Afghanistan Legalizes Rape
posted by: Natasha G. 272 days ago
The U.N. warns that Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai has legalized rape.
Directed towards the Shia minority, the Shia Family Law allows for sexual intercourse between married couples without consent and requires a husband's permission for a woman to leave the home, work or pursue education. And in the event of divorce, the father or grandfather is granted custody of the children.
Shinkai Zahine Karokhail, a female MP who campaigned against the legislation, claims, "There are moderate views among the Shia, but unfortunately our MPs, the people who draft the laws, rely on extremists...It is one of the worst bills passed by the parliament this century."
Another female MP, Shukria Barakzai, argues that they did score some victories, such as raising the legal age of marriage for females from the proposed 9 years to 16 and removing provisions from temporary marriages.
Because Afghanistan's elections are coming up in August, it is believed that President Karzai signed the bill into law in order to please the Shia community and gain votes. Karokhail claims that the bill was rushed through parliament, with little debate.
Several weeks ago, at the 53rd Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, hosted by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), Afghani women's rights activists spoke about the challenges facing women in Afghanistan. Despite the fall of the Taliban, they claim there is persistent gender inequality, which is only exacerbated by the fragile state of the wartorn nation.
From UNIFEM's website:
Directed towards the Shia minority, the Shia Family Law allows for sexual intercourse between married couples without consent and requires a husband's permission for a woman to leave the home, work or pursue education. And in the event of divorce, the father or grandfather is granted custody of the children.
Shinkai Zahine Karokhail, a female MP who campaigned against the legislation, claims, "There are moderate views among the Shia, but unfortunately our MPs, the people who draft the laws, rely on extremists...It is one of the worst bills passed by the parliament this century."
Another female MP, Shukria Barakzai, argues that they did score some victories, such as raising the legal age of marriage for females from the proposed 9 years to 16 and removing provisions from temporary marriages.
Because Afghanistan's elections are coming up in August, it is believed that President Karzai signed the bill into law in order to please the Shia community and gain votes. Karokhail claims that the bill was rushed through parliament, with little debate.
Several weeks ago, at the 53rd Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, hosted by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), Afghani women's rights activists spoke about the challenges facing women in Afghanistan. Despite the fall of the Taliban, they claim there is persistent gender inequality, which is only exacerbated by the fragile state of the wartorn nation.
From UNIFEM's website:
The Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations, Zahir Tanin, described how Afghanistan had in his youth been a peaceful and tolerant country, where the best traditions of east and west had merged. But the wars and violence of the past few decades had unsettled the dust of intolerance and ignorance.
Pointing to the Afghan constitution that declares equal rights and the duties of men and women, Mr. Tanin said there was indeed political will to improve the position of women, but that the increase in violence had meant that women were, as always, the first victims.
Read more: rape, afghanistan, womens rights
comments
I can't believe we are risking our men and woman to help these animals. We should surround the country and not let them out and then block entrance to our world.
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The Koran implies that women are not possessions, they are "God's creations". This rape law shows just how much respect those people have for women. When a husband has the permission to rape his wife it's a very scary thing because now you can't report abuse and if you do then you become the criminal. It's just shameful they could approve such a disgusting and horrific law.
When you marry a man he is supposed to protect you and love you unconditionally, he is not supposed to beat or rape you. If I was married, I would kill my husband before he has the chance to hurt me or my children. Women are not men's to control, they have rights and most of all they have the right to say "no".
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Natasha G. while you're right . there is a undercurrent of contempt and down treatment of women in the middle east and it is troubling to alot of people and unless and until we start to see the violence and unbalance for all it is. we all as members of the human race will not be able to make it better.
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Muhammed I've read your comments & I agree that everyone should read the Qu'ran, as I said earlier. But I can't believe any enlightened, modern-thinking, educated person could believe it, & I have to wonder if you've ever read it yourself? How could you possibly make the utterly unsupportable statements you make if you've actually read it? The Qu'ran is so riddled with contradictions & things that go against all scientific proof there is no possible way to even begin to list them here!
Some would say the same about Christianity as you've said about there not being any true Christian States. The teachings of Jesus are uplifting and inspiring, but almost impossible to live - not so those of Paul, Moses et. al.Some would say if you read the 4 Gospels that give the teachings of Jesus (forgetting all the other blather of the Old & New Testaments)that you'd become a Christian - a real one, like there were in the early days after Jesus.
Or maybe if you read the teachings of Buddha or Zarathustra, both of which teach of peace and kindness.
I am reading the Qu'ran now & find it to be repellent, just like the Old Testament it was based on.
If Islam is the fastest growing religion in the West it is only because Muslims are moving in in such great numbers to escape the misery of the Muslim countries they lived in & that they have way too many children especially now that this world is so overpopulated.
You say the Qu'ran shows respect for women? Show us. I
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This is getting funny!!! If this does not tell the U.S. what kind of idiots they are dealing with,nothing will! Do people not see what kind of idiots they are dealing with?
This is a Joke,but as long as there is something in it for someone,it will never stop!!
Say that out loud,Legalized Rape!! What a joke!! The rape victims need to see if they can get killing their rapist legalized!!!
JOKE,HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA,Lori
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This is getting funny!!! If this does not tell the U.S. what kind of idiots they are dealing with,nothing will! Do people not see what kind of idiots they are dealing with?
This is a Joke,but as long as there is something in it for someone,it will never stop!!
Say that out loud,Legalized Rape!! What a joke!! The rape victims need to see if they can get killing their rapist legalized!!!
JOKE,HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA,Lori
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True Picture:
Whatever is going on in Afghanistan and other muslim contries doesn't mean it's a teaching of Quran. Unfortunately in this day and age there isn't a single society which depicts true teachings of Quran.
It's all a corrupted system and from a corrupted, demolished and partially enslaved society like Afghanistan you can expect anything even worst than this law. So this law has nothing to do with Quran or Islam and you can't tell where it's coming from.
Quran is all about justice, peace & humanity. Read verses quoted in a comment above but try to find out in what context it is mentioned in Quran.
"Trying to come to conclusions about autheticity of Quran just by reading one sentence without any reference to the context doesn't seem sensible".
There is no use to put any effort to question on truth and authenticity of Quran because it's the only book in world which will remain true and unchanged till the end of times.
So try to read Quran thoroughly not just "fake negative criticism", you'll be a muslim soon.
True Islam unfotunately doesn't exist as whole societies anymore but there are just a few true followers of Islam who are in every part of the world, not only in middle east or other so called Islami states.
Quran teaches to give true respect to women which is far most better than America and Europe. Try to explore it in Quran for yourselves, be unbiased and you'll will learn why Islam has become the fastest growing religion in America and Europe.
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Right
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To Natasha G.: Views about the treatment of women are NOT the same in the Middle East as they are in the West and it IS related to religion.
You have obviously not read the Qu'ran. Women are only worth a fraction of a man. Men are given permission to beat women to make them "good"(Sura 4:34). Men are in charge of women "because Allah has made the one of them to excel the other."(4:34) "Your women are a tilth for you(to cultivate) so go to your tilth as ye will."(2:223) This last one could easily be taken as a release for men to have sex with their wives whether the wife wants to or not. Her feelings are not mentioned.
A few years ago a young teen was gang raped by her brother & his friends in Saudi Arabia, the Muslim Holy Land. She became pregnant, was forced by the State to have the baby, then was taken out and stoned to death for her "sin". Her brother & friends were not punished. Sure sounds like legalized rape to me, with the death penalty for the female victim.
I recommend you all read the Qu'ran. It is on the internet. One with highlights of so many of the contradictions & absurdities is www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/quran and there are others. I can't see how anyone who has ever actually read this book can be tolerant of its blatant & ugly cruelties and bigotries. Read it for yourself. Islam IS NOT a religion of peace & tolerance, & only someone who has not read the Qu'ran could say such a thing.
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to finish my previous comment: An Afghani is a unit of money and an Afghan is a person - FYI.
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