Woman Between Islam and Western Society
7. Polygamy and Islam
~ 388 ~
their natural urges when they have failed to find a
husband in a monogamous society? And how are
they to secure an honorable life in that society?
One way — hallowed in Indian tradition — is for
widows to burn themselves to death, so that neither
they nor their problems survive. The alternative is
to allow themselves to be turned out of their homes
on to the streets. The state of Hindu society
resulting from adherence to this principle can be
judged from a detailed report published in
India
Today
10
entitled “Widows: Wrecks of Humanity.”
Now there is no need to discuss this further,
because it is inconceivable that in present times any
sensible person would advocate this as a solution.
The other possible ‘solution’ to be found in the
‘civilized’ society of the West is the conversion of
unwillingness to become a second wife into
willingness to become a mistress, often of more than
one man.
During the Second World War, in which several
western countries such as Germany, France, Britain,
etc. took part, a large number of men were killed.
