I know this is going to sound ludicrous, but, it could be worse.

The long and short of most Arab nations is the 'rights of women' are always on the chopping block. In Saudi Arabia, women driving is a hot topic and in Afghanistan allowing a woman to withhold herself from her husband is now part of the electorate venue. The entire 'status of women' in countries outside First World countries falls into doubt and disapproval by those women that enjoy freedom and autonomy, even within a marriage.

During the days of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan knew its first Bank for Women. Only women could belong to the bank. They could invest, make loans, etc. That was a big deal and a lot of men hated her for it. So while this 'sort' of law seems a bit outrageous it is not nearly as bad as it could be.

I can also imagine Afghan women forming 'women's shelters' where they receive all the sustanence they need while seeking divorce and/or counceling with their spouse. Allowing the law is a method of idenfying the dysfunction and it is a start, not an end to a woman's rights campaign.

Afghanistan (click title to entry - thank you) has quietly passed a law permitting Shia men to deny their wives food and sustenance if they refuse to obey their husbands' sexual demands, despite international outrage over an earlier version of the legislation which President Hamid Karzai had promised to review....

...In early April, Barack Obama and Gordon Brown joined an international chorus of condemnation when the Guardian revealed that the earlier version of the law legalised rape within marriage, according to the UN....

...Brad Adams, the organisation's Asia director, said: "The rights of Afghan women are being ripped up by powerful men who are using women as pawns in manoeuvres to gain power.
"These kinds of barbaric laws were supposed to have been relegated to the past with the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001, yet Karzai has revived them and given them his official stamp of approval."
The latest opinion poll by US democracy group the International Republican Institute showed that although Karzai was up 13 points to 44% since the last survey in May, his closest rival, Abdullah Abdullah, had soared from 7% to 26%....