The ‘fifth wife’ is ambiguous. Â It ignores those ‘whom the right hand possesses’.
Niger: First-ever slavery conviction for “fifth wife”
This article epitomizes the willful ignorance and self-imposed blindness of the British intelligentsia regarding Islam. The BBC says below that “men in Niger are allowed to have four wives under a local interpretation of Islamic law.” A local interpretation of Islamic law? Oh, so the Qur’an is local to Niger, now? The Qur’an says: “And if you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry those that please you of women, two or three or four. But if you fear that you will not be just, then one or those your right hand possesses. That is more suitable that you may not incline to injustice.” (4:3)

So the idea that a man can have as many as four wives is not some “local interpretation of Islamic law” that they dreamed up in Niger, but is stated in what Muslims believe to be the word of Allah himself. The BBC doesn’t want to acknowledge that, because then it would have to confront unpleasant questions about Muslims in the UK — and it’s easier to condemn “Islamophobia” and pretend that all is well.
Meanwhile, these “fifth wives” appear to be those referred to in this same Qur’an passage as “those your right hand possesses.” Thus there is nothing illegal about such arrangements in Islamic law, but under pressure from human rights and anti-slavery groups, Niger finally banned slavery in 2003, and now, eleven years later, is finally getting around to prosecuting someone for it.
However, as this article notes, “thousands of people still live in subjugation,” so there are going to have to be a lot more prosecutions before Niger can truly be said to be serious about stopping slavery. And because slavery is sanctioned in Islam, it is unlikely that Niger is ever going to be all that serious about stopping the practice.
“Niger sees first slavery conviction over ‘fifth wife,’” BBC, May 28, 2014 (thanks to Robert Spencer):
Continue reading Niger sees first slavery conviction over ‘fifth wife'