Pantagraph.com Weather forecast, local radar and more
NewsWednesday, October 17, 2007 5:52 PM CDT
Comments Comments (31) | E-mail this page E-mail this page | Print this page Print this page | Enlarge type Enlarge type | Reduce type Reduce type | Search archives Search archives | RSS RSS feeds | Add to My Yahoo! Add to My Yahoo!
Father of 67 kids wants to marry again
By Diaa Hadid
Associated Press
Advertisement

EMEK HEFER, Israel -- With eight wives and 67 children, Shahadeh Abu Arrar has given new meaning to the term "family man." Abu Arrar, 58, is a member of Israel's impoverished Bedouin Arab community.

But even in a traditional society where men commonly have several wives and many children, Abu Arrar is exceptional.

"I'm thinking about a new wife, No. 9," he told the Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot in a recent interview. "There are many women who wish to marry me and there is no lack of women. I never had a problem with such things."

Abu Arrar, whose oldest child is 37, was photographed by the newspaper in a long Bedouin robe and head cover, surrounded by a dozen of so of his kids.

During a visit to his multistory home in central Israel, The Associated Press spotted 17 of the children milling about, dressed in bright red, blue and green-embroidered Palestinian dresses and headscarves. Four veiled women, including two who said they were his wives, sat on the porch peeling vegetables.

While Islam allows Muslim men to have four co-wives, it is a custom in Bedouin society to flout the already-generous ruling - and an Israeli ban on polygamy - by marrying women one at a time, divorcing them and marrying others, experts on Bedouin culture said.

Culturally, it's understood that the renounced wives are still married to Abu Arrar, the experts said.

It's unclear how Abu Arrar supports his massive family. Camels, goats and a cow were grazing on his property. Yediot said he also receives about $1,700 (euro1,200) in government handouts each month.

According to the Israeli Interior Ministry, Abu Arrar has 53 children registered as Israeli citizens. He has 14 other children born to Palestinian wives in the West Bank and who are not eligible for Israeli citizenship, his other wives said.

Either way, his family size pales in comparison to the size of the average Israeli family: 2.3, according to the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics.

Abu Arrar claims to remember all his children's names, and says they are split almost evenly between boys and girls. And he's still going strong.

"My first wife is my age, and today I hardly spend any time with her. Her children are big, and I leave her alone. I have younger wives to spend time with. Every night I decide which wife to be with," Abu Arrar told the newspaper. He refused to talk to an AP reporter.

Activists said Abu Arrar's story showed the urgency of raising literacy and education among women in the impoverished Bedouin community. Many are pressured into marriage or feel they have no other options beside raising children, said Khadra al-Sani, director of Sidra, a Bedouin women's rights group.

Still, Abu Arrar pales in comparison to others in the region. In August, the Emirates Today newspaper in Dubai ran a story about a one-legged 60-year-old man with 78 children from 12 wives.

Daad Abdul Rahman said he hoped to have a hundred children by 2015.

Take a look
Israeli Bedouin Shahadeh Abu Arar stands with some of his 67 children outside his home in the town of Emek Hefer, Israel , in this photo taken Sunday, Oct. 7, 2007. With eight wives and 67 children,Abu Arrar has given new meaning to the term family man. Arrar, 58, is a member of Israel's impoverished Bedouin Arab community. But even in a traditional society where men commonly have several wives and many children, Abu Arrar is exceptional. (AP Photo/Shaul Golan)
Video
Most commented stories
Browse online archives
Recent issues:
Reader comments on this story - 31 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

Muslims Against Sharia wrote on Oct 20, 2007 2:59 AM:

" Muslims Against Sharia condemn treatment of women by the State of Israel. Government-sanctioned polygamy is unbecoming of a country that claims to be the only true Democracy in the Middle East. We call on Israeli Knesset to immediately enact a law prohibiting married men to marry more women. No civilized society of the 21st century can permit this medieval practice. No civilized society treat its women as less than human beings. Source: JTA "

Bluegrass American wrote on Oct 17, 2007 9:14 AM:

" I had an ole Tom Cat like him. "

hmmmmm wrote on Oct 17, 2007 9:10 AM:

" This will continue to be a family tradition until the money runs out. We find it worth writing about, but they won't read it because it is not note worthy to them. "

tired wrote on Oct 17, 2007 6:10 AM:

" I am tired of this. Who cares what goes on there! I am tired of having the press shove all this crap down our throats. Lets worry about the good ole UNITED STATES. Right something inspirational about the American people. Lets keep the news here, NOT THERE! "

Actually wrote on Oct 17, 2007 6:01 AM:

" this story is very sad. If you read it. He spends no time with his first wife and he can remember all his kids names. Wow! Plus he gets all those government handouts. Why is this article even in the paper I ask. "

Impoverished community? wrote on Oct 17, 2007 5:57 AM:

" No wonder with 67 kids. I wonder if he pays child support or even feeds all of these chlidren. I wonder if they even know who their Dad is? "

pls. wrote on Oct 17, 2007 12:35 AM:

" advice to this man - put a cork in it! "

Single wrote on Oct 16, 2007 9:42 PM:

" Wow, he sounds hawt. How can I get ahold of him? "

barf wrote on Oct 16, 2007 8:17 PM:

" so the old lady lives the rest of her life alone cuz this horn dog wants all that younger stuff...kinda sick huh!!!!! "

reader wrote on Oct 16, 2007 7:15 PM:

" I think that would work here.And it would cut the divorce rate.At least if you and wife no.1 got in a fight you could move on to the next, then the next and so on.By the time you got back to no.1 ,you would of forgotten what you were fighting about.A win win situation "

Ridiculous wrote on Oct 16, 2007 7:13 PM:

" He should be castrated. "

I would think that...... wrote on Oct 16, 2007 7:09 PM:

" SOMETHING would be worn out by now after 67 children. Think about how many times it was in use when there was no conception!! He must truly believe in 'use it or lose it.' "

Please wrote on Oct 16, 2007 5:49 PM:

" have him read John Jordan Moore's letter to the editor below!! "

Wondering wrote on Oct 16, 2007 5:47 PM:

" Sounds like maybe he's been talking to some Fundamentalist Mormons! Has he been to Arizona or Utah? Just wondering......... "

Too exhausted to look for work... wrote on Oct 16, 2007 4:40 PM:

" Now that's pressure to perform. 9 wives....... "

HA! Divorce is fun all over wrote on Oct 16, 2007 4:38 PM:

" "Culturally, it's understood that the renounced wives are still married" in the U.S., as well. Or at least the wives seem to think so and continue to exert any control they can. "

............ wrote on Oct 16, 2007 4:29 PM:

" 1 wife and 2 kids is all i can handle this man must never be around to see all the fights and happy times "

Dawn wrote on Oct 16, 2007 4:03 PM:

" Sounds to me like this guy is selfish and irresponsible. We already too many people in this world; that is why the majority of us choose only to have two children. One to replace each parent. "

wow wrote on Oct 16, 2007 3:39 PM:

" How can 76 people live on $1700 per month???? "

Sentanced wrote on Oct 16, 2007 3:22 PM:

" This guy is gonna be 9 times more unhappy than I am. You would have thought he would have learned after the first time. "

Billary C. wrote on Oct 16, 2007 3:14 PM:

" Guvernor Ron and I would welcome him with open arms. Think of the villages we could feed and the health care we could provide. "

Doggone It Bert. . . wrote on Oct 16, 2007 3:03 PM:

" That was the comment I was going to make. It's obvious that he can work the system to pay for all of his kids and give him money to live in a house. He probably drives a new Escalade or Hummer. Sounds like assisted livin' in Illinois to me. "

Impoverished wrote on Oct 16, 2007 2:59 PM:

" and bringing more impoverished Muslims into the world to learn poor hatred of anyone that has more than they have. Look at the article, they like to flout it in the face of the government laws against such things. Why do that to your children? Why bring them into a situation where they are poor and cannot get out of that poverty? "

Gross wrote on Oct 16, 2007 2:58 PM:

" Now, how many of those 67 kids will end up in some form of a relationship with one of their siblings. That's disgusting. I guess there's a reason why I was born here and not there...there's not a chance that I would put up with a husband who lived that way!!! I'll stick to my one husband and my 3 kids, thank you very much. "

What I see here is... wrote on Oct 16, 2007 2:48 PM:

" a glutton for punishment.... "

bert wrote on Oct 16, 2007 2:33 PM:

" he should move to Illinois......he has the system down pat "

Imagine that!! wrote on Oct 16, 2007 2:30 PM:

" He gets government benefits to help support his many kids!! "

who wouldn't be wrote on Oct 16, 2007 2:19 PM:

" impoverished, sheesh, birth control can be a good thing, even though certain religions will say otherwise. head in the sand attitudes help fuel poverty. "

Wow wrote on Oct 16, 2007 1:58 PM:

" What a stud Abu must be. "

This guy has~~ wrote on Oct 16, 2007 1:56 PM:

" has a real problem and it's not above the neck. If he wants this many children why should someone else pay for them? Gee, he'd make it great here in the U.S. we have welfare for him. This is so pathetic for someone to think this way and be able to do it. I sure hope he never finds out about Viagra!! "

..::mizer::.. wrote on Oct 16, 2007 1:54 PM:

" He should be a Viagra spokesman!!! "
Add your own comments

Please read the rules before posting comments.

You must be logged in to leave comments.
If you don't have a member ID, please register.

*Member ID:
*Password:
Remember login?
(requires cookies)
  Forgot Your Password?
 
Top of Page | Home | News | Sports | Free Time | Life | Money | Nation/World | Opinion | Blogs/Columns | Archives | Site Map | RSS
Weather | Calendar | Obituaries | Classifieds | Jobs | Autos | Homes | Rentals | Coupons
Lee Enterprises Customer Service | 301 W. Washington St., PO Box 2907, Bloomington, IL 61701-2907 | Ph. 309-829-9000 | 800-747-7323
Copyright © 2009, Pantagraph Publishing Co. and Lee Enterprises. All rights reserved. | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy