SCFA onderzoekje
A study has dismissed as “untrue” the notion that polygamy is a prevalent practice among Qataris, pointing out that the polygamous marriage rate has remained at a low level in the last two decades.
The study, which was released by the Population Committee at the General Secretariat for Development Planning, said the number of Qataris who took only one wife ranged from 89% to 96% in the period between 1997 and 2007.
“During the period covered by the study, the trend was neither declining nor rising. This means that polygamous marriages do not signify a social phenomenon in the country,” the study said.
While the number of men marrying two wives accounted for 3.8% to 8.7% during the years covered by the study, it did not exceed 0.3% for those who have taken three or four wives.
Although Muslim men are permitted to marry up to four women simultaneously, Islam makes it obligatory for those who take more than one wife to deal with them justly. And if the husband is not sure about that, then he is ordained to marry one.
Meanwhile, the marriage and divorce study has raised alarm over the growing number of consanguineous marriages among Qatari nationals, saying that the trend is spreading in spite of the awareness programmes on the potential danger of such marriage on children.
“Marriages between close relatives is increasing. While the number accounted for 11.7% of marriages in 1996, it reached 40% and 43.8% in 2000 and 2007 respectively.”
Earlier, a study, conducted by the Supreme Council for Family Affairs (SCFA), had said that some 60% of those with disabilities were found to be born to “closely-related parents” in Qatar.
It urged for the enforcement of the pre-marital medical test law, saying that 34.5% of disabled people were born to parents of first-degree relatives, while 25.2% were to parents of second-degree relatives.
The study also noted that number of nuclear families in Qatar has significantly increased at the expense of the extended ones.
“While the number nuclear families increased from 74% in 1976 to 82% in 2004, that of the extended families declined to 18% in 2007,” the study said
The study, which was released by the Population Committee at the General Secretariat for Development Planning, said the number of Qataris who took only one wife ranged from 89% to 96% in the period between 1997 and 2007.
“During the period covered by the study, the trend was neither declining nor rising. This means that polygamous marriages do not signify a social phenomenon in the country,” the study said.
While the number of men marrying two wives accounted for 3.8% to 8.7% during the years covered by the study, it did not exceed 0.3% for those who have taken three or four wives.
Although Muslim men are permitted to marry up to four women simultaneously, Islam makes it obligatory for those who take more than one wife to deal with them justly. And if the husband is not sure about that, then he is ordained to marry one.
Meanwhile, the marriage and divorce study has raised alarm over the growing number of consanguineous marriages among Qatari nationals, saying that the trend is spreading in spite of the awareness programmes on the potential danger of such marriage on children.
“Marriages between close relatives is increasing. While the number accounted for 11.7% of marriages in 1996, it reached 40% and 43.8% in 2000 and 2007 respectively.”
Earlier, a study, conducted by the Supreme Council for Family Affairs (SCFA), had said that some 60% of those with disabilities were found to be born to “closely-related parents” in Qatar.
It urged for the enforcement of the pre-marital medical test law, saying that 34.5% of disabled people were born to parents of first-degree relatives, while 25.2% were to parents of second-degree relatives.
The study also noted that number of nuclear families in Qatar has significantly increased at the expense of the extended ones.
“While the number nuclear families increased from 74% in 1976 to 82% in 2004, that of the extended families declined to 18% in 2007,” the study said
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