June 25,2008 -- This year 10 cases of violence against women and girls has been reported in Badakhshan. This includes two cases of rape, escape from home, beating and divorce. A young girl was raped in Raghistan district of Badakhshan province. 17-year old Razia claimed that 40-year old Altaf Al-Rahman had raped her several times three days back. She told PAN that she wanted justice and the punishment of the rapist but didn’t give any further details. The statistics in the report from Womankind, Afghan Women and Girls Seven Years On, make shocking reading. Violent attacks against females, usually domestic, are at epidemic proportions with 87 per cent of females complaining of such abuse – half of it sexual. More than 60 per cent of marriages are forced. The Independent, Feb. 25, 2008 … Brigadier Mohammad Ashaq, the commander of security of Raghistan told PAN that Maulawi Altaf Al-Rahman had been arrested on the claims of Razia and the lawsuit had been sent to the judge of District Court. But Amruddin Yamin, the judge of the District Court, said that according to the investigations Maulawi Altaf Al-Rahman had raped Razia nine months back and Razia had given birth to a child just some days back. He added that the new born had been beaten to death and it was most probably done by the rapist. Yamin said that the punishment of rape in Sharia law (Islamic Law) is stoning to death and according to the law it is serving in prison for a long time; when his crime is proved he will be punished. Permission to speak to the suspect about the accusations was not given. The head of the Human Rights Commission of Badakhshan talking about another case of human rights violation in Raghistan, said that four months back 19-year old Fatima had been engaged to Qari Mohammad Hussain in accordance with family settlements. After a few months Fatima had run away with a boy named Ghamkhwar who was also engaged. He added that when the two had gone to the court of Faiz Abad to marry, they were arrested by the police. According to the information of the head of the Human Rights Commission of Badakhshan, 13-year old Zarghoona, student of the fifth grade (Fatima’s sister) was then married to Mohammad Hussain. If this marriage has taken place then it is against the law and thus illegal. According to the named, this year 10 cases of violence against women and girls has been reported in Badakhshan. This includes two cases of rape, escape from home, beating and divorce. An 8-year old girl named Fatima was raped in the Saray Sang area of the city of Talaqan (capital of Takhar) in April of this year. She was on her way to the agricultural lands when 21-year old Askar Mohammad raped her and then she was killed. The court of Takhar sentenced Askar Mohammad to death on 10th of June for the crime of raping Fatima. |
