EXCERPTS
Wives Are Best When Thrashed
“And
what about polygamy? How can one live a harmonious family life with
several wives?” a curly haired blond university student from Los Angeles
asks. His bony elbow makes an indentation in the velvet back cover of
the seat in front of him, with wrinkles resembling those on his
forehead.
The attractive young woman tour guide, no more than
twenty-six or twenty-seven, pricks up her ears. Her sudden smile betrays
her thoughts: I’ve been expecting this question. Then
she turns serious and explains in an objective voice, “Polygamy is a
millennial tradition in Egypt; it has been tied to wealth and social
status. Take the pharaohs, for instance. Why, they could have as many
wives as they wanted, and often they would even marry within their own
family.”
“With their half-sisters?”
“Not only those. Ramses II, for instance, even married three of his own daughters.”
Next to our tour guide, Shamiah, a lady claps her hands. “Now that takes the prize! The utmost indication of paternal love!” she cries out right behind me.
Shamiah casts a short glance at us, then continues, “As far as the
situation today is concerned, the Quran allows four wives.”
“Not too bad!” a wizened fellow in his sixties lights up. “Four women, all at once—”
“Well, of course, but they must all receive the same care: four
women means four new dresses, four pairs of shoes, four gold rings—four!”
“That does away with the endearment ‘my only darling,’” a guy sitting next to me quips.
“How does such a populous family
manage to live together?” the blond student presses on. “How do the
wives get along with each other? Do they get along at all?”
“Well, this is of course different case by case.”
“Obviously.”
“If, shall we say, the wife takes ill and is unable to take care of
the household, cannot fulfill her obligations, then in fact someone else
becomes necessary in order to help out.”
“OK, but this is an
extraordinary case. What I want to know is, what are the characteristics
of family life in a case of polygamy? After all, there must be some
common features,” the young man insists.
“Yes, there are some general features.”
“For instance?”
Violations
