Free Republic

Kyrgyzstan President Roza Otunbayeva called on Monday for harsh sentences for thousands of men who kidnap brides in the largely Muslim nation, abusing an ancient tradition. "Around 15,000 women each year become the victims of bride kidnapping," she said, ordering prosecutors to crack down on offenders in the Central Asian state. The tradition began as a way of avoiding paying bride money or bypassing parental disapproval in the country which was largely nomadic until late in the Soviet era. But men are now snatching women they don't know without their consent for abusive marriages ... these crimes often force women...