Did you know there is a Lebanese law that removes the punishment of a rapist if he marries his victim? (article 522)
Did you just cringe, or have a weird feeling in your stomach?
You definitely aren't alone, because such a law, that only seems to protect a rapist, sounds totally inhumane.
But before going further in criticizing a law that feels so morally wrong (and rightly so), it is probably a good idea to understand it better. Where does the problem truly lie?
Despite the law appearing to be simply a pure manifestation of sexism, and seemingly giving a free pass to rape, there is more logic behind it than you might think.
Lebanon, as many of us know and experience on a daily basis, is more or less a conservative society.Even in this day and age the value of a women is greatly put on how eligible for marriage she is. Now imagine going a few years back, when liberal and equality rights where not as heard of, even in the western world. That need for women to get married was so many times stronger. Sadly, society has historically given a women way less of a chance to get married if she was not a virgin anymore, even if it was a result of rape, where the women is blamed for not remaining modest enough.
"She was asking for it by giving signals", "of course if she dresses like that, how can you blame the guy"... the rationalization of rape continuous till this day, even if no one is pro-rape.
In short, it would be an outrage if someone married a raped woman. However, rape was prevalent, as it is today, and therefore there needed to be a law that protected women.
Yes, you read correct, protected women. The intellectuals behind writing the law (article 522) were not purely preaching sexist sentiments, but rather tried to have a quick fix for the women who were victims of rape. They concluded that a woman had a better chance at a happy life, if she was not labeled as an unmarried woman, who was once raped.
Therefore, the law was written to give incentive for the rapist to marry his victim. Once the woman was married, she wouldn't be persecuted and judged by society. In other words, it is better to be a divorced woman, than a raped woman.
Now let's go back to present-day reality. Despite having some form of moral high ground, this law is still utterly insulting to women. It does nothing to punish rapists, and it continuous to encourage the hushing up of rape incidents.
Lebanese society might not be the most liberal around today, but the idea of shaming a woman for being raped doesn't sit easy with many people, and it shouldn't. Therefore, people should definitely unite and say no to this law.
Rape might plague humans for as long as they exist but that doesn't mean it should be a taboo, because ignoring a crime just encourages it to take place more often. Join the protest, join the fight ABAAD, fight for the rights of your mothers, sisters and daughters.
Who does the Lebanese law protect? The victim or the rapist?
Help abolish article 522 that stops the prosecution of a rapist if he ends up marrying his victim.
#Undress522 #Abolish522
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