Pakistan Misogyny: "Islamic Shari'a Punishments Remain" (testimony, marriage)

[!Fluffy!]

Recently hopes had been raised that women in Pakistan would finally be freed from the Hudud (Islamic Shari'a) "honor laws", which among other things do not recognize marital rape, and value a woman's testimony as only half of a man's.

Since Pakistan adopted Islamic law in 1979, a woman must produce four Muslim witnesses to prove she is the victim of a rape. A woman who claims she was raped but fails to prove the charge can then be arrested and convicted of adultery or for having sex outside marriage. (For a rape charge to be proven, four adult male witnesses to actual penetration must come forward. Of course if four adult males stood around and watched a woman get raped, would they be considered accessories to the crime?? Hmm.)

For this crime of being raped but unable to "prove" it, women have been imprisoned, burned alive, beaten to death, stoned and beheaded.

Tragically, the proposed reforms have hit another solid roadblock...

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REUTERS FOUNDATION ALERT-NET

"Pakistan: Proposed Reforms to Hudood Laws Fall Short
05 Sep 2006 23:05:53 GMT
Source: Human Rights Watch


(New York, September 6, 2006) The Pakistani government's proposed amendments to the Hudud Ordinances are grossly inadequate and fall far short of the reform required to end legalized discrimination and deter violence against women, Human Rights Watch said today.

The Hudud Ordinances, a set of laws that, among other things, criminalize adultery and non-marital sex, including rape were enacted in 1979 and have led to thousands of women being imprisoned for so-called "honor" crimes. The laws rendered most sexual assault victims unable to seek redress through the criminal justice system, deeming them guilty of illegal sex rather than victims of unlawful violence or abuse.

Pakistan's National Assembly is meeting this week to consider amendments to the Hudood Ordinances that would introduce minor procedural changes, but fail to address fundamental problems with the laws. For example, a person charged under the Hudood Ordinances will now be able to post bail.

However, the discriminatory provisions that criminalize sex outside of marriage, value women's testimony as half that of a man's, and fail to recognize marital rape remain in force.

Islamic Shari'a punishments, including stoning to death, lashing and amputation for various offenses, would also remain."

Source


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And so the legalized misogyny goes on uninterrupted. This is truly disgusting. I hope women all over the world realize what is happening to women and little girls in Pakistan and elsewhere under these barbaric laws.


Also, a review committee had decided earlier to get rid of a proposed statutory rape amendment making sex with a girl below the age of 14 illegal.

[c0da]

Thats awful.

I hope the pressure on the Pakistani government to have the laws changed remains strong and hopefully it will pay off some time soon.