A shocking trend of “pleasure marriages” in an Islamic country has sparked outrage among social media users.
According to a report by a prominent daily, sourced from foreign media, women from poor households in Indonesian villages are engaging in ‘temporary marriages’ with wealthy foreign tourists in exchange for money, with most of these men reportedly being from the Middle East.
This practice is taking place in Puncak, a famous tourist destination in western Indonesia. Tourists temporarily marry local women and pay them money, but a few days later, the marriage ends in divorce.
The entire arrangement for these temporary marriages is managed by agencies operating in the Kota Bunga resort in Indonesia.
According to a report by the Los Angeles Times, these so-called “pleasure marriages” have become a profitable but vile business. The report further states that this practice is also boosting tourism and the local economy.
An Indonesian woman named Kahya shared her painful experience as a temporary wife. She told foreign media that she had been in over 15 temporary marriages with Middle Eastern tourists. Her first temporary husband, a 50-year-old Saudi man, paid her $850 (237,000 Pakistani Rupees), but after the agency staff took their cut, she only received half. Five days after the marriage, the man returned home, and they “divorced.”
Kahya revealed that she earns between $300 to $500 per marriage, barely enough to cover her rent and support her ailing grandparents. She mentioned that because of this work, both her husband and daughter have separated from her.
According to media reports, these temporary marriages are not recognized under Indonesian law, as they severely undermine the fundamental purpose of marriage.
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