Patriarchal, tribal and largely illiterate societies in the so‐called Muslim countries have devastated the lives of rape victims by promulgating Islamic laws based on grossly misrepresented and misinterpreted teachings of the Qur’an. This law – rather travesty of justice – requires the rape victim to produce four male, and in some cases, Muslim witnesses to corroborate their allegation in Muslim countries where Sharia Law exists. In the absence of four witnesses, the complainant’s statement is taken as a confession of a sexual act outside marriage and is sentenced for adultery or fornication depending on
their marital status.
The impossible requirement for the victim to provide four witnesses is contrary to the Qur’an and the sad part is that no voice of authority in the 1.6 Billion strong Muslim community has effectively challenged and prevented this so called Islamic Law from being implemented with impunity. Some lone voices condemning this atrocity have largely gone unnoticed.
This paper documents how the Qur’anic message of peace, equality and justice is perverted by its professed followers through gross misinterpretation; the consequent miscarriage of justice, is a call to action for the intellectuals to challenge and reject this travesty of justice and stipulate a befitting punishment for the rapist.
The complete paper can be read and downloaded from Rape a heinous crime 17 Sept