U.N. Says Afghan President Signs Law Legalizing Rape in Marriage

by Barry ORegan | April 1, 2009 at 07:50 am

1011 views | 74 Recommendations | 14 comments

Barry Artiste Op/Ed

Funny, when I as a Canadian, write about another culture or their religious leanings of laws in a negative light as reported in the media, I get lambasted by what I perceive is by left leaning readers who comment to my stories, leaving me to believe yet again, lefty's are most likely unclued to the concept of right or wrong or decency for that matter.

Case in point, this story, amongst other stories such as stoning women, gay beheadings, suicide bombers bombing civilians. Now all of these happen in a Muslim and or Islamic Nation. One would think there would be millions of stories in the media with Muslim organizations, screaming bloody murder at these obvious atrocities against human life and decency and put a stop to it once and for all, but obviously do not! Now when I try and point out these atrocities, and that perhaps these cultures envision bringing such barbarities into the Canadian Cultural Mainstream, I am called a Racist, with a Big White Pointy Hat? There are so many media stories where Imams state, they wish Canada, Britain or any Western Country to be an Islamic state. Funny eh?

Yet, the same who brand me racist, not for one minute Poo Poo anything these Zealots say.

So again I direct you to yet again another story in which the Leftys of the world state, "Oh Barry you are Racist, cause this story like many others are a minor exception to the rule"! My Mind Boggling Response to their Ludicrious response is... "There certainly seems to be too many exceptions to these rules, and it looks like this exception is to become the Rule of Law in Afghanistan.

But then, Leftys will always accuse those with common sense and decency of being racist now, wont they?

The Canadian Government has responded with outrage over this proposed Law, and the President of Afghanistan has remained unresponsive to the Canadian Governments request for a response. Leaving many to believe, Mind your own Business, this is our way, our country,

Typical!

In an unrelated story, the Minister of Immigration Jason Kenney stated he would like all newcomers to Canada to assimilate into the Canadian Culture! And I reported this story in my Op/Ed yesterday, and "Land O Goshen!" I get accused of being racist in my comments section on my story! Yep, Good Times, Just not for Afghani Women!

Perhaps Canada and the US and other countries should take a cue from those who feel we should mind our own business and not interfere with their countries affairs, and immediately pull our troops and financial aid out of the Middle East and let them exterminate each other.

McGuinty rules out use of sharia law in Ontario, which could have stripped some or all womens rights. http://my.nowpublic.com/world/mcguinty-rules-out-use-sharia-law-ontario

Below is a MUST READ link to atrocities against women and children, because tradition is hard to break in Afghanistan.

http://www.rawa.org/temp/runews/2006/11/16/violence-against-women-on-the-rise-in-north-of-afghanistan-2.phtml

Apparently rape does not just extend to Married Women, but children as well.

http://www.rawa.org/self_immolation/gang_rape.htm

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has backed a law that the United Nations Development Fund for Women claims legalizes rape within marriage and forbids women from leaving the house without permission, The Telegraph reported Tuesday.

According to the U.N. the law, which has not been released publicly, says women cannot seek work, education or doctor's appointments unless their husband approves.

The law also allegedly gives sole custody of children to fathers and grandfathers. Opponents of the law accuse Karzai of pandering to the Shia minority whose swing vote is crucial.

While the Afghanistan constitution guarantees equal rights for women, it says the Shia population can settle cases based on Shia law.

Afghanistan would not let the U.N. see a copy of the bill, and a Karzai spokesperson would not comment.

3 See all footage | View Slideshow

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israeli.agent

at 12:07 on April 1st, 2009

"...says women cannot seek work, education or doctor's appointments unless their husband approves."

How the approval process should be? I hope they setup some online application form and SAP based approval process.....!!!

Or is it an April fool joke..!!??

Sigh....!

.Agent.

aberdulais

at 10:34 on April 1st, 2009

You cannot but wonder at the reasoning behind this piece of legislation. Can I be bold, or racist, or sexist, or whatever, and suggest that if a Muslim/Islamic MAN was raped by a woman, that would probably not be ''legal'' ..............having not read the fine detail, I suspect that only rape within a marriage by a man of a woman is legal ? ......some being more equal than others, of course......

Barry ORegan

at 20:35 on April 1st, 2009

Well my friend when Imams state all those who die for Allah, get to have tons of sex with 70 or so virgins in paradise, makes one wonder two things, if this were true, are the virgins willing or taken by force? And two, This shows lack of respect towards women, if this is stated by a Religious Man and his followers! Something to think about!

tikun

at 10:46 on April 1st, 2009

A women is chattel and has no serious legal status. Period. If a woman has been successfully dehumanized then it is easy to use her for anything one wants. Including rape.

Barry ORegan

at 10:51 on April 1st, 2009

Thanks everyone and surprising, no one has visited from my other stories and called me a racist yet for covering this? Guess I will put away my White Pointy Hat for now!

aberdulais

at 10:59 on April 1st, 2009

I guess the only real problem with being ''totally outraged'' with the treatment of women in such a society is the fact that we in Europe, and probably elsewhere, keep uncovering middle class, white, christian men who lock their daughters in cellars for years on end for some twisted kind of sex fantasy and our society is supposed to be moral, equal and fair...making something legal or illegal matters not to some people, its how we as human beings treat each other that counts, or is that a bit off the wall ?

aberdulais

at 11:28 on April 1st, 2009

My point being that as human beings ( all of us ) we should treat each as other as equal human beings and with respect and dignity, and the fact that we legislate is fine, and we did it first, or did more of it, is fine, but in a 'best' society maybe legislation such as '' you are now allowed to vote'' or ''you are now allowed to go outside'' is not really adequate.....it should perhaps be 'we are all equal born citizens of this particlar planet and deserve each others equal respect, loyalty and kindness' etc

Amy Judd

at 12:05 on April 1st, 2009

Glad to see the comments on here!

I feel sorry for all Afghani women; it's just terrible what they have to endure.

René

at 14:35 on April 1st, 2009

Here's some of the goodies:

Article 122: Tacitly accepts child marriage by laying out mahar (dowery) provisions for marriage between minors.

Article 132: Legalizes the rape of a wife by her husband.

Article 133: Subjects a woman’s right to work, education, access to health care and to other services to her husband’s authority/permission.

Article 161: Legalizes divorce proceedings with the simple requirement that two male witnesses must be present.

Article 177: Denies a woman the right to leave her home without her husband’s permission.

Article 226: Regulates inheritance rights between couples. Men inherit both moveable and immovable property from a deceased spouse, while women inherit only moveable property from a deceased spouse.

Article 47: Grants guardianship of children to fathers and grandfathers.

From Draft of the Law, March 31, 2009

Afghani women are outraged.

"It's about votes," Ms Karokhail added. "Karzai is in a hurry to appease the Shia because the elections are on the way."

The provisions are reminiscent of the hardline Taliban regime, which banned women from leaving their homes without a male relative. But in a sign of Afghanistan's faltering steps towards gender equality, politicians who opposed it have been threatened.

"There are moderate views among the Shia, but unfortunately our MPs, the people who draft the laws, rely on extremists," Ms Karokhail said.

The bill lay dormant for more than a year, but in February it was rushed through parliament as President Karzai sought allies in a constitutional row over the upcoming election. Senator Humeira Namati claimed it wasn't even read out in the Upper House, let alone debated, before it was passed to the Supreme Court. "They accused me of being an unbeliever," she said.

Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA)

Barry ORegan

at 20:42 on April 1st, 2009

Thanks Rene for the additional info, a small town in Quebec called Herouxville, brought up the issue of Womens rights by some cultures who oppose womens equality and were soundly trashed in the media as Racist and Looney folk ! Funny how a couple of years later, it comes full circle, when media stories such as this appear and our Governments finally realise who are the true looneys and it aint Herouxville.

Barry ORegan

at 21:01 on April 1st, 2009

I have provided some video, though disturbing, shows video and stories which have been going on in Afghanistan for what seems to be eons. Now I ask you, is this what our soldiers are dying for? We are there make it a better place for women and children, but if the moral fabric of the country ruled by men and a President resist our efforts, why are we there?

Ken Bond (not verified)

at 07:23 on April 2nd, 2009

Just another political animal! We're so used to it.

Christopher Allen LaFleur (not verified)

at 07:46 on April 4th, 2009

As a preface, this is sarcasm.
There are a few things I believe the U.N. should clarify on this Afghan law for those of us that need to know. One, if your wife needs a little convincing, how much can you tune her up. Do you have to stick to a choke hold or can you just go to whaling on her? Two, if she need a lot of convincing(some women need quite a bit when it comes to "having sex" when they are not in the mood), and I get a little carried away and she dies, is this murder or just a quickie divorce? Please, let me know the answers to these two points, since, if the answers come back like I hope, its a win, win, win for me and I will pack my wife up and move to Afghanistan right away. She has turned off a little cold lately and the U.S. has got my hands tied. Personally, I like the way the Afghans think.

René

at 19:17 on April 4th, 2009

The women of Afghanistan posted this on the site RAWA.com: Sharia for Shias: Legalized Rape

Tom Coghlan, reporting for The Times in Kabul, has been leaked the full text of new laws in Afghanistan, under which a woman from the minority Shia community will not be able to leave the house without her husband's permission and cannot refuse him his marital rights. 'The wife is bound to preen for her husband, as and when he desires,' the law says. Catherine Philp reported on the oppression women face in Afghanistan back in 2004 and it seems to be getting worse, not better. A few days ago, Human Rights Watch called on President Obama to make protecting human rights a priority in his revised policy towards Afghanistan. Any US pressure on this doesn't seem to be working. According to the United Nations Development Fund for Women, the new law legalises the rape of a woman by her husband.