Polygamy is socially accepted and religiously allowed in most parts of the world. Polygamy is practiced by males, particularly for various justifiable reasons. The current study aims to analyze the interplay of culture and religion to describe the existing practice of polygamy in Punjab, Pakistan. It is further interested in analyzing the male perspective regarding the practice of polygamy. The study is theoretically grounded in the patriarchal theory and Agarwal’s concept of bargaining in gender relations. In Pakistan, like many other Muslim countries, religion is the major support taken by men for practicing polygamy along with other cultural justifications. Wife’s infertility or inability to produce the male offspring and forced marriage practices are amongst the major justifications of polygamy found in the current study. During this phenomenological research, the researchers included the male perspective only by targeting 5 polygamous marital unions from the various parts of the Punjab province. The findings include forced marriages, cousin marriages, age difference in first marriage, first wife’s infertility and inability to produce the male offspring, and the absence of male successor in case of landowning families as major causes for males being polygamous. The study also found males from different socioeconomic backgrounds living in polygamous marital unions. This study suggests that the patriarchal interpretation of religion and culture needs to be defined and the prevalent justification of polygamous marriages needs to be revisited. Similarly, the true Islamic intent for marrying multiple women and of equality and justice amongst wives needs to be explored through scholarly research.
A phenomenological study was conducted to understand religious practices of khawajasiras, with an emphasis on instances where Islam provides a historically-rooted identity and offers belonging, and to highlight the challenges faced by them in exercising their fundamental rights. Six in-depth interviews were conducted from Lahore’s khawajasira community. Theoretically, the study utilized the theory of marginality for the refinements of its findings. The study was divided into two phases. The first one offered an overview of organization and rights of khawajasira people globally, in Pakistan, and within Islamic thought. The second phase dealt with the study’s empirical findings in the domains of preferred gender identity, societal discrimination, and appeal and challenges of religious affinity. The findings indicated that most participants wanted to articulate a feminine identity. Additionally, five of them had been abandoned by their birth families in early childhoods. Then, broader khawajasira community and civil society organizations were instrumental in sustaining their survival. With respect to religion, all participants identified themselves as the practicing Muslims – where religion was a source of personal comfort, its social practice was found to evoke a negative response as well because Islam has also guided the majority of the participants to seek halāl work. On the basis of the study findings, it is argued that the status of khawajasira community should be restored in the light of Islamic teachings and that the restoration of their historical and religious belonging along with the assurance of equal citizenship rights. Keywords: Khawajasira, Community, Islam, Religion, Discrimination
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