This is disgusting. Several lawmakers in Pakistan have said they are going to leave their seats in the Parliment if current rape laws are changed. The current rape laws in Pakistan demand that for a woman to prove that she has been raped, she must have four witnesses, which is next to impossible in most instances.
A woman who claims she was raped but fails to prove her case can be convicted of adultery, punishable by death.Maulana Fazalur Rahman, a leader of the Islamic coalition, said Tuesday that lawmakers in his group would vacate their seats in the National Assembly if the government tries to get the assembly's approval to change the law.
"We will render every sacrifice for the protection of the Shariah (traditional Islamic) laws," he said at a news conference.
However, the ruling Pakistan Muslim Party — which has a majority in the assembly — has praised Musharraf for taking steps to amend the law and end the four-witness requirement.
Given Musharraf's track record, this is the least he could do.
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Maulana Fazalur Rahman, a leader of the Islamic coalition, said Tuesday that lawmakers in his group would vacate their seats in the National Assembly if the government tries to get the assembly's approval to change the law.
Good. It sounds like his group would be doing the people of Pakistan a favor to leave Parliment.
Changing insane rape laws is good, but having a bunch of assholes leave because of it is phenominal!
The hostility towards Musharraf is unwarranted, I think: he's in a very dangerous spot pushing reform at a rate far faster than is safe. Keep in mind, the "normal" Pakistani method for changing government over the last 50 years has been to depose or assassinate the current head of state. Musharraf himself came to power that way.
I'm not sure what the current power level of the Islamic Coalition is, but they used to be a dominant force, IIRC. While I'm very happy to see things move in the direction they are, I find myself mostly hoping that this doesn't end in bloodshed.