IS POLYGAMY TO DISAPPEAR.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume XLV, Issue XLV, 23 May 1924, Page 4

IS POLYGAMY TO DISAPPEAR.

It was my fortune to be ia South Africa time when tlie Indian Passive Resistance Movement was at its height, and in all the discussions for and against the admission of Indian settlers, and their treatment when settled, one of the things that stands out in ray memory most was the assertion made by the Indian leaders that polygamy was not in fact largely practised by the Mohammedan community.

Undoubtedly there seems to be a very lively movement within the bounds of the Mohammedan faith for some recognition of monogamist. This is indicated by the animated discussion which has broken out in the Turkish presi. The question has arisen out of the so-called Family Rights Bill, which is soon to come up for discussion in the Grand Assembly. Whether polygamy will be abolised or not seems at present to be very doubtful. The Turkish ladies of the educated classes are almost solid against the continuance of the practise, and meetings to urge tlie abolition of polygamy have been, held not only in Constantinople but in various other towns, such as Brusa. Opinions among the men appear to be more divided, though it is not necessary to take too" seriously all the suggestions which have been published during the last few days. One of the great* -arguments adduced bv advocates of polygamy is that it diminishes prostitution, hut even this is denied by their adversaries, who declare that if need and poverty are the main causes of driving women into immorality, it. would be better to find such women work rather than increase by polygamy the number of those women who live upon somebody else, and thus consume without doing any useful work in exchange. The desire to increase the population is doubtless at tlie hack of much of the support of this practise, which, in fact, has been discont.inuued by main of tlie more liberal-minded Turks for many years past. The probability, however, of achieving even this object is challenged bv manv writers, who advocate rather that greater attention should be paid to the very high infant lnortalitv and generally to the public- health. The debates on the Bill, when it comes up for discussion, should furnish a further indication how far the country lias advanced towards a parity Wltl > the civilised nations of Europe.