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Polygamist to become a father twice in three months
A self-proclaimed rabbi with seven 'wives' is to become a father twice in three months as two of his 'wives' are pregnant at the same time.
Philip Sharp, 48, who claims God told him to live like a reincarnated Old Testament king, has a harem of wives, none of whom he is legally married to.
Mr Sharp already has eight children by four of his wives, in addition to five by a previous and estranged wife. Now he is expecting two new arrivals. His wife Margo, 39, is due to give birth this month while another wife Vreni, 38, is scheduled to deliver in January. In addition to Margo and Vreni, Mr Sharp is 'married' to Judith, 49, Tracey, 41, Hannah, 50, Chava, 64, and Karyn, 29.
Mr Sharp told the magazine Closer: "I never use contraception and I don't let my wives take the Pill unless they really don't want kids. My three partners who haven't had children find it hard when the other women fall pregnant. I'm spending more time with Margo and Vreni as we prepare for the births."
Margo, who was 25 when she met Mr Sharp at his Hove 'synagogue' admitted to being jealous of the other wives. "The first year was the hardest, and I was very jealous of the other wives. I told Philip - and he said I should learn how to share, and now I have. Now I feel blessed that my children call the other wives "Mummy", and I trust them completely with my kids."
All the wives must abide by his rules, which include wearing hats to hide their hair from other men, following a rota for housework and helping out with Mr Sharp's haulage business. All of the wives also agree to submit to his bedroom demands.
The only woman that Mr Sharp is legally married to is Hadass, a 53-year-old Israeli woman who left him nine years ago when he announced that he was planning to take on more wives. A self-proclaimed rabbi with seven 'wives' is to become a father twice in three months as two of his 'wives' are p... more -
Polygamist discrimination complaint dismissed
The B.C. Human Rights Tribunal has dismissed a complaint by a polygamist couple who alleged that the teachers union discriminated against them and their religious group by calling on the provincial government to investigate allegations of sexual exploitation in Bountiful. The B.C. Human Rights Tribunal has dismissed a complaint by a polygamist couple who alleged that the teachers union discriminated agai... more
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Nigerian preacher with 86 wives seeks to marry more
An 84-year-old Nigerian Muslim preacher with 86 wives intends to marry more women despite an order from local Islamic chiefs to immediately divorce all but four of them, his spokesman said on Monday.
Nigerian newspapers reported that Mohammed Bello, who lives in Niger State in central Nigeria with his wives and at least 170 children, was ordered by local religious elders to divorce 82 of his wives by Sunday or leave the area.
Some newspapers said on Monday he had agreed at a meeting with local officials to divorce all but four of the women and had asked for time to return them to their families. But his spokesman, Mohammed Tahir, denied there had been any such deal.
"He is not going to divorce any of his wives. Rather he is going to marry more," Tahir said.
"Since he married those women, none of them or his children have ever gone out to beg for food or money. He has not broken any law and none of his wives have committed any offences that would be a basis for divorce," he added.
Many Muslim scholars say Islam allows men to have up to four wives at any given time who must be treated equally.
Bello has received a number of death threats in the last few weeks after the Nigerian media began reporting on his unusual marital situation.
"Sometimes people will call us, hide their numbers and tell us that they are coming to kill him and everyone in the compound if he doesn't leave," Tahir said.
"Is that fair? What offence has he committed?" An 84-year-old Nigerian Muslim preacher with 86 wives intends to marry more women despite an order from local Islamic chiefs to immedi... more -
Iran women activists see victory on polygamy bill
Iran's parliament has indefinitely delayed a vote on a bill on families, a move women's rights activists said on Tuesday was a victory in their drive to block legislation they fear would encourage polygamy.
The conservative-controlled assembly had been due to vote on the government proposal known as the "Family Support Bill" last Sunday but it was sent back to its legal committee for more work, an Iranian newspaper reported this week.
Sussan Tahmasebi said she and other activists had lobbied against the measure, which they said would allow a man in the Islamic Republic to take a second wife without the agreement of his first wife. The bill also covered other family issues.
But she cautioned that the bill, put forward last year by the government of conservative President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, had not been withdrawn and may be sent back to the legislature.
"It is a huge victory ... but the threat still looms and it still exists," Tahmasebi told Reuters.
There was no immediate comment from the government, which rejects allegations Iran is discriminating against women.
Under Iran's Islamic law, men can have up to four wives, but polygamy is not widely practiced and is seen by many Iranians as unacceptable.
Women's rights activists seek an end to polygamy and last month said in a statement the bill would reinforce women's lack of legal rights in Iran.
"It in fact encourages polygamy by placing on men who wish to take on additional wives the sole condition of financial capacity as the deciding factor by the court," they said.
The Farhang-e Ashti daily on Monday said the proposed law had caused controversy and was removed from parliament's agenda.
"In view of the fact that the above-mentioned bill needed more expert work ... it was felt as necessary to send it to the legal and judicial committee," a member of parliament's presidium, Hamid Reza Hajibaba'i, was quoted as saying.
The newspaper said Hajibaba'i expressed hope that the committee would improve the draft law but did not give details.
Campaigners say dozens of them have been detained since the drive began in 2006, in what Western diplomats see as part of a wider clampdown on dissent. Most were freed within days.
The activists say women in Iran face institutionalised discrimination that makes them second-class citizens in divorce, inheritance, child custody and other aspects of life.
Iran's ruling clerics say Iranian women are protected from the sex symbol status they have in the West and that the country is implementing divine law. Iran's parliament has indefinitely delayed a vote on a bill on families, a move women's rights activists said on Tuesday was... more -
Nigerian faces death for 86 wives
Nigeria's Islamic authority has told the man who has 86 wives to choose only four and repent within three days or else he will be sentenced to death.
The Jamatu Nasril Islam (JNI) passed their verdict on Mohammed Bello Abubakar, 84, according to Sharia law.
This comes two weeks after the Nigerian press and the BBC reported on the case.
Talking to the media then, Mr Abubakar challenged Muslim scholars, saying there is no punishment stated in the Koran for having more than four wives.
However, Mr Abubakar advised other men not to follow his example and marry 86 women.
No limit
The former teacher and Muslim preacher lives in Niger State with his wives and at least 170 children, and says he is able to cope only with the help of God.
"A man with 10 wives would collapse and die, but my own power is given by Allah. That is why I have been able to control 86 of them," he told the BBC.
Most Muslim scholars agree that a man is allowed to have four wives, as long as he can treat them equally.
But Mr Bello Abubakar told the BBC: "To my understanding the Koran does not place a limit and it is up to what your own power, your own endowment and ability allows.
"God did not say what the punishment should be for a man who has more than four wives, but he was specific about the punishment for fornication and adultery."
Niger is one of the Muslim majority states to have reintroduced Sharia punishments since 2000.
Several people have been sentenced to death for adultery by Sharia courts but none of these sentences have been carried out. Nigeria's Islamic authority has told the man who has 86 wives to choose only four and repent within three days or else he will be... more -
This week in Current – 8/18-8/22
Another week has flown passed us like a whirlwind, and while people are still focused on the Olympics, it does seem like the buzz has died down a bit now that Michael Phelps has closed out his quest for gold.
Of course, that didn’t put an end to any of the controversies coming out of the Beijing Olympic games.
Hackers unearth more underage gymnast allegations:
http://current.com/items/89222275_
Olympics aside, this was certainly an interesting week in Current:News. Some stories of note include a tangled child support settlement, the sudden shutdown of MP3 sharing site Muxtape, canine morality, energy implications of windmills in NYC, demands for mandatory sick days, and the discussion of polygamy as a secret to a longer life. It was a packed week, so if you missed any of these take a look:
16-yr-old to pay child support to 19-yr-old mom:
http://current.com/items/89213469_
R.I.P. Muxtape:
http://current.com/items/89193344_
Living with humans has taught dogs morals, say scientists
http://current.com/items/89223042_
Bloomberg proposes windmills on New York City bridges, skyscrapers…
http://current.com/items/89219683_
Multiple states push for mandatory paid sick days
http://current.com/items/89219922_
Polygamy: the key to a long life?
http://current.com/items/89218114_
// VC2 Leaderboard Update //
On the VC2 Leaderboard front, we want to give a hearty congratulations to VC2 producer Sareye for her pod, “Mad About Gas? Dunk a Shell Employee.” It was this week’s leaderboard winner, so I clipped it to this post for everyone to check out. Way to go!
// Top Commented Stories on Current.com //
Have you ever wonder what the most discussed stories are on Current.com? Do you ever find yourself asking, “What was everyone discussing this week?” Well, have no fear, I’m going to start recapping the top commented stories each week in our recap posts. Here goes:
USDA refuses to ban sick "downer" cows from U.S. food supply
http://current.com/items/89212057_
This story clocked in at 70 responses. There were many comments that stuck with me from this thread, but elegua’s really sums it up:
“scary. mad cow can have a 30 year gestation period. let's see who's around in 2038.“
Obama takes issue with McCain's definition of 'rich'
http://current.com/items/89214533_
With a title like this, it’s no wonder this story gathered 73 responses. Much of the discussion centered on determining whether McCain’s comment was taken out of context. What do you think?
Should the legal drinking age be lowered to 18?
http://current.com/items/89218300_
Umm, this one seemed destined for popularity. This was well-clipped item by ivxx that asks the simple question, and that resulted in an 83 response discussion. Very nice!
HS Principal outs teenage lesbian to parents
http://current.com/items/89221845_
The mix of privacy rights violations and the handling of the situation culminated in 124 responses from the community, making this the most discussed story on Current this week.
Did any other stories grab your attention this week? Clip them in a response below, and let us know what made them compelling to you. That’s it for this week!
Mario
Online Community Team
Connect on Current.com: http://current.com/people/mario_a
Follow the Current.com team on Twitter: http://twitter.com/current_com
Follow me on Twitter? http://twitter.com/manima Another week has flown passed us like a whirlwind, and while people are still focused on the Olympics, it does seem like the buzz has ... more -
Texas wants 8 polygamist kids back in state care: Mothers refuse to keep kids away...
Texas authorities want to remove eight children from that polygamist sect and put them into foster care.
Child Protective Services says the children's mothers have refused to limit the children's contact with men involved in underage marriages.
The hearing is set for September. Texas authorities want to remove eight children from that polygamist sect and put them into foster care. ... more -
Man with 86 wives does not recommend it!
Nigerian Mohammed Bello Abubakar, 84, has advised other men not to follow his example and marry 86 women.
"A man with 10 wives would collapse and die, but my own power is given by Allah. That is why I have been able to control 86 of them," he told the BBC.
Control 86 wives? I can't 'control' one, nor would I want to. I guess I'm from different times. Nigerian Mohammed Bello Abubakar, 84, has advised other men not to follow his example and marry 86 women. ... more -
Five members of polygamous sect surrender
Five members of a polygamous sect who were indicted alongside leader Warren Jeffs last week turned themselves in Monday to face sexual assault charges, Texas authorities said.
Four of Jeffs' followers were charged with one count of sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 17, and each faces five to 99 years in prison, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said.
One of those four also faces a bigamy charge.
A fifth follower is charged with three counts of failure to report child abuse, he said.
Bail for the defendants facing felony charges -- Raymond Merrill Jessop, 36, Allan Eugene Keate, 56, Michael George Emack, 57, and Merrill Leroy Jessop, 33 -- was set at $100,000 each. Lloyd Hammon Barlow, 38, charged with the misdemeanor failure to report child abuse, faces a sentence of up to six months in prison and a fine of $2,000 per count.
The FLDS openly practices polygamy at its Yearning for Zion Ranch outside Eldorado, Texas, and in two towns straddling the Utah-Arizona state line: Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona." Five members of a polygamous sect who were indicted alongside leader Warren Jeffs last week turned themselves in Monday to face sexual... more -
Polygamous sects are 'form of organized crime'
Polygamous sects that have spread throughout the United States and beyond are "a form of organized crime," largely unchecked by law enforcement, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Thursday.
He is proposing a federal-state partnership aimed at policing such communities.
"The lawless conduct of polygamous communities in the United States deserves national attention and federal action," Reid said before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Sects such as the Fundamental Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have "wrongfully cloaked themselves in the trappings of religion" to conceal crimes such as bigamy, child abuse and statutory rape, the Nevada Democrat said. In such communities, teenage or preteen girls are forced to marry older men and bear their children, he said.
While those offenses are the most obvious, Reid said, other criminal conduct occurs -- "welfare fraud, tax evasion, massive corruption and strong-arm tactics to maintain what they think is the status quo." Polygamous sects that have spread throughout the United States and beyond are "a form of organized crime," largely unchecked... more -
Polygamist Leader Warren Jeffs Indicted
A report from msnbc.com/Associative Press-
"ELDORADO, Texas - A grand jury on Tuesday indicted polygamist leader Warren Jeffs and five other members of a sect raided in April.
Jeffs is accused of sexual assault. The charges and identities of the others were being withheld until authorities can arrest them, said Schleicher County Clerk Peggy Williams.
One indictment is a misdemeanor; the others are felonies.
The criminal charges came during the panel's second meeting on the case and followed the ill-fated child custody case in which more than 400 children were placed in foster care. The Texas Supreme Court ruled child welfare authorities had overstepped in taking all the children from their parents even though many were infants and toddlers.
Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints leaders have consistently denied there was any abuse at the ranch and vowed not to sanction underage marriages.
Secret proceedings
Grand jury proceedings are supposed to be secret, but documents released as part of the separate child custody case involving the FLDS children have revealed some of the evidence collected by law enforcement during the weeklong raid of the ranch.
Among the hundreds of boxes of photos, documents and family Bibles, investigators found photos of Jeffs kissing and intimately embracing several apparently teenage girls.
A journal entry purportedly from Jeffs attached to a report by a child advocate indicates he married his daughter to a 34-year-old man the day after she turned 15. The girl turns 17 on Saturday and has denied being married, though the child advocate report indicates intimate notes between the girl and man were also found in the raid.
The girl, who playfully climbed a giant oak tree while waiting to be called to testify last month, left the community building frowning as she talked to her lawyer. The Associated Press is not identifying her because authorities believe she may be a sexual abuse victim.
Plural marriages
Under Texas law, a girl younger than 17 cannot generally consent to sex with an adult. Bigamy is also illegal in Texas, although FLDS members in plural marriages did not get Texas marriage licenses.
In addition to discussions of the girl’s marriage, the Jeffs journal entry also indicates he blessed marriages of two other underage sect members.
A call to a spokeswoman for Abbott was not immediately returned Tuesday.
The FLDS, which believes polygamy brings glory in heaven, is a breakaway sect of the mainstream Mormon church, which officially renounced polygamy more than a century ago.
Jeffs, who is revered as a prophet, is jailed in Arizona awaiting charges related to the marriages of young girls. He was convicted in Utah of rape as an accomplice for his role in the marriage of a 14-year-old last year." A report from msnbc.com/Associative Press- ... more -
Italy grapples with polygamy
A boom in the illegal marriages is a byproduct of voluminous immigration by Muslims. Authorities largely ignore the unions, leaving the women in a murky world with no recourse when things go wrong.
A few miles from the Vatican, Najat Hadi kept house with her husband, his other wife and their assorted children, an unhappy home with a hateful woman 10 years her junior and a cruel spouse who left her with a jagged scar peeking from her collar.
Finally, she says, her Egyptian-born husband, who worked in Rome making pizzas, beat her so badly that she left him. But he kept her children.
Thousands of polygamous marriages like Hadi's have sprung up throughout Italy as a byproduct of a fast-paced and voluminous immigration by Muslims to this Roman Catholic country.
Despite the obvious culture clash, Italian authorities largely turn a blind eye, leaving women in a murky semi-clandestine world with few rights and no recourse when things go especially badly, as they did in Hadi's case.
"It is absurd that in a civilized country like Italy, so little is acknowledged about this," said Souad Sbai, a Moroccan-born Italian lawmaker who has emerged as a one-woman champion of female Muslim immigrants here.
Italy is one of several European nations faced with the issue of polygamy. In Britain and Spain, where large Muslim communities have also settled, some officials favor recognizing polygamous marriage as a way to ensure the wives' access to pensions, medical care and other state benefits. A boom in the illegal marriages is a byproduct of voluminous immigration by Muslims. Authorities largely ignore the unions, leaving th... more -
Secret husbands: An out-of-the-closet trend
In fact, for most women, every man who has been married for a considerable period has a secret sexual liaison until proven otherwise, and the verdict can’t be passed until after his death; not guilty if after about two years following his death there is still no strange woman knocking at your door with offspring totally identical to the deceased. Polygamy has become an open affair, at least judging from the fact that almost every one of the younger generations seems to have a paternal step sibling or two. In fact, for most women, every man who has been married for a considerable period has a secret sexual liaison until proven otherwise, ... more
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ALL in the family
Preliminary DNA results from the polygamist ranch in El Dorado TX show a possibility of 36 men having sex with under aged girls. The findings suggest either the 36 men fathered over 400 children or more likely all the possible fathers did not submit for testing. Knowing you were guilty of such an atrocity what are the chances you would submit to the one test that could prove your guilt? Preliminary DNA results from the polygamist ranch in El Dorado TX show a possibility of 36 men having sex with under aged girls. The f... more
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"I was a boy with 2 parents. After a camping trip, I had 4"
"One day in the summer of 1971, my parents held hands, closed their eyes and jumped out of their conventional marriage into something strange and new. I was 9 years old at the time, and we were camping at Betsy Lake in the High Uintas Wilderness with another family of five. We were halfway into the camping trip when the six of us kids realized our parents had mixed and matched: my father was in the tent with their mother, and their father was in the tent with my mother.
No sound came from either tent. I remember the smell of mosquito repellent. I remember gray ripples in the lake, squirrels scrambling up pine bark and us kids nervously discussing. I remember trying to believe my life hadn't shot off its safe, predictable tracks." "One day in the summer of 1971, my parents held hands, closed their eyes and jumped out of their conventional marriage into somet... more -
Texas sect children return home
More than 400 children who were seized from a polygamist sect in Texas have begun returning home.
A judge in Texas signed an order allowing parents to take the children, who were removed from the sect's ranch by state authorities in April.
But last week the Texas Supreme Court said officials had failed to prove the children faced immediate danger.
Following Monday's ruling the first parents had emotional reunions with their children.129 children were returned to their parents.
It is expected to take several days for all the families to be reunited, as some siblings were separated at facilities hundreds of miles apart. More than 400 children who were seized from a polygamist sect in Texas have begun returning home. ... more -
Texas kids return to polygamist homes
Members of a polygamist sect in Texas have had their children returned to them after courts could not establish that they were in any immediate danger. Members of a polygamist sect in Texas have had their children returned to them after courts could not establish that they were in any ... more
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Should Polygamy Be A Felony?
From MobLogic.tv: Daily News and Politics Web Show with Lindsay Campbell
http://www.moblogic.tv/video/2008/06/02/should-polygamy...
"Lindsay hits the streets to find out what people think about polygamy and whether or not it should be a crime." From MobLogic.tv: Daily News and Politics Web Show with Lindsay Campbell ... more -
Judge delays reunion for sect families
"A Texas judge on Friday refused to sign an order returning more than 300 children seized from a polygamist community, saying she wanted the mothers involved to sign the order first. Members of the Fundamental Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints decried Judge Barbara Walther's decision, which followed a Texas Supreme Court ruling that the removals were unwarranted.
"The kids have been terrorized and put in the custody of the state for weeks and weeks," FLDS spokesman Willie Jessop said Friday after the hearing to determine how to return the children.
"Every effort has been made to bring relief," Jessop said outside the courthouse. "It doesn't need to be a problem to go pick up the kids. It doesn't need to be any more difficult than picking them up after school."
The 3rd District Court of Appeals ruled this month that officials with Child Protective Services erred in removing the children from the Yearning for Zion Ranch near Eldorado, Texas, effectively overturning Walther's ruling that the children remain in state custody". "A Texas judge on Friday refused to sign an order returning more than 300 children seized from a polygamist community, saying she... more -
ABC News: Lawyers: Some Sect Kids to Return Home
Follow up to the story of a polygomist cult in Texas....some of the kids are being returned home....any thought, or opinons?
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Polygamy
