Afghan leader accused of bid to 'legalise rape'

[Are_grits_groceries]

Afghanistan's President, Hamid Karzai, has signed a law which "legalises" rape, women's groups and the United Nations warn. Critics claim the president helped rush the bill through parliament in a bid to appease Islamic fundamentalists ahead of elections in August.

In a massive blow for women's rights, the new Shia Family Law negates the need for sexual consent between married couples, tacitly approves child marriage and restricts a woman's right to leave the home, according to UN papers seen by The Independent.

"It is one of the worst bills passed by the parliament this century," fumed Shinkai Karokhail, a woman MP who campaigned against the legislation. "It is totally against women's rights. This law makes women more vulnerable."

The law regulates personal matters like marriage, divorce, inheritance and sexual relations among Afghanistan's minority Shia community. "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.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/afghan-leader-accused-of-bid-to-legalise-rape-1658049.html

I don't even know where to start.

[Marrah_G]

1. arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

:banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

[Djinn]

2. and Karzai is one of the more "moderate" members

of that bunch.

The US has very successfully pumped the meme that the Taliban were bad and what we've replaced them with is good. NOTHING could be further from the truth (on the latter assumption that is - the Taliban obviously sucked)

Not only are THESE provisions reminiscent of the Taliban but a cursory glance around in Afghanistan today anywhere outside of Kabul (hard to do unless you actually go there because the ruling class who owns the media will never tell the truth about the war in Afghanistan, even more so than in Iraq) will show you brutal misogynistic lawlessness that would make even Mullah Omar weep.

The fight against the Taliban was not waged by progressive figures (no matter how much certain people have attempted to elevate the 'Lion of Panjshir' to a Che like level) The "Northern Alliance" were also reactionary Islamic fundamentalists, or simple outright f'ing bandits. They are now the government.

The warlords we have empowered were every bit as backwards as the Taliban. We have empowered rapists, murderers and thieves and have the gall to pretend we've helped the Afghan people. All we have done is add arrest, rendition, detention, torture and bombing to their daily misery.

[LiberalFighter]

3. Send Barbara, Laura, and the twin girls Jenna and Barbar Bush to Afghanistan.