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was finally diluted by the imposition of the basic spirit of Islam. The
resultant resolutions could not be but moderately open with small
windows here and there to vent in some air from the open and
permissive societies of the west. Although the resolutions taken
unanimously are Islamic in spirit, the spirit nonetheless is that of
modernization and progressive in nature.
III
In Islam, polygamy is generally allowed. Only a few Muslim majority
countries are exceptions.6 This is a very important aspect to be
considered in implementing reproductive technologies in Islamic
societies. It is mentioned above that male contraceptives, both in the
form of pills and injections, are to be available on the market soon.
This technique of controlling population, in its negative sense, is the
most suitable technique for Muslim populations for various reasons.
A Muslim man is allowed to have four wives at the same time,
although there is a condition attached to this privilege. All the four
wives are to be equally treated. Unfortunately, to my knowledge,
there is no qualification mentioned as to the `equal treatment' that a
man is supposed to offer to all of his four wives. The equality may take
different forms, but at the same time, measured from quantitative and
qualitative points of view, it may somehow achieve a kind of balance.
Is this what is meant in the Quran when the so-called `restriction' on
taking four women as co-wives is mentioned? It is not quite clear.7
Anyhow, assuming that it is humanly possible to treat four wives
equally, even then using male contraceptives is the most congenial
method of controlling population for the following important reasons:
it saves all four co-wives the pain and suffering from taking pills and
other hormonal treatments for stopping further reproduction;8 and
one male partner's, i.e. the husband's, active participation in taking
contraceptives saves the suffering of four co-wives. Here, `greater
6
For example, the condition of Bangladesh may be cited. Here, polygamy is not
encouraged in most parts of the country. Marriage for divorcees is acceptable. Only
in some parts like the greater Mymensingh, Jamalpur, Sherpur, Haluaghat, etc. is
polygamy allowed and generally not thought to be avoided.
7
For different and contradictory versions of the verses in the Quran and the sayings
of the Prophet, see the following papers by Riffat Hasan: `On Rights and the Quranic
Perspective', Journal of Economic Studies, 19:3, Summer, 1982; `The Issue of Woman^
Man Equality in the Islamic Tradition', in G. Hassan (ed.), Of the Spirit,
Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1991; and `Muslim Women and Post-Patriarchal
Islam', in Eakin Cooey (ed.), After Patriarchy, New York: McDaniel, 1991.
8
For detailed information on female contraceptives, see D. Melrose, Bitter Pills,
Dhaka: Oxfam, 1982.
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345
Quoted from a circular by the Committee for ICPD `94, dated 5^13 September
1994.
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Islamic Manual of Family Planning, draft presented in May 1996 in Cairo, p. 11.
Blackwell Publishers Ltd. 1997
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