Comments on Polygamy Post: "We Need an Unmanned Drone Over Sharon"

My posting from Friday on polygamy in Sharon, MA elicited two sets of additional questions in the comments, which I'm posting here.  I hope someone in authority (MA Attorney General? DOJ?) gets wind of this.  First, from Azzam, who has commented at Miss Kelly before:

1.A crime was reported to Mr.Rashid Noor. He has not informed the authorities till this time.
2.This is the same board of directors who was telling the members, even in court affidavits that "all was well with the immigration papers of Imam Masood"
3.Inspite of all that is going on, Imam Masood is still occupying the House at Sharon Center and about $900 a month utilities are being paid by this board.  He is actively working for the next election of the Board of Directors so that he is not evicted. Why can't the members take action? They have relatives in Pakistan. His brother Hafiz Saeed, even with all the farce of Emergency in Pakistan, is allowed to roam around in the heart of Lahore with gun wielding guards in jeeps, in front and back. You need a license to carry a gun in Lahore. Even the Government is afraid of this man. How are the members going to speak?
4. Under the old Religious Director there was a system. All marriage applications were filed and record kept. But one day a Lady Director( who is trying to become a Muslim Chaplain at Tufts University) picked up all the record (other than marriage record) and took it to Sharon. Got a P.O.Box in Sharon, never informing the Secretary of State of the change of address. It is alleged that under the old Religious Director "hanky panky" was not allowed.
5. It is alleged that a present Director even is remarried without producing a divorce certificate from a former wife. He is a big Houncho in other Islamic Organizations also. He was so mad at the Religious Director that he violated every rule to get rid of him and capture the official record of marriages.
6.We do not need an unmanned drone over North Waziristan. We need a drone over Sharon. What does the Attorney General have to say about this?
7.What do the ladies of the old Aafia Siddiqu halaqa group at Sharon have to say about this?
8.What does the Muslim Chaplain of Wellesley and her Hijab squad have to say about this? Silence?
9.And if it is the same beloved of the Interfaith group, then what does Rabbi Starr have to say about this?

You can click on the ICE Boston Case category to find information on two of the people mentioned above, the former Imam Masood and his brother Hafiz Saeed.

The second set of questions came from Lynne of Deafening Silence:

I have often wondered why the illegal aspects of polygamy aren't investigated more vigorously by authorities. When I read this story, some questions came to mind:
1. How many 'extra' wives are officially registered with the state- and how? As dependents? As children?
2. Are the wives of legal age?
3. Are they legal residents or citizens? Or are they in the country illegally?
4. If they have children, are they signing up for benefits like welfare and food stamps as 'single mothers'? (This is a common scam in Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) territory and regularly bilks taxpayers out of hundreds of thousands per poygamous family.)

Polygmay can never be self-supporting. No ordinary man can provide for the enormous families produced by multiple wives and children. Inevitably, the single and non-polygamous are exploited- usually by abuse of public monies. This is clearly seen in investigations of polygamous "mormon" cults in Utah and Arizona. (I did a piece on this recently. In-depth and well-researched - MK)
I wish all the handwringing over the damage polygamy inflicts on women and children would lead somewhere, but maybe the most effective approach will prove to be the public money angle. Polygamy is a financial sinkhole for the state.

I also have wondered why the U.S. authorities turn a blind eye to polygamy (with the exception of the recent case against FLDS leader Warren Jeffs Steed). It goes against the very foundation of Western society, monogamous marriage and family.  Deafening Silence is right, it's probably easier to prosecute polygamous men for welfare fraud than for polygamy.  But all we need is a few cases where these men go to jail to send the message that polygamy is against the law here. 

Phyllis Chesler over at Pajamas Media has been following this case too, you can read that here.

Comments

[Azzam]

I salute this bold lady.
The "occupied" 52 acres of Sharon has behaved according to its own
constitution. Members will be excommunicated (membership canceled)if they invoke an outside Court. And even reports of child molestation have been shoved under the rug by some people of authority there.The reason given: Because it will ruin the reputation of this land in the Press.
But there is another case of four wives. When the Imam under question was injected into this Land he had a buddy. He had come out of the prison and was a regular fixture at his sermons and at times used to scare opponents. For privacy I am not listing the name here but if the authorities contact you I will give this name.