Posted on 08/01/2017 1:12:50 PM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
AMMAN, Jordan -- The lower house of Jordan's parliament on Tuesday scrapped a provision in the kingdom's penal code that allowed a rapist to escape punishment if he married his victim.
Cheers erupted from the spectators' gallery as legislators narrowly voted for repeal, following an emotional debate.
Despite the country's pro-Western political orientation and cosmopolitan urban elites, many areas of Jordan remain socially conservative, with entrenched notions of "family honor."
This includes the belief that having a rape victim in the family is shameful, and that such "shame" can be expunged through marriage.
Earlier this week, parliament took another step toward legal reform, closing a legal loophole that had given courts the discretion to impose sentences of as little as six months on those who killed female relatives in the name of "family honor."
Under the new amendment, killing "in a fit of rage" can no longer be considered a mitigating circumstance in such cases.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
But what about stoning the woman for having sex outside of marriage?
Finally, the light flickers on.
Jordan is in a tough spot, and must always walk the high wire. The country does not have the petroleum reserves of other ME countries, and tries to balance western-style freedoms (to encourage tourism and trade with the West) with Arab/Muslim traditions (that have deep roots in its tribal society). Not easy. King Hussein did it well - and King Abdullah has also done it well, in an arguably even more tense environment.
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