Polygamy Is Prefered By Young Kazakh Women

A growing number of young women in Kazakhstan are chosing to become second wife to wealthy men as the gap maximizes between classes inside the Kazakh society, The Independent reported. Becoming a 'tokal' would be a fairytale, Samal, a tall curly- haired woman of 23, from south Kazakhstan village said, using the Kazakh word for the yougest of two wives. In Kazakhstan this second wife traditionally gets her own flat, car and monthly allowance. The polygamous trend has increased as a result of the explosion of the gulf between poor and the rich in kazakhstan. Following the collapse of Soviet Union in 1991, president Nursultan Nazarbayev, who was in power for more than two decades, undertook a state asset-sale program in 1990's. Tese sales have enriched insiders at everyone else's expense, according to Gulmira Lleuova, head of Center for Social and Political Research Strategy in Almaty, the commercial capital. "It has become prestigeous to have a tokal," Ayan, a socialite and author of one of those novels, said in an interview in her cafe, reported the Independent. "They are like Brequet luxury watches" said Ms Kudaikulova wearing a red Alexender McQueen trouser suit and Alain Silberston timepiece. "unfortunately, not having a junior wife is now shameful for wealthy men". Islam is the dominant religion in Kazakhstan which has a large Chritain minorityity belonging to Russian Orthodox Church. According to the CIA Fact Book, Muslims make up 47 percent of the population, Russian Orthodox 44 %, Protestants 2 percent and others 7 percent. Ethnic Kazakhs are historically Sunni Muslims belinging to Hanafi school of thought. Two decades after independance Kazakh people were more willing to accept legalization of polygamy, which has been restricte over the past decades. "Tokalism has started to be noticeable" said Lleouva. " that is in pasrt because 50 % of the people sare poor". A poll published last year by the state-owned news service Kazinform found that 41 percent of Kazakhstan's 17 million population favoured legalizing polygamy. Islam sees polygamy as a realistic answer to some social woes like adulterous affairs and a lamentable living conditions of a widow or divorced woman. A Muslim man who seeks second or third wife should, however, make sure that he will treat them all on equal footing even in terms of compassion.