Afghan President Hamid Karzai Orders Review of “Rape within Marriage” Law

Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai has ordered a review of a recently passed law that was intended to regulate family life in the Shia community yet many say actually tolerates rape within marriage.

While Karzai ordered a review of the law to ensure it didn’t go against Sharia law the president was also quick to point out that Western journalists had misinterpreted the new legislation and are inaccurately reporting on its mandates.

Critics of the new law point to provisions that state wives are obliged to carry out sexual relations with their husbands at least once every four days as well as a stipulation that women cannot leave their home without the permission of their husband.

NATO chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said the new law violated not only women’s rights but human rights as well. U.S. President Barack Obama also commented on the new law, calling its contents “abhorrent” and could cause serious problems when it comes to providing aid to the country. Leaders from the UK and France have also contacted Karzai about the law, expressing their own concerns for how the law could be interpreted.

The new law is intended solely for the Shia community, a minority population that makes up about 10 percent of Afghanistan. A separate piece of legislation for family law is being discussed for the majority Sunni community.

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