News & Politics - Indian forced to 'marry' her father-in-law rapist

Tiffers · 06-16-2005, 07:45 AM

Morning,

Saw this on Yahoo News! I have no words...

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NEW DELHI (Reuters) - An Indian rape victim is being forced by village elders to "marry" her rapist -- her father-in-law, a newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Community leaders in Charthawal village, backed by local Muslim clerics, believe that by being raped, 28-year-old Imrana's 10-year marriage has been nullified under Islamic law, The Asian Age newspaper said.

Holding a special council on Sunday, village leaders ordered the mother of five to leave her husband, Noor Mohammed, and live with her parental family for seven months and 10 days and make herself "pure" again, The Age said. It did not say how she becomes pure.

After that, she must "marry" her father-in-law and live with him, along with his legal wife.

"She... will then be like a mother to Noor Mohammed," the paper quoted local cleric Shamim Ahmad saying.

Her four brothers have agreed to the edict. She has not but in India, victims of crime often have nowhere to turn and with even her own family supporting the edict she may have little choice.

Police are now investigating and say they plan to arrest the father-in-law. They refuse to comment on the village elders' ruling, saying it is a sensitive religious issue.

The village is in Uttar Pradesh, one of India's poorest and most backward states and its most populous, with more than 165 million people, more than Russia's 145 million

Lain · 06-16-2005, 08:06 AM

Morning Tiff

*reads article*

Holy...

Today I learned something more of the Islamic teachings.

Semmer · 06-16-2005, 08:22 AM

That's one of the worst things I've read in a long time.

There's nothing about the article that isn't wrong in so many ways.

Hot Like Fire · 06-16-2005, 11:43 AM

OMG! that is just not right

In Fair Verona · 06-18-2005, 10:19 AM

That is terrible. It's a terrible fate for her, I wish that there was someway to get her out of that country, because that is the only way she could be helped. To leave India. The thing that makes it worse is that these elders believe that what they are doing is good; good for her. Which, we know is a warped perception, but you can't convince somebody so strong in their religious convictions, especially when they believe they are doing the right thing.

Though, I don't see this as a reason to hold it against the Islamic teachings, especially considering there are many diverse ranges and extremeties of Muslims as there are Christians. I would like to see their stance on rape in the actual text of the Qur'an, and then I'll start questioning the faith, but until then I'm questioning the people.

Papri · 06-20-2005, 12:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by angel_boogiepop

Morning Tiff

*reads article*

Holy...

Today I learned something more of the Islamic teachings.

It is very dangerous to judge an entire religion based on one, although sickening, but isolated incident.

From what I know through 17 years of being a Muslim, the victim of a rape is not obliged under Islamic rule to suffer any additional pain such as being forced to marry her rapist, even by so-alled "elders". The tradition of having "elders" rule/judge matters in India is a cultural matter, not religious. The two are not neccessarily synonymous. In fact, she/he is encouraged to defend herself/himself against any attacker:

Quote:

A woman who is being forced to commit zinaa [unlawful sexual activity] is obliged to defend herself and should not give in even if she kills the one who wants to do that to her. This self-defence is waajib (obligatory), and she is not at fault if she kills the one who wants to force her into zinaa.

From http://www.muhajabah.com/

Another example of how women who are coerced into activities unwillingly are not forced to bear punishment of any kind:

Quote:

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Turuq al-Hukmiyyah, 18: “(Section) … A woman who had committed zinaa was brought to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him), and he asked her about it and she admitted it, so he commanded that she should be punished. ‘Ali said: ‘Maybe she had a reason.’ So he said to her, ‘What made you do that?’ She said, ‘I had a partner who shared livestock with me; his camels had water and milk, and mine had none. I got thirsty, so I asked him to give me something to drink, but he refused unless I let him have his way with me. I refused three times, but I was so thirsty that I thought I was going to die, so I gave him what he wanted, and he gave me something to drink.’ ‘Ali said: ‘Allaahu akbar! “… But if one is forced by necessity without wilful disobedience nor transgressing due limits, then there is no sin on him. Truly Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [al-Baqarah 2:173 – interpretation of the meaning].’

Quote:

During the time of the Prophet (saw) punishment was inflicted on the rapist on the solitary evidence of the woman who was raped by him. Wa'il ibn Hujr reports of an incident when a woman was raped. Later, when some people came by, she identified and accused the man of raping her. They seized him and brought him to Allah's messenger, who said to the woman, "Go away, for Allâh has forgiven you," but of the man who had raped her, he said, "Stone him to death." (Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud)

Quote:

During the time when Umar (raa) was the Khalifah, a woman accused his son Abu Shahmah of raping her; she brought the infant borne of this incident with her to the mosque and publicly spoke about what had happened. Umar (raa) asked his son who acknowledged committing the crime and was duly punished right there and then. There was no punishment given to the woman. (Rauf)

From: http://www.crescentlife.com

GhostWriter · 06-25-2005, 09:53 PM

...

Hey, do you all know the laugh from the Gorillaz song entitled Feel Good Inc. ?

Well I'm doing that laugh right now!

(read the signature, maybe you'll understand me, probably not)

Sereena · 06-27-2005, 06:30 AM

Quote:

It is very dangerous to judge an entire religion based on one, although sickening, but isolated incident.

I really do agree with that.


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