Afghanistan Women's Rights Bill Blocked, Deemed Un-Islamic; Bill Fails To Outlaw Child Marriage, Forced Marriage, Trading Women To Settle Disputes

A Women's Rights Bill in Afghanistan was blocked after conservative members of the legislator said the bill was "un-Islamic" beacuse the Bill tried to outlaw child marriage, forced marriage and trading women to settle disputes. 

Conservatives blocked the legislation because they fear it encourages disobedience while violating Islamic principles. 

Even more than a decade after the fierce-line Taliban regime was dismissed from the Afghanistan decision-making process, the majority of representatives for the inchoate Afghanistan government, do not support the changes. 

A conservative lawmaker for the Herat province, Khalil Ahmad Shaheedzada, told the Associated Press, the legislation was overthrown today almost immediately after it was introduced because religious groups who still control most of the inner workings of government said parts of the law are "un-Islamic." 

Said Shaheedzada, "Whatever is against Islamic law, we don't even need to speak about it."

A Presidential decree for the Law on Elimination of Violence Against Women has been in place since it was issued in 2008, but it was generally ignored until being brought before Afghanistan's parliament because of lawmaker Fawzia Kofi, a women's rights activist where it is dangerous in such a sharply patriarchal country and conservative culture.

Kofi wants to make sure the decree isn't overturned by any hard-line future President to satisfy the religious groups who still control most of the war-torn country. Hence, the introduction of the bill. 

But conservatives couldn't stomach the Afghanistan Women's Rights Bill, which outlaws child marriage and forced marriage while banning the "baad" practice of exchanging women and girls to settle disputes by men.

The bill would also make domestic violence punishable by up to three years in jail, and in clear cut language, says rape victims should not face criminal charges for fornication or adultery.  

Kofi plans to run for President next year, but she said she's disappointed by the 60 women in parliament--who were appointed by constitutional provisions--who voted against the bill despite it's ability to turn into law what has until now just been a Presidential decree.

Conservative lawmaker, Nasirullah Sadiqizada Neli from the Daykundi province, said that the child marriage ban and the idea of protecting rape victims would throw the country of Afghanistan into a state of chaos with married women engaging in extra-marital affairs secure in the knowledge that if they're caught, they can claim rape. 

One other conservative lawmaker against the bill, Mandavi Abdul Rahmani of the Barlkh province, said the rape bill could never be passed because adultery is a crime, regardless of whether it's against a woman's wishes.

"Adultery itself is a crime in Islam, whether it is by force or not."

Heather Barr, a researcher for Human Rights Watch, said that the introduction of the bill before the largely conservative country had progressed further may actually set back the women's rights movement in a country where not so long ago they were forbid from school, work or even leaving the house unaccompanied by a make relative. 

Said Barr, "There's a real risk this has opened a Pandora's box, that this may have galvanized opposition to this decree by people who in principle oppose greater rights for women."