ShahrzadNews: Figures released by the Iranian National Statistics Office indicate that Sigha –temporary partnership – is on the rise, while fewer and fewer people are marrying in the conventional way.
According to the deputy justice minister, Sigha rose by 28% in 2012 and by a further 10% in the first half of this year. Sociologist Mustafa Aghlima told the ISNA news agency: “The increase in Sigha at the cost of fewer proper marriages means the collapse of family life and its cultural values. Sigha is endemic among wealthy people seeking sexual gratification.”
Pre-marital sex is illegal in Iran, and many young men and women resort to temporary marriage as a way of continuing a sexual relationship. University lecturer Dr. Hussein Baher told ISNA: “Getting married is harder now than it ever has been. 90% of the problems experienced by married couples are the result of economic hardship, while in the remaining 10% cultural differences are to blame.”
The Iranian authorities however blame foreign satellite television for the increase in family breakdowns, while discounting such problems as the high cost of living, high rates of unemployment and a lack of decent housing.
