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What Happens in Pakistan, Stays in Pakistan?

November 16, 2006 By Laura 1 Comment

Just imagine: Pakistan, the new Vegas. The Protection of Women Bill passed the House. Judges can now try rape cases in either criminal or Islamic court, and rape victims who cannot produce four male witnesses to the crime will no longer be prosecute for adultery. Additionally, sex with girls under sixteen is outlawed, and flogging and the death penalty will no longer be the penalty for extramarital sex. It still has to pass the Pakistani Senate. Here are some reactions to this unexpected and encouraging moderation (emphasis added):

Addressing parliament, the leader of the six-party MMA Alliance, Maulana Fazlur Rahman, said the legislation would “turn Pakistan into a free-sex zone“. “Existing laws are correct and should be maintained,” he said. “The changes are not in line with Islamic teaching.”

Religious parties called the new legislation “a harbinger of lewdness and indecency in the country“, and against the strictures of the Koran and Sharia law.

Conservative opposition politicians have said they will fight to make sure the bill does not pass the senate stage. “We reject it,” said Malaun Fazlur Rahman, head of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Islamic Party of Religious Leaders). He said the vote was a “dark day” for Pakistan.

Okay, calling this legislation moderation is quite a stretch, but it is certainly a welcome improvement. I’m sure that western feminists will give this situation the attention it deserves – both for the fact that it shows progress, and for the reminder that Islam subjugates and abuses women worldwide.
*crickets chirping*

Other bloggers on this story: neo-neocon, globalclashes, Gates of Vienna.

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  1. Threads from Henry’s Web » Blog Archive » Identifying Moderate Muslims says:
    November 17, 2006 at 6:23 am

    [...] Laura has a short post over at Pursuing Holiness on Pakistan and a move toward moderation legislatively. The particular form of moderation involved is preventing women who are raped from being charged with adultery. Personally, I’m eagerly awaiting the announcement of a moderate stoning, so that I could get some idea what that would be like (no, not actuallly!). [...]