Iranian activists celebrate victory on polygamy bill

Tehran: Iranian women's rights activists on Tuesday celebrated a parliament decision to indefinitely delay a vote on a bill on families.

Activists have been trying to block the legislation known as the Family Support Bill for fear that it would encourage polygamy.

"It is a huge victory...but the threat still looms and it still exists," activist Sussan Tahmasebi said.

The Family Protection Bill scraps the need for the consent of the first wife if her husband wants to take another spouse.

The Iranian parliament was due to vote on a proposal last Sunday, but it was sent back to its legal committee for more work, Iranian newspapers reported.

The Farhang-e Ashti daily on Monday said the proposed law had caused controversy and was removed from parliament's agenda.

Iran's Nobel peace laureate Shirin Ebadi had criticised the bill, saying it would bring "moral corruption" to society.