8,000 rally in Pakistan against rape law changes

AP via JPost.com ^ | 11/26/2006 | Staff

[Dark Skies]

Thousands of activists of a religious coalition rallied Sunday in the southern Pakistan city of Karachi to condemn the government over amendments in the country's controversial Islamic rape laws.

Pakistan's Parliament recently approved a bill to change the 1979 Hudood Ordinance, a law based on Islamic principles that requires rape victims to produce four witnesses to the crime. But the move has angered many conservative Muslims.

"We will not let Pakistan become secular," the supporters of a coalition of Islamic groups chanted.

The change in the law was prompted by human rights activists, who demanded the ordinance be repealed, saying it failed to help victims of rape get justice and made prosecution of attackers difficult.

The Parliament, dominated by Musharraf supporters, also passed legislation that would drop the death penalty for sex outside of marriage, an act still punishable with five years in prison or a fine of 10,000 rupees (US$165; €129).

[Dark Skies]

Or, in other words, islam likes rape and doesn't want to change.

[Tijeras_Slim]

requires rape victims to produce four witnesses to the crime

I guess participants don't count.

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

Wow.....Whoa!

DEath for sex outside of marriage.....I would have been gone a LONG time ago!

[metmom]

No help for the women there, I guess they'll still be the ones stoned when they get raped.

Protecting them is *secularization*? So much for the great respect and dignity with which they claim to treat women.

[blinachka]

"We will not let Pakistan become secular,"

These people are truly insane. Secularism has NOTHING to do with fair rape laws. These whakos really confirm that islam is satanic.

[metmom]

DEath for sex outside of marriage.....I would have been gone a LONG time ago!

Only if you're female.

[43north]

Hypocritic barbarians.

Religion of Peace my black Irish arse!

[Arm_Bears]

Meanwhile, the silence from NOW is deafening.

[supremedoctrine]

"I guess participants don't count "

---

very good point/ But as you must know, the Islamic laws were badly needed, because for DECADES Pakistan's courts were clogged with thousands of goldbricking Pak women charging RAPE over EVERYTHING, and trying to collect FORTUNES from the unfairly maligned male sex. Just had to redress the balance.

[nuconvert]

Let's see....Pakistan has a population of around 165 million. So thousands protesting isn't very significant.

[Kakaze]

4 witnesses.....if they watched wouldn't they be complicit or does the profit refer to them as spectators.

[Long Island Pete]

Four witnesses? That sounds like a gang bang not a rapist.

What a bunch of barbaric sub-humans.

[US admirer]

Savages.

I have come to the conclusion that these people are beyond being reasoned with. That, in combination with an exquisitely violent predisposition to anyone different from them, will lead to an eventual need to kill them. It remains to be seen however, whether we will have the philosophical, religious, social and political convictions to do so.

[rhombus]

Hmmm, "thousands of activists" or even the eight thousand promised in the headline in Karachi does not a majority make. What is the population of Pakistan? 128 million? More? What SHOULD give us hope is that the Parliament DID institute these changes.

[kublia khan]

Not as long as our leaders continue to spout off about those mythical "moderate Muslims" or "Reasonable Muslims". Where are this massive group? Has anyone heard them speak as a group against the terrorist who practice in the name of Islam?

[Dark Skies]

Actually, these changes were the work of Musharraf and his government. If Pakistan were a democratically-elected government, I believe we would see Sharia implemented.

[Fawn]

It amazes me how barbaric people can be. Aren't they born with common sense and a conscience? Where is God? Seems to me there are more rotten people in this world than good ones. I Thank God for animals.

[Clintonfatigued]

You have a very strong tagline.

[samadams2000]

Koranimals.