IRAN
Women angered by bill on additional wives
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A bill that would allow Iranian men to take additional wives without the consent of their first wife has angered women and the country’s top justice official, who say it would undermine women’s rights.
Outcry over the bill forced parliament to postpone a vote scheduled for Tuesday so lawmakers could debate it further in a committee.
Under Islam, a man can have up to four wives, and countries in the Mideast allow polygamy. However, Iran is one of the few — along with Syria and Tunisia — that require the consent of the first wife before a husband can take another.
The government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad proposed amendments last year to legislation drawn up by the judiciary to allow women judges for the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
