Pakistani Rape Law

Pakistan may finally change their current rape law:

"Pakistan's National Assembly on Wednesday passed a Bill designed to reform the country's harsh rape laws, amid angry protests by the influential alliance of Islamist parties and walk-out by its legislators.

"The 342-member lower house of parliament was prorogued after it hurriedly endorsed the Protection of Women (Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill.

"The Bill still requires approval from the 100-member Senate (upper house), where the government commands comfortable majority...

"The legislation makes changes in the Islamic Hudood laws enforced in 1979 by military ruler Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq, under which rape victims are liable to prosection for adultery if they fail to produce four male witnesses to the offence...

"In a bid to pacify the religious right, the government inserted into the Bill a clause that makes lewdness, defined as wilful sexual intercourse, an offence punishable with up to five years' imprisonment and a maximum fine of Rs10,000 (Dh625)."

Islamist parties in Pakistan are up in arms for this. Pakistan's current terrible rape law breaks with centuries of Muslim tradition by throwing rape in with sex crimes rather than violent ones, meaning it's much more difficult to prove and there are penalties for unproven accusations.