Baked chicken catered by a well-known polygamist should be boycotted at an Islamic conference being held in Indonesia, a former president’s wife said on Tuesday.
Puspowardoyo, owner of the Indonesian restaurant chain Wong Solo, has four wives and is a vocal advocate for polygamy in the world’s most populous Muslim nation.
He is supplying delegates at the Nahdatul Ulama’s annual congress, in the Central Java town of Surakarta, with his popular baked chicken.
But a group of women — led by the wife of former President Abdurrahman Wahid — said the poultry has no place at the event.
”All Nahdatul Ulama congress participants should reject the food provided by Wong Solo restaurant,” said Sinta Nuriyah Wahid. ”The restaurant owner practices polygamy, which is disrespectful to women. Polygamy is equal to slavery and causes suffering to women and their children.”
Puspowardoyo, who goes by one name, dismissed the controversy.
”These women are just overreacting because they don’t agree with polygamy,” he said from his office in nearby Solo. ”They have a right to disagree with me. But I’ve also got a right to practice polygamy based on Islamic teachings, as long as I can love and take care of my wives equally and fairly.”
Despite the protest, delegates said boxes of Puspowardoyo’s chicken remain a popular lunchtime favorite at the congress.
A survey earlier this month by the United States-funded Freedom Institute found that 39% of Indonesians support polygamy. – Sapa-AP