Rape Victim pardoned only after agreeing to marry attacker

[lizzy]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/a ... bled=false

KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Thursday pardoned an Afghan woman serving a 12-year prison sentence for having sex out of wedlock after she was raped by a relative.

Karzai’s office said in a statement that the woman and her attacker have agreed to marry. That would reverse an earlier decision by the 19-year-old woman, who had previously refused a judge’s offer of freedom if she agreed to marry the rapist.

Her plight was highlighted in a documentary that the European Union blocked because it feared the women featured in the film would be in danger if it were shown.

More than 5,000 people recently signed a petition urging Karzai to release the woman. She had the man’s child while in prison and raised her daughter behind bars, which is common among women imprisoned in Afghanistan.

A statement released by Karzai’s office says that after hearing from judicial officials, the decision was made to forgive the rest of the sentence she received for having sex out of wedlock, a crime in Afghanistan. The presidential statement did not say when the woman was to be released or how much prison time had been pardoned.

The woman told The Associated Press in an interview last month that she had hoped that attention generated by the EU film might help her get released. With the film blocked, she said that she was losing hope and considering marrying her rapist as a way out. She said her attacker was pressuring her to stop giving interviews.

About half of the 300 to 400 women jailed in Afghanistan are imprisoned for so-called “moral crimes†such as sex outside marriage, or running away from their husbands, according to reports by the United Nations and research organizations. Fleeing husbands isn’t considered a crime in Afghanistan.

The EU welcomed the woman’s release.

“Her case has served to highlight the plight of Afghan women, who 10 years after the overthrow of the Taliban regime often continue to suffer in unimaginable conditions, deprived of even the most basic human rights,†the European Union’s Ambassador and Special Representative to Afghanistan, Vygaudas Usackas, said.

He said the EU hoped the same mercy would be extended to other women serving similar terms. Usackas said he planned to raise the issue of Afghan women’s rights at an international conference on Afghanistan Dec. 5 in Bonn, Germany.

Some of the most severe restrictions women faced under the Taliban, like a ban on attending schools and having to have a male escort to venture outside the home, were done away with when the radical Islamic movement was driven from power in 2001. But Afghanistan remains a deeply conservative and male-dominated society, meaning women are still sold to husbands and rights enshrined in law are often ignored in practice.

[Aurora]

That is terrible. One more reason why we still desperately need "feminism" (in all its incarnations). Could also be called basic human rights.

Edited to add: the two are so intimately linked.

[Happy_Anabaptist]

Was he not even in prison as well?

[Discobiscuit]

Karzai’s office said in a statement that the woman and her attacker have agreed to marry. That would reverse an earlier decision by the 19-year-old woman, who had previously refused a judge’s offer of freedom if she agreed to marry the rapist.

Her plight was highlighted in a documentary that the European Union blocked because it feared the women featured in the film would be in danger if it were shown.

More than 5,000 people recently signed a petition urging Karzai to release the woman. She had the man’s child while in prison and raised her daughter behind bars, which is common among women imprisoned in Afghanistan.

A statement released by Karzai’s office says that after hearing from judicial officials, the decision was made to forgive the rest of the sentence she received for having sex out of wedlock, a crime in Afghanistan. The presidential statement did not say when the woman was to be released or how much prison time had been pardoned.

The woman told The Associated Press in an interview last month that she had hoped that attention generated by the EU film might help her get released. With the film blocked, she said that she was losing hope and considering marrying her rapist as a way out. She said her attacker was pressuring her to stop giving interviews.

Y'know, HappyAnabaptist,if her rapist were in jail, marrying him to get out doesn't sound like such an option.

[Austin]

Was he not even in prison as well?

You're kidding, right?

[BoomerLynn]

:angry-screaming:

[Austin]

H_A, you might take this as an opportunity to rethink your "feminism has caused all these problems" argument. Read up on this case and the countless others just like it and come back and make your argument about feminism and its ills then. Because this is what patriarchy looks like (the polar opposite of feminism). Can you imagine?

[ChunkyBarbie]

Happy Anabaptist, The horror of this story is exactly why feminism exists and is a good thing! Feminism means women are human beings, as human and as valuable as men, and all humans deserve equal rights. Without those beliefs women are allowed to be treated as objects, property, and less than. I am quite sure that concept of modesty/ immodestly will be at play here too, to justify the rapists actions and then the courts. Modest women don't get raped, doncha know!

[emmiedahl]

But if Afghanistan was more feminist, people would start stereotyping men as beer-drinking video-game-playing boars! And men would not be able to find jobs! And women might start divorcing the husbands who beat them or making their own reproductive decisions! Can't you see why this must be stopped?

[fakepigtails73]

Crazy!

And to think that I have friends in the Canadian Armed Forces (excuse-me, I don't want to add the new "Royal" that the PM added) risking their lives over there to help those men's sorry a$$es.

Speechless. Poor woman.

But there's hope: I read about some guys in Afghanistan that organised a heavy metal festival near Kabul. It was stealth, because if they would've been caught by the police they would've had very very bad things done to them no doubt.

[starfish]

What the he!l century are we living in?

[Sunnichick31]

On a similar note-http://edition.cnn.com/2011/12/01/world/asia/afghanistan-acid-ttack/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

I just don't even know what to say about things like this. I really don't. It's disgusting that someone would do this to another human being, especially since no major world religion condones it.

[Angri-la]

H_A, you might take this as an opportunity to rethink your "feminism has caused all these problems" argument. Read up on this case and the countless others just like it and come back and make your argument about feminism and its ills then. Because this is what patriarchy looks like (the polar opposite of feminism). Can you imagine?

Quoted because, yet again, Austin says what I am thinking. This is what America would look like if the Patriarchal Dominionists got their way. Not right at first, but eventually.

[emmiedahl]

On a similar note-http://edition.cnn.com/2011/12/01/world/asia/afghanistan-acid-ttack/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

I just don't even know what to say about things like this. I really don't. It's disgusting that someone would do this to another human being, especially since no major world religion condones it.

I am so sorry for all the Muslims that are affected by this. Not just the people who have to deal with these regimes, but the people in other countries who are negatively stereotyped because of these issues.

[Witsec7]

Bumping this in hopes that HA will respond.

[bananacat]

Why are we all so obsessed with this new troll? She'll respond with the same old cliches as every other troll that has ever been here. Can't we have a discussion that doesn't revolve around her? I'm more interesting in hearing what the other, more thoughtful commenters have to say about this.

[fundifugee]

well. good thing we marched in and 'liberated' Afghanistan. war--very effective, obviously.

[theologygeek]

Was he not even in prison as well?

Things were so much better in the old days when men were men, and women were women, huh?

[annalena]

I guess what she means is wasn't he at least imprisoned for doig this, because it was him who commit the crime.

[annalena]

I am so sorry for all the Muslims that are affected by this. Not just the people who have to deal with these regimes, but the people in other countries who are negatively stereotyped because of these issues.

So, it's just a coincidence injustices like this one tend to happen in Muslim countries a lot more these days?

[Confused_by_religion]

Crazy!

But there's hope: I read about some guys in Afghanistan that organised a heavy metal festival near Kabul. It was stealth, because if they would've been caught by the police they would've had very very bad things done to them no doubt.

Erm...CAN you have a heavy metal festival that is STEALTH? Like, do they play the air guitar to keep the noise down? :think:

BTW, there is also an initiative in Kabul where boys AND girls can learn how to ride skateboards TOGETHER. Change starts with little tings.

As to the poor woman. The EU WELCOMED this decision? WTF???

[Sola]

So, it's just a coincidence injustices like this one tend to happen in Muslim countries a lot more these days?

The type of religion, ie: Islam Vs Christianity, has nothing to do with it. Or have you forgotten about the child-'witch' killings and brutalisations in Africa?

Religion can be used by unscrupulous people to promote ignorance and control others. It can be used to kill and maim people. It can also be used for good.

Islam doesn't have the monopoly on violence, not by a long shot. It is no better or worse than any other religion.

[annalena]

Obviously christianity has had its fair share of violence and twisting words around to get their agenda.

I just see it happen a lot more in Muslim countries lately.

[Sola]

Obviously christianity has had its fair share of violence and twisting words around to get their agenda.

I just see it happen a lot more in Muslim countries lately.

You see reports of it happening in Muslim countries. What you don't see is reports of it happening in countries where Christianity is in the majority. That doesn't mean it isn't happening.

[Cran]

Peace and justice was brought to Afghanistan... not. Sigh. This is so terrible!

I do not blame this behaviour on the religion of choice in this country, but on patriarchy. Like others have pointed out, we can find such atrocities in other cultures and religions, too, guess the law codex of Charles the Great might have held similar things. But this happens when a gender is objectified (hope that is a word!) and treated as property/inferior.

Patriarchy-Father: "My daughter-toy has been damaged! I do not longer want it, the hymen is not intact, take her away!" Wonderful. Wonderful. Haha. So funny. :twisted: