Polygamy Un-Australian Says Rev Nile

June 24th, 2008

Rev. Fred Nile - Media Release

The Rev Fred Nile, Leader of the Christian Democratic Party, has denounced calls by Keysar Trad from the Islamic Friendship Association to allow Muslims to have multiple wives in Australia.

“Unfortunately, this is just another attack on traditional Australian marriage.

I find the very notion of Islamic Polygamy or ‘Harem’ deplorable. Women are not objects to be collected for the personal pleasure of men. The equality and freedom of women is enshrined in our Judeo-Christian heritage, national psyche and law and this is incongruous with the idea that a man may collect several wives because a foreign culture claims he may do so. Australian society believes in full equality between the sexes and those ideals are extended to every aspect of society, including marriage. Marriage, the bedrock of our society, should be between one man and one women”, said Rev Fred Nile.

“The issue is not a new one and has already become a problem overseas. Several months ago we had the well intention but severely misguided Anglican Archbishop argue for the adoption of Sharia Law in the UK. The fact of the matter is that the British Government has already succumb to pressure from the Islamic community and allowed the formal recognition of polygamous marriages by the state, so long as the weddings took place in countries where the arrangement is legal. Not only did this raise concern for the condition of women in these relationships but it created a system whereby Muslim men with large families were rorting the social benefits scheme by making a claim through each of his wives as single mothers. Not quite the picture of vulnerability that the likes of Keysar Trad would have us believe.

We are one country, one people under one law. Polygamy has no place in Australian law!”, Rev Nile stated

For Media Interviews contact:

Rev Fred Nile
(02) 9230 2478 or 0418 619 731

Research Assistant:
David Copeland
(02) 9230 2978