When did humans start getting divorced? - Rod Phillips

Translator: Maisarah Atan Reviewer: Aznah Binti Arshad

The earliest known divorce laws were written

Undang-undang perceraian paling awal ditemui

on clay tablets in ancient Mesopotamia around 2000 BCE.

pada tablet tanah liat ketika tamadun Mesopotamia sekitar 2000 S.M

Formally or informally, human societies across place and time

Secara formal atau tidak, umat manusia merentasi masa dan tempat

have made rules to bind and dissolve couples.

telah menetapkan peraturan untuk menyatu dan memisahkan pasangan.

Inca couples, for example, started with a trial partnership,

Pasangan suku Inka, contohnya, bermula dengan perkahwinan cubaan,

during which a man could send his partner home.

yang mana seorang lelaki boleh memulangkan semula pasangannya.

But once a marriage was formalized, there was no getting out of it.

Namun, setelah perkahwinan dimeterai, tiada lagi jalan keluar.

Among the Inuit peoples, divorce was discouraged,

Bagi suku Inuit pula, perceraian tidak digalakkan,

but either spouse could demand one.

tapi mana-mana pihak boleh menuntutnya,

or they could exchange partners with a different couple—

atau bertukar pasangan dengan pasangan yang lain

as long as all four people agreed.

dengan persetujuan keempat-empat individu.

The stakes of who can obtain a divorce, and why, have always been high.

Soal siapa yang meminta cerai dan alasannya adalah penting.

Divorce is a battlefield for some of society's most urgent issues,

Perceraian adalah medan perang bagi isu masyarakat yang paling mendesak,

including the roles of church and state, individual rights, and women’s rights.

termasuk peranan gereja dan negeri, hak individu, dan hak wanita.

Religious authorities have often regulated marriage and divorce.

Pihak berkuasa agama selalunya mengawal perkahwinan dan perceraian.

Muslims in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia began using the Quran’s rules

Orang Islam di Afrika, Timur Tengah, dan Asia mula menggunakan peraturan Al-Quran

in the 7th century AD—

pada abad ke-7 Masihi—

generally, a husband can divorce his wife without cause or agreement,

amnya, suami boleh menceraikan isterinya tanpa sebab atau persetujuan,

while a wife must secure her husband’s agreement to divorce him.

manakala isteri perlu meminta persetujuan suami untuk menceraikannya.

In Europe, Christian churches controlled divorce from the 11th century on,

Di Eropah, gereja Kristian menyelia perceraian bermula abad ke-11,

with the Catholic Church banning it entirely

dengan Gereja Katolik mengharamkan perceraian

and Protestant churches allowing it in restricted circumstances,

dan gereja Protestan membenarkan dalam keadaan tertentu,

particularly adultery.

khususnya hal zina.

In the late 18th century, a series of changes took place

Pada akhir abad ke-18, beberapa siri perubahan berlaku

that would eventually shape divorce laws around the world.

yang akhirnya membentuk undang-undang perceraian di seluruh dunia.

Following centuries of religious conflict,

Selepas konflik agama selama berabad-abad,

Europeans pushed for state governance separate from religious control.

orang Eropah mendesak supaya kerajaan bebas daripada kawalan agama.

Secular courts gradually took over education, welfare, health, marriage—

Mahkamah sekular beransur-ansur mengambil alih

pendidikan, kebajikan, kesihatan, perkahwinan—

and divorce.

dan penceraian.

The French Revolution ushered in the first of the new divorce laws,

Revolusi Perancis membawa masuk undang-undang perceraian baru,

allowing men and women to divorce for a number of grounds,

membenarkan lelaki dan wanita bercerai atas beberapa alasan,

including adultery, violence, and desertion, or simply mutual consent.

termasuk zina, keganasan, dan pengabaian, atau persetujuan bersama.

Though progress was uneven, overall this sort of legislation spread in Europe,

Walaupun kemajuan tidak sekata, undang-undang ini tersebar di Eropah,

North America and some European colonies in the 19th century.

Amerika Utara dan beberapa jajahan Eropah pada abad ke-19.

Still, women's access to divorce often remained restricted compared to men.

Namun, hak wanita kepada perceraian masih terhad berbanding lelaki.

Adultery was considered more serious for women—

Zina dianggap lebih serius bagi wanita-

a man could divorce his wife for adultery alone,

seorang lelaki boleh menceraikan isterinya kerana zina sahaja,

while a woman would need evidence of adultery,

manakala seorang wanita memerlukan bukti zina,

plus an additional offense to divorce her husband.

berserta kesalahan lain untuk menceraikan suaminya.

Sometimes this double standard was written into law;

Kadangkala ketidakadilan ini telah ditulis dalam undang-undang;

other times, the courts enforced the laws unequally.

pada masa lain, mahkamah menguatkuasakan undang-undang berat sebelah

Domestic violence by a man against his wife was not widely considered

Keganasan rumah tangga oleh seorang lelaki terhadap isterinya tidak dianggap

grounds for divorce until the 20th century.

sebagai alasan untuk bercerai sehingga abad ke-20.

And though new laws expanded the reasons a couple could divorce,

Dan walaupun undang-undang baru meluaskan alasan perceraian,

they also retained the fundamental ideology of their religious predecessors:

ia juga mengekalkan asas ideologi agama nenek moyang:

that a couple could only split if one person wronged the other in specific ways.

pasangan hanya boleh cerai jika satu pihak menganiaya pasangan dengan cara tertentu.

This state of affairs really overstayed its welcome.

Keadaan ini berterusan untuk tempoh yang lama.

Well into the 20th century, couples in the U.S.

Pada abad ke-20, pasangan di A.S.

resorted to hiring actors to jump into bed with one spouse,

terpaksa mengupah pelakon berpura-pura tidur dengan pasangan mereka,

fully clothed, and take photos as evidence of cheating.

berpakaian lengkap, dan mengambil gambar sebagai bukti kecurangan.

Finally, in the 1960s and 70s,

Akhirnya, pada tahun 1960-an dan 70-an,

many countries and states adopted no-fault divorce laws,

banyak negara dan negeri menerima pakai undang-undang perceraian tanpa kesalahan,

where someone could divorce their spouse without proving harm,

di mana seseorang boleh menuntut cerai tanpa membuktikan kemudaratan,

and importantly, without the other’s consent.

dan yang penting, tanpa persetujuan pihak yang lain.

The transition from cultural and religious rules

Peralihan daripada peraturan budaya dan agama

to state sanctioned ones has always been messy and incomplete—

kepada undang-undang negeri tidak selalunya lancar—

people have often ignored their governments’ laws

rakyat sering mengabaikannya undang-undang kerajaan mereka

in favor of other conventions.

demi mengekalkan tradisi.

Even today, the Catholic Church doesn’t recognize divorces granted by law.

Sehingga ke hari ini, Gereja Katolik tidak mengakui perceraian melalui undang-undang.

In some places, like parts of India,

Bagi sesetengah tempat di India pula,

Western-style divorce laws have been seen as a colonial influence

undang-undang perceraian cara Barat dilihat sebagai pengaruh penjajah

and communities practice divorce according to other religious rules.

dan masyarakat mengamalkan peraturan perceraian menurut agama lain.

In others, though the law may allow for equal access to divorce,

Di tempat lain, walaupun undang-undang memberi hak perceraian sama rata,

bias in the legal system, cultural stigma, or community pressures

ketidakadilan sistem perundangan, stigma budaya, atau tekanan masyarakat

can make it far more difficult for certain people, almost always women.

boleh menjadikannya lebih sukar terutamanya dalam kalangan wanita.

And even in the places where women aren’t disadvantaged by law or otherwise,

Di tempat para wanita tidak ditindas oleh undang-undang atau perkara lain,

social and economic conditions often make divorce more difficult for women.

isu sosial dan ekonomi sering menjadikan perceraian lebih sukar bagi wanita.

In the United States, for example,

Di Amerika Syarikat, sebagai contoh,

women experience economic loss far more than men after divorce.

wanita alami lebih banyak kerugian ekonomi berbanding lelaki selepas bercerai.

At its best, modern no-fault divorce allows people to leave marriages

Setidak-tidaknya, perceraian tanpa salah membenarkan orang meninggalkan perkahwinan

that make them unhappy.

yang tidak membahagiakan.

But dissolving a marriage is almost never as simple

Namun pembubaran perkahwinan bukanlah semudah

as sending two people their separate ways.

memisahkan dua individu.

What divorcing partners owe each other,

Tanggungjawab antara pasangan yang bercerai

and how they manage aspects of a once shared life

dan bagaimana mereka menguruskan aspek hidup yang pernah dikongsi bersama

remain emotionally and philosophically complex issues.

kekal sebagai isu kompleks daripada sudut emosi dan pengertiannya.