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April 26, 2012 (Huffington Post)
Egypt’s new Islamist-dominated parliament is preparing to introduce a controversial law that would allow husbands to have sex with their deceased wives up to six hours after death.
Known as the “farewell Intercourse” law, the measure is being championed as part of a raft of reforms introduced by the parliament that will also see the minimum age of marriage lowered to 14 for girls.
The proposals have sparked outrage amongst women’s rights groups, with Egypt’s National Council for Women accusing the government of “marginalising and undermining the status of women”.
The “farewell intercourse” legislation was first mooted in 2011, after a Moroccan cleric suggested sex remained legitimate even after death, whether with a man or a woman.
According to Al Arabiya News, Dr Mervat al-Talawi, head of the country’s National Council for Women, has written to the parliament speaker pleading to not enact the laws, which would “rid women of their rights of getting education and employment”.
On Tuesday, high profile Egyptian journalist Jaber al-Qarmouty joined the chorus of disapproval.
He said: “This is unbelievable. It is a catastrophe to give the husband such a right! Has the Islamic trend reached that far? Is there really a draft law in this regard? Are there people thinking in this manner?”
Many of Egypt’s laws enacted to protect women’s rights were won during the Mubarak regime. Islamists are now looking to roll back these hard-won reforms as a point of “protecting families”.
