A legal advisor on Islamic law suggested in September that Russia should adopt Islamic marriage laws to prevent depravity and fornication.
Polygyny (where the practice of polygamy only applies to men) would not only ‘ensure the enforcement of women’s rights’ but there would also be ‘much less depravity and fornication, which is spreading so rapidly nowadays’, according to the cleric Ildar Alyautdinov.
Alyautdinov also pointed out polygyny would help the demographic situation in Russia, as there are many more women than men.
A spokesman for the Orthodox Church said: ‘For us, monogamy is associated with respect for the roles of man and woman and the recognition of their equal dignity in marriage, the special gifts given by the creator to each of the spouses.’ The Orthodox Church agreed extramarital affairs ‘jeopardise the dignity of man and woman, destroy families and deprive both spouses of happiness’.
