'Make polygamy compulsory': Twitter debates state-enforced multiple marriage

The subject of marriage has consumed the Arab Twittersphere yet again, with a trending hashtag demanding that states make it compulsory for men to marry more than one wife.

Polygamy is not nescessarily a taboo subject in the Arab world. It is often discussed through various heated debates with polarising viewpoint holders passionately arguing their case.

Just recently, a debate sparked after an Egyptian woman attended the wedding of her husband and his second wife.

In September, a psychologist in the UAE had even developed a programme to help women accept being a second wife, comparing a woman who is angry when a man marries another to a first-born child feeling left out when a new sibling arrives.

Religious arguments are always brought in, with Muslims debating the context surrounding men being allowed to marry four women in Islam.

But in this case, rather than debating the social and religious implications of polygamy, the hashtag, which directly translates to "let polygamy be compulsory", asks that the state directly gets involved in marital affairs.

Naturally, the suggestion sparked a lot of anger:

Twitter Post

Someone had even compared a man with four wives to a photo of a lion with four lionesses standing by his side

Twitter Post

Translation: I wonder what kind of a message the photographer intended to give with this photo

While others didn't really mind as much

Twitter Post

Translation: I believe in polygamy because this is the law of Allah

Gender equality was also on the agenda

Twitter Post

In the midst of the heated debate, this Twitter user took to the hashtag to express his love for his own wife *aww*

Twitter Post