Where Rape Isn't A Crime

Afghan President Hamid Karzai signed into law Article 132. The law states ""a wife is obliged to fulfill the sexual desires of her husband." The international community and blogosphere has reacted negatively.

The United States, NATO, Canada and the United Nations have voiced concern about the law, after some Afghan lawmakers said it legalizes marital rape, but Karzai said their criticisms were based on a wrong translation or misinterpretation of the law.

"We understand the concerns of our allies in the international community. Those concerns may be out of an inappropriate or not so good translation of the law or a misinterpretation of this," Karzai told reporters.

Karzai said a copy of the law he had seen did not reflect the criticisms and concerns of Afghanistan's Western backers.

The Time article translation Article 132: "a wife is obliged to fulfill the sexual desires of her husband." The United Nations stated: "“Article 132 legalises the rape of a wife by her husband." Hazara Party leader Ustad Mohammad Akbari has the audacity to claim the law protects women's rights.

Ustad Mohammad Akbari, an MP and the leader of a Hazara political party, said the president had supported the law in order to curry favour among the Hazaras. But he said the law actually protected women's rights.

"Men and women have equal rights under Islam but there are differences in the way men and women are created. Men are stronger and women are a little bit weaker; even in the west you do not see women working as firefighters."

Akbari said the law gave a woman the right to refuse sexual intercourse with her husband if she was unwell or had another reasonable "excuse". And he said a woman would not be obliged to remain in her house if an emergency forced her to leave without permission.

A woman doesn't have to have sex if she is sick. It doesn't matter that she was forced into an arranged marriage or hates her husband. If he wants it she puts out. In case your wondering, the Hazara pushed for Article 132.