Karzai Wants to Legalize Marital Rape?

NATO had better fight hard for this one.
The male of the species all around the world need to catch up with women, who have evolved at a far greater pace than men (is that sexism against men or fact?)--and fast.

Reuters: President Barack Obama piled pressure on Afghan leader Hamid Karzai on Saturday to scrap an "abhorrent" law which critics say would legalize marital rape.

Other leaders meeting at a NATO summit joined in the chorus of disapproval, warning that support for the military alliance's Afghan mission would suffer if the Shi'ite Personal Status Law was not dropped.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown personally phoned Karzai to complain and Western officials said the Afghan leader had ordered a review of the draft law, which would apply to the country's Shi'ite minority.

"I think this rule is abhorrent ... We have stated very clearly that we object to this law," Obama told a news conference after a NATO summit.

"It is very important for us to be sensitive to local culture but we also think there are certain basic principles that all nations should uphold ... (including) respect for women and respect for their freedom and integrity."

If this is the case, Karzai needs to be tossed. But I guess it's not that easy if the predominant belief in their culture is that women are property:

The law, which has not been publicly released, is believed to state women can only seek work, education or doctor's appointments with their husband's permission.

Only fathers and grandfathers are granted custody of children under the law, according to the United Nations Development Fund for Women.

Opponents of the legislation governing the personal lives of Afghanistan's Shia minority have said it is "worse than during the Taliban". telegraph

Obama responds to a Fox "News" reporter's question on whether more support for that country will be contingent on reversing this law by reminding him that we're there primarily to protect the U.S. from terrorist attacks. "The first reason we are there is to root out Al Quaeda..." Watch it here.

Karzai is apparently reviewing the new law.