Statistics Support Polyandry and Not Polygyny
By Dr Aslam Abdullah
CA
In our world there are 50.4 percent men and 49.6 percent women. In countries where Muslims are in majority out of 1.5 billion (China and India and Russia not included) men outnumber women by almost two percent. Yet, people argue that if men do not marry multiple wives, they would leave a great majority of women unmarried. In their view men must do this act of compassion and kindness.
Those who advocate multiple wives for a husband say that women outnumber men and hence men must take care of them by marrying more than one. Thirty-nine countries with a Muslim majority have more men than women. Fifteen have more women than men. In countries where women outnumber men the difference is minimal while in countries where men outnumber women, the difference is huge.
In Qatar, UAE, Oman, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, men outnumber women by 73 percent to 20 percent margin. In Turkey, Senegal, Malaysia, Bosnia and Kirghizstan, women outnumber men by one to two percent.
Let us assume that most girls and boys in the Muslim world are married between the ages of 15 to 24. In almost every Muslim majority country, men outnumber women by 70 to5 percent margin.
The argument that women outnumber men, hence a husband can take multiple wives is statistically a mute issue.
Have a look at the ratio of men and women in each of the Muslim majority and decide for yourself if the numbers justify multiple marriages. I have included the population of two countries where Muslims are in large number even though the country does not have a Muslim majority. They are China and India where men outnumber women by at least 1.5 percent, a huge difference when we look at the size of the population.
Some people would say that Allah has given permission for multiple wives and the Sunnah of the Prophet and companions also endorses it. Of course there is one verse in the Qur’an but it refers to a particular situation in a tribal society with no concept of public welfare and of course Prophet Muhammad and most prophets had multiple wives, but that again was within the context of their time and situation. They cannot be applied as general rules.
The general rule calls for monogamy.
Those who say that the number of gay men reduces the number of men seeking marriage with women. This is an assumption. No statistics about gay men or women exist in the Muslim world and any conclusion based on assumptive numbers may be misleading.
There are people who suggest that if multiple marriages are not allowed, orphan and widows would remain helpless. Well, what about creating a welfare system that takes care of people in this situation. What about empowering women with skills and education that can make them self-sufficient? What about ensuring that their financial dependence is not exploited?
Yes, there might arise situation where multiple wives may be justified but that decision would be based on sociological conditions after deliberations involving both men and women. It will not be imposed on the society in the name of God by some self-styled scholars.
Qatar 2,168,673 76.50% 23.50%
United Arab Emirates 9,346,129 70.10% 29.90%
Oman 3,632,444 63.60% 36.40%
Bahrain 1,332,171 62.20% 37.80%
Kuwait 3,368,572 59.80% 40.20%
Saudi Arabia 28,828,870 57.50% 42.50%
Western Sahara 567,315 52.60% 47.40%
China 1,385,566,537 51.80% 48.20%
India 1,252,139,596 51.70% 48.30%
Pakistan 182,142,594 51.40% 48.60%
Equatorial Guinea 757,014 51.20% 48.80%
Jordan 7,273,799 51.00% 49.00%
Nigeria 173,615,345 50.90% 49.10%
Syrian Arab Republic 21,898,061 50.90% 49.10%
State of Palestine 4,326,295 50.80% 49.20%
Afghanistan 30,551,674 50.70% 49.30%
Brunei Darussalam 417,784 50.70% 49.30%
Bangladesh 156,594,962 50.60% 49.40%
Algeria 39,208,194 50.60% 49.40%
Iraq 33,765,232 50.60% 49.40%
Yemen 24,407,381 50.40% 49.60%
Niger 17,831,270 50.40% 49.60%
Mali 15,301,650 50.40% 49.60%
Mauritania 3,889,880 50.40% 49.60%
Comoros 734,917 50.40% 49.60%
Maldives 345,023 50.40% 49.60%
Indonesia 249,865,631 50.30% 49.70%
Iran (Islamic Republic of) 77,447,168 50.30% 49.70%
Iceland 329,535 50.30% 49.70%
Sudan 37,964,306 50.20% 49.80%
Tajikistan 8,207,834 50.20% 49.80%
Djibouti 872,932 50.20% 49.80%
Egypt 82,056,378 50.20% 49.80%
Malawi 16,362,567 50.10% 49.90%
Chad 12,825,314 50.10% 49.90%
Albania 3,173,271 50.10% 49.90%
Suriname 539,276 50.10% 49.90%
Cameroon 22,253,959 50.00% 50.00%
Libya 6,201,521 50.00% 50.00%
Eritrea 6,333,135 49.90% 50.10%
Uzbekistan 28,934,102 49.70% 50.30%
Burkina Faso 16,934,839 49.70% 50.30%
Somalia 10,495,583 49.70% 50.30%
Azerbaijan 9,413,420 49.70% 50.30%
Tunisia 10,996,515 49.60% 50.40%
Gambia 1,849,285 49.50% 50.50%
Morocco 33,008,150 49.40% 50.60%
Kyrgyzstan 5,547,548 49.30% 50.70%
Turkmenistan 5,240,072 49.20% 50.80%
Turkey 74,932,641 49.10% 50.90%
Senegal 14,133,280 49.00% 51.00%
Bosnia and Herzegovina 3,829,307 48.80% 51.20%
Malaysia 29,716,965 48.50% 51.50%
Kazakhstan 16,440,586 48.10% 51.90%
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