16 year-old Amina Filali, raped, beaten and forced to wed her rapist, killed herself — the only way she saw to escape the trap set for her by her rapist and Moroccan law. We’ve joined Moroccan activists, campaigning for years to repeal this provision, and now victory is within reach. This week, one last vote could make it happen.
Article 475 in Morocco’s penal code allows a rapist to avoid prosecution and a long prison sentence by marrying his victim if she is a minor. It’s any rape survivor’s worst nightmare, and for Amina, it came true. But now, after hundreds of thousands of us helped to push Parliament, a vote to repeal the provision is within our grasp. If it’s called, insiders say the repeal is certain to pass. We just need one final push to get it to the table.
Right now, there is almost no news coverage and no pressure on legislators to do the right thing. When our call is 1 million strong, we’ll place ads in the newspapers that MPs read and stand with Moroccan activists outside of Parliament with a sea of pink balloons representing the massive global response. Let’s honour Amina's memory by ensuring her tragedy is never repeated.
Sign the petition: http://www.avaaz.org/en/forced_to_marry_her_rapist_f/?beHiYbb&v=33977
Its times like this that make me believe theres no justice in the world. Only fools.
Back in BLACK
We live in such luxury here. It'd often easy to forget that the rules that are imposed in this country aren't imposed to the rest of the world. It's quite sad that people still see that as the solution for a rapist. Get them married and it's seen as "ok".
This situation somewhat reminds me of a boy and girl who run away. Quite often I've found, in Asian culture that in order to avoid family honour and dignity being lowered down, they get their nikaah done, so that what was done beforehand isn't seen as so "bad". That's what the solution seems to be.
its a different situaiton.
Those that elope actually want to get married but are prevented from doing so by family, culture or other circumstance.
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
Yeah, I get you. Though the reasons behind getting the nikaah done are similar.. to make what has been done prior seem as "ok". Though in one scenario, both agree and in the other, one or both may not agree to it but must so that they aren't put into jail.
I don't think it's the same because one is fine afterall there is this verse in the Quran “A man guilty of adultery or fornication does not marry other than a woman guilty of adultery or fornication, or an idolatress, and as for a woman who committed adultery or fornication, no one but a man who committed adultery or fornication, or an idolater, marries her. And that has been prohibited for the Believers.” [al-Quran 24:3]
The other is plain wrong.
"How many people find fault in what they're reading and the fault is in their own understanding" Al Mutanabbi