One law for you, another for me

This morning on the Toady programme just after 7.30 there was a discussion on Islam and polygamy in this country.

It was a revelation.

I was unaware that Muslim marriages do not go through the same clerical and administrative registration with which other marriages must comply - no bans, no display in register office, to allow objection.

I was unaware that a significant number of Muslim men, and the number is not declining, each year commit polygamy. All that is necessary is the both/all wives and close relatives are content, and so long as all wives and children are treated equally.

I have no doubt that this is consistent with Muslim law, and was practiced in the countries from whence the immigrant families originally came.

But this is Britain, and here polygamy is illegal. This was conceded by Baroness Warsi, who was interviewed on the programme.

Why have there been no prosecutions? I think we know the answer - to prevent inter-community relations from souring. Is the notion of common law, a basic assumption for most of us, to be eroded by one group.

The problem is that the longer the government fail to grasp this particular nettle, the more entrenched it will become.


(And gag the Archbishop of Canterbury! I hate to think what views he has on this.)