Controversy in Indonesia as Man Marries Tourist for Money and Divorces After Departure...

Controversy Over Indonesia's 'Pleasure Marriage' Practice
"Even Islamic Scholars Cannot Accept It"

Photo unrelated to the article. Source=Pixabay

Indonesia's 'pleasure marriage,' where male tourists pay bride prices to marry poor women, has sparked controversy.

On the 3rd (local time), Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported, "In Kota Bunga, a mountain resort in Indonesia, male tourists are introduced to local women through marriage agencies and enter into 'temporary marriages.'" According to the report, both parties hold an unofficial wedding ceremony after reaching an agreement, and the man pays the bride price to the woman. The woman, who becomes a 'temporary wife,' lives like a typical married couple with the tourist husband, engaging in sexual relations and household chores. However, when the husband finishes his trip and leaves the country, the short marriage also ends.

A woman named Kahaya, who lives there, became a temporary wife around the age of 17. She had her first marriage with a male tourist in his 50s from the Middle East, receiving a bride price of $850 (about 1.12 million KRW). However, after deducting agency fees, she actually received only about half of that amount. Since her first husband left the country five days later, the two divorced, and Kahaya has held 15 weddings in this manner to date. It is known that each time she married, she received $300 to $500, which she used to pay rent and care for her sick grandparents.

This type of pleasure marriage is said to be a religious custom practiced by Shia Muslims. In countries where Sunni Muslims are the majority, 'misyah marriage' serves a similar function. Originally, this custom arose to allow men to obtain wives while traveling, but in modern times, it is regarded as a concept permitting men and women to have sexual relations for a set period.

Regarding this, SCMP explained, "While some view pleasure marriage as part of Shia Islamic culture, the majority of Islamic scholars consider it an unacceptable practice," adding, "Because it contradicts many fundamental purposes of marriage, it also violates Indonesian law."