Canada. National Post

The two organizations shared a stage with the Canadian Family Action Coalition yesterday to express their concern that judges at various levels will overturn the section of the Criminal Code that makes polygamy illegal. Brian Rushfeldt, CFAC's executive director, urged the government to use the notwithstanding clause of the Charter to override the courts, if necessary.

Dr. McVety presented a poll that suggests 85% of Canadians oppose legalization of polygamy but this is, of course, a battle in which public opinion is irrelevant. All proponents have to do is convince a few judges that their Charter rights are being infringed and the floodgates could open.

Ms. Hassan said she knows that polygamy already exists on a small scale in the Muslim community in Toronto but that situation would likely change dramatically if immigrants were allowed to bring in three or four spouses legally.