Afghan women protesting new "Dennis Prager Law"

[Enrique]

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/04/15/afghan-rape-law-protest/

KABUL (AP) -- Hundreds of Afghans swarmed a demonstration of more than 100 women protesting Wednesday against a new marriage law they say restricts wives' rights. The women were pelted with small stones as police struggled to keep the two groups apart.

The law, passed last month, says a husband can demand sex with his wife every four days unless she is ill or would be harmed by intercourse - a clause that critics say legalizes marital rape. It also regulates when and for what reasons a wife may leave her home alone.

Women's rights activists scheduled a protest Wednesday attended by mostly young women. But the group was swamped by counter-protesters - both men and women - who shouted down the women's chants.

Some picked up gravel and stones and threw them at the women, while others shouted "Death to the slaves of the Christians!" Female police held hands around the group to create a protective barrier.

(...)


The Dennis Prager connection:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x4740102

[RandomThoughts]

1. That law is so sad.

How can that law happen?

How can people not know that law is wrong?

Hurray for the strong women, I hope they make it to fixing that messed up situation.

It is beyond imagination laws like that, it does not make sense for a thinking person, to think that, I don't get it.

[Marrah_G]

2. Sadly many will be quietly killed or imprisoned for daring to speak out.

[Enrique]

3. the women are incredible

women demanding rights in Afghanistan? Now that's a protest. :wow:

[RandomThoughts]

7. That should get the news coverage, not

the people that think a tax cut is a tax raise.

[ensho]

4. sending much love and stamina and thinking of the women cops who

surrounded and tried to protect them.

[cali]

5. heartbreaking courage. and some shitstains here

have the nerve to insist that Afghan women are free to speak out. I detest them.

[Enrique]

6. if Afghan women were "free to speak out..."

then the people throwing stones in this story would be arrested and jailed for assault. Not likely to happen.

But keep in mind this is Kabul. You could say there is some relative freedom there. In other parts of Afghanistan and in parts of Pakistan, and in some Arabic countries the authorities wouldn't be protecting the women, they'd be throwing the stones.