The recent Cambodian law criminalizing adultery has given khmer people and foreign bloggers much to talk about. Some prefer to predict who will be winners and losers while some wonder who’re right and who’re left. If approved by the senate and signed by the King, the law could see up to 1 year jail term and fines for those found guilty of adultery such as having mistresses and multiple spouses.

While we are at it, my pakistani friend gave me a rather interesting fact on why Muslim men are allowed to have multiple wives, a far cry from our new law. But first, it is important to point out that Muslims also condemn adultery but not having multiple lawful wives. Here is the reason:

It is a well-known fact that there are more women than men in this world. God (Islamic god) believes that there has to be a balance between the two genders. Hence men are allowed to have multiple wives. If not, the left-over women will most likely become public properties or mistresses of other men which are condemned. See! God is right!

Non-muslims might challenge that those women can stay single and unmarried; muslims would answer that eventually natural instincts and requirements would see those women to look for men and vice versa…etc. But in the end, it is normal that different religions and cultures may or may not have the same views on the same thing.

Let’s get back the our society, while the existing law promotes 1-to-1 relationship, it has never crimilized those with unlawful or secretly lawful multiple spouses. The new law is set to change that too.

To me, I don’t have much to comment about this new law. One thing for sure is that Cambodian lawmakers never fail to surprise.

If you have opinions and views on this, feel free to post in your comments.

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