Dian Rositaningrum has suddenly, and unwillingly, become one of the most famous critics of polygamy in Indonesia. That status was earned the moment she alleged that her husband, Islamic worship music artist Opick (whose music often gets a ton of airplay during the Ramadan season), married another woman behind her back, who also happens to be one of her closest friends.
The allegation came to light after Dian – who has six children with Opick – posted several rants against her husband and polygamy over the past few weeks, revealing possibly unmendable fractures in her and her husband’s household.
According to Dian’s posts, Opick recently married another woman without his first wife’s permission. Furthermore, Opick’s second wife is said to be a close friend of Dian’s, both professionally and personally.
“My husband married a backing vocalist who has worked with me for 7 years… She ate and shat in my house all this time,” Dian wrote in an Instagram post, as quoted by Tribun.
Dian’s angry rants went beyond criticizing her husband and into the practice of polygamy in Islam as carried out unfairly by many Indonesian men.
“Like it or not, the wives have to accept (polygamy) by shouting that this is fate. Accept it and you’ll get to heaven,” Dian wrote in another Instagram post.
“Helloooo, you don’t get into heaven through polygamy. You get into heaven through good deeds and fear of Allah. What about the wives who are shocked after being forced (to be in a polygamous marriage)? The consequence is divorce, and the children become victims. They should’ve been able to live with their mother and father, but the separation is going to affect all involved.
“Think, oh wise imams (a leader of prayer in Islam, or, in a domestic context, a husband and father serving as the head of a family), polygamy is not as easy as ejaculating your sperm in a new hole.”
Many Indonesian netizens have conveyed their support for Dian through her troubled times. She has reportedly filed for divorce, possibly putting an end to her and Opick’s 15-year marriage.
Opick did not confirm nor deny to the media that he had married another woman.
Polygamy is legal in Indonesia as long as one’s religion allows it. In the case of Islam, a man may marry up to four wives. However, a man must have his wife’s permission before marrying other women, or his wife may file for divorce and/or sue him for adultery. According to Indonesia’s Criminal Code, a spouse may report his or her adulterous partner to the authorities, and the adulterer may face up to 9 years in prison if found guilty of intimate relations with another person out of wedlock.
