Muslim peer claims Brit politicians are scared of discussing polygamy

London, Feb.21 (ANI): Politicians are too scared to discuss multiple marriages in case they offend Muslims, Britain's Shadow Minister for Community Cohesion, Baroness Warsi has claimed. he Telegraph quoted Warsi as saying that she wants the Government to consider registering all religious marriages.

More than 1,000 British men are thought to have more than one wife. Although bigamy is illegal in the UK, those who have moved here after marrying more than one woman in Islamic countries are allowed to remain in polygamous partnerships - and can even claim benefits for their additional spouses.

"There has been a failure on the part of policymakers to respond to this situation. Some of it has been done in the name of cultural sensitivity and we've just avoided either discussing or dealing with this matter head-on. There has to be a culture change and that has to brought about by policymakers taking a very clear stance on this issue, saying that in this country, one married man is allowed to marry one woman," Baroness Warsi said.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice insisted: "It is government policy to prevent the formation of polygamous households in the United Kingdom. It is not the role of government to take a position on the rites, beliefs or practices of any particular religious faith, other than where these give rise to conflict with the common law." (ANI)