Polygamous husbands settling in Britain with multiple wives can claim extra benefits for their “harems” even though bigamy is a crime in the UK, it has emerged. Opposition MPs are demanding an urgent change in the law, claiming that the Government is recognising and rewarding a custom which has no legal status and which is “alien” to this country’s cultural traditions.
Islamic law allows a man to take up to four wives, providing he can provide for them fairly and equally. But British law only ever recognises one spouse, while bigamy is punishable by up to seven years in jail. However, if a husband and his wives arrive and settle in Britain having wed in a country where polygamy is legal, then the UK benefits system recognises his extra wives as dependents and pays them accordingly.
The Department of Work and Pensions admitted yesterday it had no figures on how many families are claiming for multiple wives.
Tory MP for Monmouth David Davies condemned the arrangements as “appalling”, and called for an immediate halt to the payments. He said: “People who come to this country must be prepared to abide by our laws and rules. Polygamy is completely alien to our cultural and legal tradition, and it’s disgraceful that our benefits system is recognising and rewarding it. Why are some people in Government falling over themselves to undermine every tradition that has made this country what it is?”
David Davies provides a good illustration of Soumaya Ghannoushi’s point that David Cameron’s claim to have transformed the Tories into a modern, progressive, liberal party is a fraud.
“Here’s what we know about the murderer of at least 32 students and maimer of at least 28 more at Virginia Tech, today: The murderer has been identified by law enforcement and media reports as ‘a young Asian male’. The Virginia Tech campus has a very large Muslim community, many of which are from Pakistan (per terrorism investigator Bill Warner). Pakis are considered ‘Asian’…. Why am I speculating that the ‘Asian’ gunman is a Pakistani Muslim? Because law enforcement and the media strangely won’t tell us more specifically who the gunman is. Why? Even if it does not turn out that the shooter is Muslim, this is a demonstration to Muslim jihadists all over that it is extremely easy to shoot and kill multiple American college students.”
“When I suggest that radical Muslims are the problem and that moderate Muslims are the solution, the nearly inevitable retort from most people is: ‘What moderate Muslims?’ … My response: Moderate Muslims do exist. But of course, they constitute a very small movement when compared to the Islamist onslaught.”
Delegates called on the NUJ executive to step up efforts to stamp out “pernicious and insidious” press Islamophobia on Sunday.