It's Not Rape Exactly...

I am really shocked at myself for having taken this long to write about the "Marital rape law" or "Shia Family Law" as it is formally known, (I laughed too) that has been in the press lately. The law states “is bound to preen for her husband as and when he desires”. Another passage sanctions marital rape. “As long as the husband is not travelling he has the right to have sexual intercourse with his wife every fourth night . . . Unless the wife is ill or has any kind of illness that intercourse could aggravate, the wife is bound to give a positive response to the sexual desires of her husband.” Mmmm, just makes a woman want to throw off her burka and make sweet love to her husband doesn't it? I know nothing melts my butter like a militant government order to get screwed - literally- by my husband. But wait! That's not all folks, here we have Article 133 that states “A wife cannot leave the house without the permission of the husband” unless in a medical or other emergency." Well, what's a girl to do?

After International pressure was applied to the Afghan Government, they clarified themselves, I am paraphrasing here but the explanation went something like, a wife can refuse sex and if she does her husband doesn't have to feed her. Oh well, when you put it that way! If they had said 'no sex, no Visa card' that's a choice, hey I can live without shoes for a while but no sex, no food? Umm, not really a choice there boys!

This 'law' clearly has its supporters, not surprising mostly comprised of men, and is likely a campaign boosting attempt to gain votes before the upcoming election for which the already unpopular president is campaigning to be re-elected. The law, however, only applies to the Shiite Muslims, 15% of the Afghan population! These people hate the West (I'm making a blanket statement I realize, but stay with me...), they think we are on our high horse so to speak, that we feel superior to other cultures. This is not untrue. We do, and this is both warranted and unwarranted depending on the context, but what we can hold our heads up and say is that while Germaine Greer's dream of total gender equality in its utopian presentation has yet to be realized (if ever), we still treat our women as humans. The Afghanis would say this is why we have a demoralized, areligious, and promiscuous society. Yep sure do, but I don't see the men holding their hands up and saying no. They are as much a part of women's promiscuity, women have the freedom to choose what they do and with whom. I feel our society, with its flaws, has flourished with the inclusion of women in active society. Imagine the workforce without women. Most of healthcare would be absent, for example. I work in healthcare and certainly the XX chromosome group far outweighs the XY.

One has to wonder, even with a cursory knowledge of the Qu'ran, when and why this abhorrent treatment of women became not only accepted and practiced, but also legislated? I am proud to see that the women fought back against this law in the face of treats of bodily harm and mobs of angry men. Imagine, dear sisters, what panic and widespread horror would be brought on your men if you enacted a Lysistrada-like protest on your men? They would be brought to their knees, which is the perfect height to step on their...rights.