Jordan throws out female divorce rights

The Australian ^ | August 05 2003

[knighthawk]

JORDAN'S newly-elected parliament threw out temporary laws allowing women the right to divorce their husbands and providing harsher punishments for those guilty of so-called honour crimes, parliamentary sources said Monday.

Islamist and conservative deputies mounted a coalition to reject the laws passed by the cabinet in the two years since the previous parliament was dissolved, despite a vigorous defence from Jordanian Prime Minister Ali Abu Ragheb, who stressed they did not violate religious traditions.

Although welcomed by liberal deputies as a "positive development", Islamists said allowing women the right to divorce without their husband's consent would "destroy families".

Conservatives pointed to the "harm" it would inflict on homes and the "negative reaction" in parts of Jordan to its enforcement.

The house of representatives also rejected legislation scrapping lighter sentences for those found guilty of "honour crimes" -- usually the killing of a woman by a male relative who deemed her to have insulted the family honour by her sexual behaviour -- as it did in 2000.

Although the divorce and honour crime laws were referred to the senate, political sources predicted they would be returned to the lower house, which would call on the government to annul them.

Parliament referred 86 out of the 200 temporary laws to special committees, including a law on fixed rents, which some deputies believe could pave the way to selling land to Israelis.

Deputies were also critical of a law allowing the government to appoint half the make-up of town councils.

[knighthawk]

JORDAN'S newly-elected parliament threw out temporary laws allowing women the right to divorce their husbands and providing harsher punishments for those guilty of so-called honour crimes, parliamentary sources said Monday.

Islam-list

If people want on or off this list, please let me know.

[Cyber Liberty]

This is in contrast to the men's method of divorce in Islamic countries:

"I break with thee, I break with thee, I break with thee!" Then, throw dog poop on her shoes.

Then, head over to the swinging singles Mosque and look for women with doog poop on their shoes.....

[Orangedog]

Although welcomed by liberal deputies as a "positive development", Islamists said allowing women the right to divorce without their husband's consent would "destroy families".

Cry-babies! They should try out the no-fault divorce laws that turned devaluing the American family into a multi-billion dollar industry. It's done wonders for our country [/sarcasm].

[agrace]

Although welcomed by liberal deputies as a "positive development", Islamists said allowing women the right to divorce without their husband's consent would "destroy families".

Unlike, of course, divorce without the wive's consent, which can be done by the husband just saying basically "we're done." Those are GREAT for the families, because of course, the husband always gets to keep the kids. Sharia is so cool! < /rolling eyes>

[tictoc]

knighthawk, great find, thank you!

Without you and FreeRepublic, I'm sure I would never have heard about it.

That's because most of the media love to print news that make the West look bad, but bury anything that's embarrassing to Arabs.

I can still remember about 12 to 18 months ago, how much play Jordan got out of its announcement that it would

-- give women the right to divorce
-- stop the practice of punishing "honor" killings with only a slap on the wrist

And now? Nothing. Worth noting that the PARLIAMENT is more hidebound and more medieval than the KING.

[Ippolita]

thnx for posting this.
This is very bad news indeed. So much for the secularization of Jordan.

[freeforall]

"including a law on fixed rents, which some deputies believe could pave the way to selling land to Israelis."

It's always the jews.

[FITZ]

Such strange laws ----but in Islam, marriage is nothing more than slavery, a wife is nothing but property of a man to do as he pleases with her.