The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 03/09/2009 1:07 PM
Radical cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir of Pondok Pesantren Al Mukmin (Islamic boarding school) in Ngruki village south of Surakarta, Central Java, said on Monday that unregistered marriages should be be stopped as they tend to cause problems for both parties.
"It's best if the practice is done away with altogether," Ba'asyir said, as quoted by Antara news. "Nikah siri or marriages unregistered at the KUA has recently deemed legal according to religious law, but this could cause undue harm."
According to Ba'asyir, those involved in such marriages choose to not register their marriages as they want to keep the marriages a secret, a phenomenon that breaks one of the conditions of marriage: it should be known to many.
"Someone who doesn't want the marriage to out in the open is a coward. The state needs to immediately take action and stop these type of marriages," he said.
"If someone wants to practice polygamy then he should do so with good intentions, namely to treat his wives in a just manner," he added.
If he is unable to do so, then he should not marry more than one wife, Ba'asyir argued.
Unregistered marriages are widespread in the predominantly Muslim nation because they are recognized under the religion.
A recent survey also found polygamy was a significant factor behind the country's rising divorce rate.
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