Jordan activists celebrate repeal of ‘marry the rapist’ law
Associated Press
AMMAN, Jordan — The repeal of a Jordanian law that allowed a rapist to escape prison by marrying his victim was bittersweet news for a Jordanian woman whose daughter was assaulted when she was just 13 years old.
Tuesday’s vote by parliament’s lower house came too late for the hairdresser’s daughter who was coerced into an abusive marriage to her attacker as a condition for getting out of “protective” state custody.
Her assailant never served a day in jail.
“Today I’m very happy that this law was cancelled,” said the 49year-old mother of the teen, speaking on condition of anonymity to protect her daughter’s privacy since victims of sexual assault are still widely stigmatized.
“But at the same time, I’m heart-broken,” she said in a phone interview. “Where is my daughter’s justice?”
Women’s rights activists hailed Tuesday’s vote as a major victory after a years-long campaign, but said a long struggle lies ahead.
Despite the country’s pro-Western political orientation and cosmopolitan urban elites, many areas of Jordan remain socially conservative.
This includes the belief that having a rape victim in the family is shameful, and that such “shame” can be expunged through marriage.
Tuesday’s decision and another vote earlier this week — to prevent lenient sentences for those who kill in the name of “family honor” — must still be approved by parliament’s appointed upper house and by King Abdullah II. Such approval is expected..
With final approval, Jordan would join Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt, which have canceled their “marry the rapist” clauses over the years.
WASHINGTON — The top American diplomat put the onus on Russia Tuesday to take steps to repair flagging relations with the United States, even as he conceded that congressional sanctions would pose a new obstacle. Holding out hope for warmer ties, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said he’d meet with his Russian counterpart within days.
In a wide-ranging assessment of his first six months in office, Mr. Tillerson also:
• Revealed the U.S. is looking at options to entice Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to leave power peacefully.
• Insisted the U.S. doesn’t blame China for North Korea’s nuclear behavior despite the American pressure on Beijing. He said the U.S. is open to talks with Pyongyang.
• Argued that Iran’s military must leave Syria for the U.S. to cooperate with Russia on ending the Syrian civil war.
• Named retired Gen. Anthony Zinni as special representative to try to resolve the Persian Gulf diplomatic crisis over Qatar.
But on Russia, Mr. Tillerson strained hardest to point to progress.
He was unable to show that the U.S. has fulfilled President Donald Trump’s objective of a new, more cooperative relationship between the former Cold War foes, noting only modest efforts in Syria as a sign the nations share some common goals. While he said frustrated Americans want the U.S. to get along with the nuclear-armed power, he did not address the deep suspicions at home about the president’s intentions. U.S. intelligence agencies have formally accused Moscow of meddling in the 2016 presidential election to help Mr. Trump.
“The situation is bad, but believe me — it can get worse,” Mr. Tillerson said, recounting his message to Russian President Vladimir Putin when they met in March. “And it just did.”
Mr. Putin this week ordered the U.S. to dramatically cut its diplomatic presence in Russia, solidifying the conclusion that a Trump-driven detente with Moscow hasn’t come to pass. Though ostensibly in retaliation for a similar U.S.
The Pentagon and State Department have proposed to the White House a plan to supply Ukraine with antitank missiles and other arms, according to Defense Department officials.