Marriage is, traditionally, a recognised union between 2 people. It came as a shock to many netizens when a wedding invitation card of a groom in Indonesia getting married to 2 brides at once went viral online.
Polygamy has been around for a long time. Not only is the practice legal but it is also becoming mainstream in Indonesia. Men are allowed to marry up to 4 wives. There’s even an app called AyoPolgami that allows men to search for women willing to share husband with others.
The weddings, which is set to take place in South Sumatra next year, has been criticised by netizens online – even by those who are supportive of polygamy. Certain parties feel that a Muslim man should learn to live with his first wife before tying the knot with another woman.
At first, many were suspicious about this polygamy wedding. However, Panser, the head of Teluk Kijing Village in Banyuasin (where the nuptials is reportedly taking place) confirmed the news. “Yes, it is true, there are (getting married) 2 women with 1 man (Cindra). One of the women is indeed one of our citizen (Indah Lestari), I have made the marriage certificate too,” Panser told Detik.
Cindra and his first wife Indah will be exchanging vows on 5th November. Perawati, the 2nd bride who comes from a neighbouring village, will be tying the knot with the groom on 8th November. There will be a wedding reception the following day, on 9th November, where all 3 of them will celebrate their matrimony together.
Panser added that this is not the first polygamy wedding in the village. “In this village, there have been 3 times when a man was married to 2 women and held a reception together. The reason is that they love each other and it has been agreed upon from the beginning, before the wedding,” he was quoted as saying.
What do y’all think? Would you ever consent to a polygamy marriage?
Sources: Coconuts, Muhammad Bachroni’s Facebook/ Featured image: Palembang.
