Afghanistan--elections are coming, let's legalize rape.

(Pic I found asociated with a story from the UN regarding attempts to actually make things better in Afghanistan.)

Now, before we get too worked up by the idea that women have to, according to the law just signed, submit to their husbands sexually whenever, and that the law also limits their custodial rights in case of divorce, and takes away inheritance rights--relax! It's only for the Shiites. A measly ten percent of the population!

Oh wait--that is still really horrible, isn't it?

A new law that applies only to Shi'ite Muslims in Afghanistan threatens to reintroduce some Taliban-era restrictions and reverse progress on women's rights in a country still struggling to recover from years of oppressive rule.

The law, which has not yet been published, was passed by parliament and was reportedly signed by President Hamid Karzai earlier this month.

According to the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights, the legislation says that Afghan Shi'ite women will not have the right to leave their homes except for "legitimate" purposes, and forbids women from working or receiving education without their husbands' express permission.

The legislation explicitly permits marital rape by saying that a wife is bound to give a positive response to the sexual desires of her husband. It reportedly diminishes the right of mothers to be their children's guardians in the event of a divorce. And it makes it impossible for wives to inherit houses and land from their husbands -- even though husbands may inherit property from their wives.

Now, Hamid Karzai, according to the article, might just be going along with this law for votes with the Shiite population. It's just politics. The article points out that it was "hastily passed" and not read out in Parliament. I am not sure the US reckoned on them doing it this way when we invaded them and gave them democracy.

I hope this thing is overturned.