Lauren DiCiaccio
April 8, 2009
11:17 am
This article provides a follow up article on the new law that has been tentatively passed in Afghanistan that, among other things, supports marital rape. The law is directed towards the Shiite minority and outlines several parameters for everyday life in terms of judicial law. However, it has drawn criticism from the international community for its contents on women's rights. According to the new law, a man may have sexual intercourse with his wife legally, even if she says "no", unless she is ill. Article 132 of the law states that unless the husband is either ill or traveling, his wife must have sexual intercourse with him at least every fourth night. Article 133 has proved to be equally upsetting to many in the international community, which states that a woman is no longer able to legally leave the house without her husband's permission or presence unless in a case of emergency. The law is currently under review and has not been put into full action.
Unfortunately, it would seem that politics in Afghanistan have slipped back into the Taliban era. US backed leader Hamid Karzai has made several steps forward in certain areas of the country, however, this law would make it apparent that the rights and humane treatment of women (and potentially children) have taken a back seat. The idea of state sanctioned marital rape is pretty chilling, but when one also takes into account that many marriages are not by choice of the participants, the outcome - rape by a man who the woman neither loves nor likes, at least every fourth night, is appalling. It would seem that few US policies have trickled down to Afghani politics, as the leader our government supported is enacting laws similar to the leaders we dismantled. While there are certainly cultural differences between Afghanistan and the West, certain rights must be seen as universal, such as the right to choose one's participation in sexual activity.
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/06/new-afghan-law-on-women-on-hold/?scp=3&sq=ethnic&st=cse
2 comments:
This bothers me so much. Women are not objects for a man's amusement. No matter the religion or nation's laws, I believe that everyone should be equals. That is what marriage is--a partnership, not slavery. I am waiting on the day that these Afghan women become fed up and fight back. I'm not positive, but pretty sure that there are more females than men (power in numbers anyone?). I would fully support that revolt.
I agree that this practice is apalling. Although I understand the cultural differences, and that our values are not always their values, rape is a universal wrong. Women, no matter their cultural background, do not deserve to have to sleep with a man that they have no desire to.
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