“Rights activists have been pushing for the law for the past 20 years with no hope despite government’s support because of the objections of religious leaders who fear adverse judgments in Shariah courts.”
But let Muslim communities establish Sharia law in the West, and, no, really, this time it will be different.
“Activists step up efforts to penalise “˜spousal rape”,” from the Khaleej Times, July 20:
MANAMA “” Rights activists in Bahrain have accelerated their efforts to penalise “˜spousal rape” by launching a new campaign to promote the implementation of a family law to regulate judgments at Shariah Courts.
Presidents of the Women’s Union Mariam Al Ruwai told Khaleej Times yesterday that the law was the ultimate solution to protect women from many types of abuses and discriminations they faced at courts.
She said the penal code did not criminalise spousal rape for many religious and social misconceptions. “Out of shame and social criticism, many wives do not seek legal help and suffer in silence the humiliation because of their husbands’ psychological problems, while others who wanted to fight for their dignity and physical safety were shattered when they come to know that the legal system cannot help them,” she explained.
Women’s rights activist Afaf Al Jamri highlighted the need for the implementation of a family law to bring justice to such women. She said many women had to tolerate physical violence at the hand of their husbands because of the wrong interpretation of Islamic regulations, mainly Hadith (sayings of the Holy Prophet peace be upon him). She stressed the need to focus on the Holy Quran as its verses could not be misinterpreted.
Hmm. “Your wives are as a tilth unto you; so approach your tilth when or how ye will…” – Qur’an 2:223
Scholar and judge at the Shariah Courts Shaikh Mohsin Al Asfoor told Khaleej Times that men had a right to establish physical contact with their wives as the word “˜rape” doesn’t apply in relations between married couples. He said Shariah courts did not penalise men for forced sex, however they press abuse charges and not rape when one suffers physical injuries.
“Shariah courts have dismissed many cases filed by women against their husbands for forced or unwilling sex, especially by females who had signed the marriage contracts but were waiting for the formal marriage ceremony, because the religion allows a man to establish physical contact with his wife as per his wish,” Shaikh Al Asfoor explained.
Rights activists have been pushing for the law for the past 20 years with no hope despite government’s support because of the objections of religious leaders who fear adverse judgments in Shariah courts.