KABUL, Afghanistan - Conservative religious lawmakers in
Afghanistan blocked legislation on Saturday aimed at strengthening provisions
for women's freedoms, arguing that parts of it violate Islamic principles and
encourage disobedience.
The fierce opposition highlights how
tenuous women's rights remain a dozen years after the ouster of the hard-line
Taliban regime, whose strict interpretation of Islam once kept Afghan women
virtual prisoners in their homes.
Khalil Ahmad Shaheedzada, a
conservative lawmaker for Herat province, said the legislation was withdrawn
shortly after being introduced in parliament because of an uproar by religious
parties who said parts of the law are un-Islamic.
"Whatever is against Islamic
law, we don't even need to speak about it," Shaheedzada said.
The Law on Elimination of Violence
Against 
Women has been in effect since 2009, but only by presidential decree.
Women has been in effect since 2009, but only by presidential decree.
It is being brought before parliament now because lawmaker Fawzia Kofi, a
women's rights activist, wants to cement it with a parliamentary vote to prevent
its potential reversal by any future president who might be tempted to repeal
it to satisfy hard-line religious parties.
The law criminalizes, among other
things, child marriage and forced marriage, and bans "baad," the
traditional practice of exchanging girls and women to settle disputes.
It makes domestic violence a crime punishable by up to three years in prison and specifies that rape victims should not face criminal charges for fornication or adultery.
It makes domestic violence a crime punishable by up to three years in prison and specifies that rape victims should not face criminal charges for fornication or adultery.
Source: CBC...More...
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