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KABUL - A group of some 1,000 Afghans swarmed a demonstration of 300 women protesting against a new conservative marriage law on Wednesday. The women were pelted with small stones as police struggled to keep the two groups apart.

The law, passed last month, says a husband can demand sex with his wife every four days unless she is ill or would be harmed by intercourse — a clause that critics say legalizes marital rape. It also regulates when and for what reasons a wife may leave her home alone.

Women's rights activists scheduled a protest Wednesday attended by mostly young women. But the group was swamped by counter-protesters — both men and women — who shouted down the women's chants.

Some picked up gravel and stones and threw them at the women, while others shouted "Death to the slaves of the Christians!" Female police held hands around the group to create a protective barrier.

The government of President Hamid Karzai has said the Shiite family law is being reviewed by the Justice Department and will not be implemented in its current form. Governments and rights groups around the world have condemned the legislation, and President Barack Obama has labeled it "abhorrent."

Foreign meddling
Though the law would apply only to the country's Shiites — 10 to 20 percent of Afghanistan's 30 million people — it has sparked an uproar by activists who say it marks a return to Taliban-style oppression. The Taliban, who ruled Afghanistan from 1996-2001, required women to wear all-covering burqas and banned them from leaving home without a male relative.

Shiite backers of the law say that foreigners are meddling in private Afghan affairs, and Wednesday's demonstrations brought some of the emotions surrounding the debate over the law to the surface.

"You are a dog! You are not a Shiite woman!" one man shouted to a young woman in a headscarf holding aloft a banner that said "We don't want Taliban law." The woman did not shout back at the man, but told him: "This is my land and my people."

Women protesting the law said many of their supporters had been blocked by men who refused to let them join the protest. Those who did make it shouted repeatedly that they were defending human rights by defending women's rights and that the law does not reflect the views of the Shiite community.

'We want our rights'
Fourteen-year-old Masuma Hasani said her whole family had come out to protest the law — both her parents and her younger sister who she held by the arm.

"I am concerned about my future with this law," she said. "We want our rights. We don't want women to just be used."

As the back-and-forth continued, another demonstration of Shiite women who said they support the law began.

"We don't want foreigners interfering in our lives. They are the enemy of Afghanistan," said 24-year-old Mariam Sajadi.

Sajadi is engaged, and said she plans to ask her husband's permission to leave the house as put forth in the law. She said other controversial articles — such as one giving the husband the right to demand sex from his wife every fourth day — have been misinterpreted by Westerners who are anti-Islam.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30223599

I realize women have little to no rights in many middle eatern and asian countries, but a law that allows marital rape?

Makes it hard to understand the mindset not only of these "people" but the whole religion of Islam as well .

So thats how we get Afghans, i always thought my grandma knitted them.

C'mon Jules. I'm not apologizing for this goofy behavior.

All I'm saying is you can't lump in these people with Islam in general. Right?

It's called stereotyping, and it comes with belonging to any group, be it, black, white, hispanic, Christian, Hindu, Muslim, male, female, tall, short, thin, fat.

You're right, and we should all be smart enough not to do it.

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You're right, and we should all be smart enough not to do it.

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Then don't do it and take your moral highground and be content .

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C'mon Jules. I'm not apologizing for this goofy behavior.

All I'm saying is you can't lump in these people with Islam in general. Right?

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Why not? Is this region not where the largest concentration of Islamists reside? Is this region not where the vast majority of high clerics (or whatever they call them) reside? It is just my opinion, but what goes on in countries like Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, etc.. IS Islam in general. Just as the Pope and the Cardinals set the tone for the Catholic church, this region sets the tone for Islam....

I just have a problem with generalizing. You can say the Pope speaks for Catholics, but I know I don't agree with and follow the Pope (and I'm Catholic).

How many muslims do you know, and of those, how many are radicals like this? I know a number of muslims, and you pretty much wouldn't be able to tell they were muslim except for their dress. But, they treat their spouses with respect, they treat their kids well, they love the United States. So, should we group them in with these people from Afghanistan?

I don't like generalizing and I don't like stereotypes. It just doesn't make sense to me.

I have several Muslim friends and when I see a Muslim on the streets, I don't think.... "Hey, that guys Muslim, I'll bet he beats his wife."

There is a big difference between using some generalizations and being racist.. being racist means you treat people differently.. using generalizations means you want to make a point without typing out a 400 word description of exactly who you are talking about...

Jews are frugal...
Black guys can jump...
Etc...

Does everybody from a group fit every stereotype? No, of course not... but I'm not going to disclaim everything I say when you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Except tall. No one will ever mistake you for tall. The others are true.

Why is it our business?

If Muslims choose to live this way---and it is a conviction that is deeply rooted in their religion, what business is it of ours to interfere?

Just for you GM....