Taliban Cracks Down On 'Costly' Polygamy

The leader of the Taliban in Afghanistan has issued a decree urging the group's leaders and commanders to forego taking multiple wives, which he said was inviting "criticism from our enemies".

Muslim men can be permitted by religion to have up to four wives at a time and polygamy is still legal in Afghanistan, Pakistan and some other predominantly Muslim nations.

But Taliban sources told the BBC the practice was creating increasing demand from commanders for funds to pay a "bride price" - a practice in force in many Pashtun tribes in Afghanistan and Pakistan by which money is given to a woman's family to secure her hand in marriage.

The decree comes at a sensitive political moment for the Taliban and for the country, as the militant group undertakes talks with the government over the country's future. Sources said the Taliban leadership was concerned over allegations of corruption against members attempting to raise funds to sustain large or multiple households.

Most of the Taliban's senior leaders have more than one wife, but the new decree does not apply retroactively to those who are already in multiple marriages.

- bbc.com