It’s a move in the right direction.
So, the Islamists in the room promptly moved the opposite way:

Islamist lawmakers walked out of parliament, boycotting the vote, after leader Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman told the assembly the change to the law……

Next thing you know they’ll be clamoring about honor killing.

“I thought I died and went to heaven.”

I know….crude.

It sounds like they can go either with the secular route (doesn’t need 4) or the Islamic court (needs 4). Am I reading it wrong?

E L Frederick on November 15, 2006 at 1:11 PM

You are reading it correctly, but guess which court will prevail.

This is an attempt to create a free sex zone in Pakistan

A free sex zone???!!! Sounds like a misquote from Train Spotting. “Who needs sex when we’ve got heroin”

Free sex zone, Sex free zone, either way, you’re gonna need 4 or more to discount the event. Cows don’t count. Or do they?

From timesonline, in an article about Afghanistan.

A report last week by the UK-based charity Womankind Worldwide said cases like Gul Zam’s were becoming more common because between 60% and 80% of all marriages in Afghanistan were forced. More than half of all girls are married off before the age of 16, some as young as six. Many of these marriages are to settle debts or feuds between tribes. The women are regarded as commodities rather than wives and are often treated like slave workers by their new families.

See the trick is to just marry them first. If it doesn’t work out, you just have to remember your vow ‘until death do us part?’

Oh, sure, it’s a misdemeanor under sharia law, but only so long as there are four male witnesses to the rape willing to testify you weren’t a whore who deserved everything you got. There are never four male witnesses to……

I’m glad they have come so far in such a short period of time. — Cary

…it’s been 1400 years or so…how much time do they need?

…wait…1400 years? Another 100 years or so, maybe they’ll be sufficiently “mature” as a religion/culture….

I can see it now…somebody’s going to have a crisis of conscience, refer to original Koranic sources (such as they are, and will nail some theses to the door of some mosque somewhere….

Then he’ll promptly be apprehended, beheaded and maybe tried…for starting a riot….

…so much for “reformation”….

It sounds like they can go either with the secular route (doesn’t need 4) or the Islamic court (needs 4). Am I reading it wrong?

“The Long and Winding Road.”

I think you’re being optimistic, friend. Not like you at all.

(FoxNews) Parliament also gave judges the discretion to decide whether to try a rape case in either a secular criminal or Islamic court, a move that prompted Islamist lawmakers to storm out of the chamber in anger. Strict Islamic laws dictate that a woman who claims rape must produce four witnesses in court, making a trial of the alleged rapist almost impossible because such attacks rarely happen in public.

It sounds like they can go either with the secular route (doesn’t need 4) or the Islamic court (needs 4). Am I reading it wrong?

You still have to have four guys just standing around watching while the rape is going on.

Baby steps? More like snail tracks

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Nothing to cheer about here:

PESHAWAR, Pakistan – Lawmakers from an Islamic coalition ruling Pakistan’s deeply conservative northwest on Monday approved a law to set up a Taliban-style department to suppress vice.

It gets worse: “We had promised an Islamic system to the nation and approval of the Hisbah Bill is an important step in that direction,”

I fear that some of these “reforms” are for “Media” consumption, and mean little.

This is going to be a long, slow, and unpleasant road. No matter how much we wish it were otherwise, this is the road upon which we are destined to travel. Unless we are willing to sacrifice our future, we must be ready, willing, and able to bridge any divide, and overcome any obstacle in order to reach any peaceful destination.

As long as it is within the permissible limits given by ariah is acceptable.The Shariah Laws are meant for the peace for all mankind.Hence, the change in the rules is creating more problems for your society.The sprit of all Shariah Laws are to be first understood and implemented accordingly.In a perfect society every member of society enjoys the life if the rules of Shariah are not violated and practiced voluntarily without misusing it.

imadulislam farooqui, Bombay, India

the new ammendendments in the HADOOD laws in pakistan will cause to promote sex in country , as after this ammendment the sex without marriage will not be treated under law and no one need to be ashamed in doing this . western people want to see pakistan as a moderate state living in 21st centuary , is it a nice way to enter ina new millinium , in pakistan majority of people rejected it , what mushraf wants we dont know , iam not a man of religious party but do one think we need it .

usman, pakistan

“This is an attempt to create a free sex zone in Pakistan,” he said. “Existing laws are correct and should be maintained … The changes are not in line with Islamic teaching.”

How does making it easier to prosecute rape turn the place into a free sex zone?

Praise Allahpundit.

-phil