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Iranian Activists Block 'Discriminatory' Bill
A new proposed Family Protection Bill has been returned to the judiciary commission of the Iranian parliament as a result of backlash against the bill's most discriminatory provisions. The bill was on the verge of consideration by the full parliament, and if ratified would further erode women's rights in Iran.
Iran's current Civil Code [pdf] is highly discriminatory, restricting women's custody rights and ability to divorce, lowering the minimum age of marriage for females, requiring the husband's permission for the wife to work outside of the home, and legalizing temporary marriages. The new proposed Family Protection Bill marks further regression. Among the most controversial provisions of the proposed bill:
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Article 22 effectively removes any requirement to register temporary marriages (sigheh), which are viewed in Iran as a form of legalized prostitution. The removal of the registration requirement eliminates any financial or legal protections for women in these unions, and for children who are born into temporary marriages.
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Article 23 authorizes polygamous marriages contingent upon the financial capacity of the man. It does not set specific parameters for adequate financial resources to support multiple wives, or define overall concepts of justice or equal treatment of multiple wives. Most notably absent from the Family Protection Bill is any effective requirement of consent of the first wife for her husband to enter into a second marriage.
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Article 25 imposes a tax on the Mehr (dowry) paid to the wife. While this amount is legally owed to the wife at the time of the marriage, women often do not receive their dowries. Frequently it is only paid upon termination of the marriage, thus becoming a point of leverage for a husband against his wife if she desires a divorce. Taxation of the dowry reinforces a husband's financial power over his wife during marriage, and further inhibits a wife's potential for financial autonomy at the time of a divorce.
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The Family Protection Bill imposes additional procedural impediments to divorce, particularly for women, who under the current Civil Code already have only limited access to divorce.
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Article 46 criminalizes the marriage of a foreigner to an Iranian woman without proper authorization. The foreign man is subject to between ninety days and one year imprisonment, and the woman (if married at her free will), her father (if he gave permission), and the marriage officiant will be sentenced as accomplices.
First introduced in August 2007, the proposed Family Protection Bill was passed by the legal and judicial commission of the parliament on July 9, 2008. Intense opposition by numerous groups, including activists in the One Million Signatures Campaign, was instrumental in preventing the bill's ratification by parliament in its current form.
WLP commends the efforts of women's rights activists and the One Million Signatures campaign, and urges continued awareness and advocacy in ensuring legal protections of women's rights both outside and within the family. A new proposed Family Protection Bill has been returned to the judiciary commission of the Iranian parliament as a result of backlash ... more -
Falling house prices are saving marriages
Property group Savills says there is a strong correlation between changes in house prices and the number of divorces in England and Wales as falling prices makes divorce less affordable. They seem to have a point as the Office of National Statistics reports that the divorce rate in England and Wales is at a 26-year low, with 11.9 divorcing people for every 1,000 of the married population.
Nowadays, couples are more likely to divorce at a higher age, so that there is more equity involved in the split. "The seven year itch is becoming the 20 to 25 year itch," said Lucian Cook, director of research at Savills. "They are couples who have climbed the housing ladder and, having generated significant equity, divide it between them when they separate." As a result, they could be more likely to stall on divorcing and selling up, or could be waiting for prices to fall further before buying smaller properties separately.
But other surveys suggest that the economic downturn could affect marriages among those working in the City. A poll commissioned by law firm Mishcon de Reya earlier this year suggested that a fifth of stockbrokers, hedge fund managers and analysts knew a colleague who had been issued with divorce proceedings since the downturn began. Property group Savills says there is a strong correlation between changes in house prices and the number of divorces in England and Wa... more -
Family Man
A story about Lou Provost and his struggles with age. Lou's story is unique and inspiring.
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Nigeria arranges 'HIV marriages'
HIV-positive couples are being paired up for marriage by a northern Nigerian state in an attempt to reduce the spread of the disease.
But international Aids experts have voiced concern at the plan. Warren Naamara from UNAids said the two people could have different strains of the virus, which could interact. He said the couples should use condoms.
Around 70 couples have been matched up in the last few weeks, Bauchi state authorities told the BBC. Authorities in the state say they are trying to stop HIV spreading and battle the "isolation and stigma" of the disease.
Some 3% of Nigeria's adult population - 2.4 million people - is estimated to be HIV-positive HIV-positive couples are being paired up for marriage by a northern Nigerian state in an attempt to reduce the spread of the disease. ... more -
Cosy days are over !!!
Cosy days are over for American from any faith that want to follow their conscience.
The Gay gospel is the new state religion that our 1st amendment was supposed to protect us from.
I urge the gay community to put a leash on homosexual activists that want to create instability and force a backlash on you
Threatening other Americans to submit to these gay activits' belief system or be discrimated is a receipe for trouble and hate.
Especially do not let them pray on the innocence of young children against their own parents will or behind their back Cosy days are over for American from any faith that want to follow their conscience. ... more -
"GARRIAGE" (aka gay "marriage")
This Youtube video shows that "redefining marriage" and forcing it down the throat of 70% of Americans is a huge strategical mistake.
Gay activists should settle for civil unions with all the benefits like in California before it becomes garbiage.
Why declare war on 98% of the American Population and hope for love and peace ?
The first human right of children is the right to a Daddy and a Mommy.
Don't kill the messenger... listen to the message !!!! This Youtube video shows that "redefining marriage" and forcing it down the throat of 70% of Americans is a huge strategical... more -
Nigerian preacher with 86 wives seeks to marry more
An 84-year-old Nigerian Muslim preacher with 86 wives intends to marry more women despite an order from local Islamic chiefs to immediately divorce all but four of them, his spokesman said on Monday.
Nigerian newspapers reported that Mohammed Bello, who lives in Niger State in central Nigeria with his wives and at least 170 children, was ordered by local religious elders to divorce 82 of his wives by Sunday or leave the area.
Some newspapers said on Monday he had agreed at a meeting with local officials to divorce all but four of the women and had asked for time to return them to their families. But his spokesman, Mohammed Tahir, denied there had been any such deal.
"He is not going to divorce any of his wives. Rather he is going to marry more," Tahir said.
"Since he married those women, none of them or his children have ever gone out to beg for food or money. He has not broken any law and none of his wives have committed any offences that would be a basis for divorce," he added.
Many Muslim scholars say Islam allows men to have up to four wives at any given time who must be treated equally.
Bello has received a number of death threats in the last few weeks after the Nigerian media began reporting on his unusual marital situation.
"Sometimes people will call us, hide their numbers and tell us that they are coming to kill him and everyone in the compound if he doesn't leave," Tahir said.
"Is that fair? What offence has he committed?" An 84-year-old Nigerian Muslim preacher with 86 wives intends to marry more women despite an order from local Islamic chiefs to immedi... more -
Brangelina marriage crisis?
Brad jets off leaving Angelina at home - again
Just one week after his boys' weekend with George Clooney in Venice, Brad Pitt is on the go again, leaving Angelina Jolie at home to care for the kids. Brad and daughter Zahara were seen boarding a private jet and taking off for an unknown location. Shouldn’t Brad be at home helping Angelina take care of the kids?
The actress reportedly has suffered numerous breakdowns since the birth of twins Knox and Vivienne in July.
The actor has been seen constantly on the go with the guys, hanging out at bars, and camping out on the couch of friend Bono Vox. Angelina is even supposed to have kicked him out of the house for a time!
While Brad is globetrotting, Angelina is stuck at home, changing diapers and feeding the kids.
Could Brangelina be coming to an end? Brad jets off leaving Angelina at home - again ... more -
Why people pick partners who look like parents
Women have the tendency to pick husbands who resemble their fathers, a study shows. Apparently, the same applies to men, who tend to choose women who are similar to their mothers.
The latest work from a Hungarian University provides yet more evidence for the phenomenon, known as sexual imprinting. The Hungarian team measured the facial proportions of the members of 52 families. They found significant correlations between the young men and their fathers-in-law, especially on facial proportions belonging to the central area of face - nose and eyes. Women also showed resemblance to their mothers-in-law in the facial characteristics of their lower face.
Lead researcher Tamas Bereczkei said: "Our results support the sexual imprinting hypothesis which states that children shape a mental template of their opposite-sex parents and search for a partner who resembles that perceptual schema."
Familiarity alone does not appear to account for choosing a partner because the participants did not adopt templates for their same-sex parents, they said. They say males and females choose different facial areas of parents to be models in accordance with their general sexual preferences for facial traits.
Dr Lynda Boothroyd from the University of Durham, a psychologist who has carried out similar research, said: "There is an argument that a certain degree of similarity makes people more fertile and genetically compatible."
But there is a balance between the benefits of marrying someone genetically close and the risks of inbreeding. "We have a lot of mechanisms - such as pheromones and smell - to stop us choosing someone too similar to us, like an immediate family member," said Dr Boothroyd. Women have the tendency to pick husbands who resemble their fathers, a study shows. Apparently, the same applies to men, who tend to c... more -
Angry husband kills wife's puppy
A Coleraine man who killed his wife's pet dog is to start a six-month jail term after abandoning an appeal to get the sentence overturned.
In July, William David Streeter, 29, from Cloyfin Park, was convicted of seven counts of animal cruelty and threatening to kill his wife.
Speaking outside Ballymena County Court, his former wife said she was relieved he had dropped the appeal.
"This is one birthday I will never forget," Alison McMonagle said.
Streeter hanged golden retriever Mac by his collar, kicked him with steel toe-capped boots and hit him with a boulder in October 2006.
He has also been banned from keeping an animal for 10 years.
Speaking at the time the judge said it was one of the worst cases of animal cruelty he had ever seen. A Coleraine man who killed his wife's pet dog is to start a six-month jail term after abandoning an appeal to get the sentence ov... more -
Woman sets husband's car on fire then cuts off penis
A housewife is on the run after she allegedly cut off her husband’s penis after accusing him of marrying another woman.
The woman identified as Hellen Maama Gift, 20, from Mbarara is suspected to have set the husband’s vehicle on fire two days before cutting off his penis on Tuesday.
Godfrey Ssemanda, 26, of Nkunyu village, Lwengo sub-county in Masaka district was admitted in Masaka Hospital after being referred from Kitovu Hospital where he had been taken.
Ssemanda, who sells matooke, is said to have married another woman in Mbarara town and put her in the house where he used to live with Hellen.
Hellen, a mother of three, is said to have first attempted to poison Ssemanda.
“When she brought the tea, I became suspicious and I advised her to share it with me but she refused. I later told her to give it to the children but she poured it away,” Ssemanda said.
Hellen was further angered when Ssemanda stopped giving her the money he earned and instead kept it in the vehicle, she added.
The district Police commander, Haruna Isabirye, said he had not received a report about the incident.
The LC1 secretary of Nkunyu, Godfrey Ndugwa, said the matter had been reported to Nkunyu Police post when residents threatened to lynch Hellen.
“Maybe the officers at the Police post are still making inquiries but the information has not yet reached my desk,” Isabirye told The New Vision on telephone.
Medical officers in Masaka hospital said they had successfully rejoined Ssemanda’s penis and he was being treated with anti-biotics. A housewife is on the run after she allegedly cut off her husband’s penis after accusing him of marrying another woman. ... more -
Study Links Gene Variant in Men to Marital Discord
Men are more likely to be devoted and loyal husbands when they lack a particular variant of a gene that influences brain activity, researchers announced yesterday -- the first time that science has shown a direct link between a man's genes and his aptitude for monogamy.
The finding is striking because it not only links the gene variant -- which is present in two of every five men -- with the risk of marital discord and divorce, but also appears to predict whether women involved with these men are likely to say their partners are emotionally close and available, or distant and disagreeable. The presence of the gene variant, or allele, also seems predictive of whether men get married or live with women without getting married.
**continues** Men are more likely to be devoted and loyal husbands when they lack a particular variant of a gene that influences brain activity, res... more -
Gay Republicans
In this Election pod, VC2 Producer Nerina Penzhorn, examines the phenomenon of gay republican activists, who work for both progressive social policies at the same time they advocate conservative positions on both economic and security issues. She follows around two young, prominent members of the Log Cabin Republicans, a candidate for state senator and up-an-coming lobbyist to understand why it is easier for them to tell their "republican friends they're gay, than gay friends that they're republican." In this Election pod, VC2 Producer Nerina Penzhorn, examines the phenomenon of gay republican activists, who work for both progressive... more
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Bride buys 5p wedding dress on eBay
A lucky bride has beaten the credit crunch after finding her dream wedding dress for just 5p on eBay. Heather Saint, 20, said: My dress was worth every penny.
Saint was surprised to win the antique white lace and silk dress with such a low bid. She stated: "It is gorgeous and I was proud to tell everyone at the wedding how much it cost, I didn't mind anyone knowing. You should have heard me squeal with excitement when I opened the parcel and saw how perfect it was. It's made by a designer from Singapore."
The couple wed at St Cuthbert's RC Church, Stockton, amongst 70 invited guests, keeping the overall cost of their wedding down to £3,500.
Saint said: "We were careful about the cost, but we had absolutely everything we wanted. It was just that having a little girl and a house we had more important things to spend money on." A lucky bride has beaten the credit crunch after finding her dream wedding dress for just 5p on eBay. Heather Saint, 20, said: My dres... more -
Study Finds Monogamy Gene in Men
"Men are more likely to be devoted and loyal husbands when they lack a particular variant of a gene that influences brain activity, researchers announced yesterday -- the first time that science has shown a direct link between a man's genes and his aptitude for monogamy.
The finding is striking because it not only links the gene variant -- which is present in two of every five men -- with the risk of marital discord and divorce, but also appears to predict whether women involved with these men are likely to say their partners are emotionally close and available, or distant and disagreeable. The presence of the gene variant, or allele, also seems predictive of whether men get married or live with women without getting married."
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An interesting question raised in this article is whether this will "set off a debate about whether people should conduct genetic tests to find out whether potential mates are bad marriage prospects"?
Maybe such pre-marriage genetics tests will be as regularly accepted in the future as prenuptial agreements are now.
Discrimination or insurance? "Men are more likely to be devoted and loyal husbands when they lack a particular variant of a gene that influences brain activit... more -
SHERIFTV.COM - Marriage proposal in Indycar pit.
Ryan Donohue proposes to girlfriend Kerri Wilson in Tony Kanaan's pit at Kentucky Motor Speedway on Friday during practice for the Meijer 300. Ryan Donohue proposes to girlfriend Kerri Wilson in Tony Kanaan's pit at Kentucky Motor Speedway on Friday during practice for th... more
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Viagra made 80 year old man, a sex monster
A HUSBAND who demanded sex with his wife at least three times a day after he began taking the drug Viagra has been ordered to pay his wife $232,000 in compensation.
In a landmark court ruling, Svetozar Varmedja, 80, was found to have subjected his 53-year-old wife to more than 18 months of physical and sexual abuse.
It included 60 threats to kill her if she did not meet his sexual needs.
"Those tablets changed him and he started to treat me like a slave," his terrified wife said from her Sydney home.
The Serbian-born woman said the horrific mental and sexual abuse began in 2001 after her husband began taking the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra.
"He was a gentleman and a good man, but then he started taking the tablets," she told The Sunday Telegraph last week.
She said he was taking up to three Viagras a day.
His sex drive increased dramatically and she was forced into hundreds of sex acts.
"After taking those tablets, he told me it was very important for him to have sex three or four times a day," she said.
Mrs Varmedja's seven-year battle for justice ended last week when the Supreme Court rejected an appeal by her husband that the pay-out was "excessive".
The court said the case was "unusual" because an ex-spouse does not usually sue for assault.
Nonetheless, it demonstrated that he should be ordered to pay her damages for his deliberate, intentional and reckless disregard for her.
By Ellen Connolly
link:
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,242... A HUSBAND who demanded sex with his wife at least three times a day after he began taking the drug Viagra has been ordered to pay his ... more -
Record number of over 60's getting divorced
New figures show that a record number of over 60's in the UK got divorced in 2007.
The figure was 13,678 divorces, up over 1,000 from 2006. However, in an interesting twist, the total number of divorces in England and Wales was the lowest since 1976. New figures show that a record number of over 60's in the UK got divorced in 2007. ... more -
US bestseller tells women to 'be sexy and obey men'
A self-help guide advising women to wear sexy clothes while cooking and cleaning and to follow men's orders has become a bestseller in America.
The book entitled 'The Re-education Of The Female' is written by first-time author Dante Moore and is currently flying off the shelves in the US.
One piece of advice reads: "Here's a little secret, ladies. Men never really ask for anything. They command. And believe me, what you won't do, ten broads around the corner will."
Mr Moore, a 33-year-old computer engineer, who has never married, continues: "The fatter you get, the more you decrease your potential single-man pool. Let me give you an example. When you go to the grocery store to shop, do you pick out the nastiest-looking, most rotten, smelliest fruit or meat you can find? Oh you don't? Why not? It's the same with men when they see baby-elephant-sized, out-of-shape women."
Mr Moore, who has an 11-year-old son from a previous relationship and has a girlfriend, says he has never found true love. He insists all he wants to do is help women because he loves women. A self-help guide advising women to wear sexy clothes while cooking and cleaning and to follow men's orders has become a bestsell... more -
Girl set on fire for rejecting marriage proposal
A man poured kerosene on a girl in Kolkata, India and set her on fire after she spurned his romantic advances.
Faiyaz Alam (23) had reportedly been trying to woo his next-door neighbour, Nagma Nigar, for the last few months. Nigar had continually refused him and on Tuesday, when she yet again rejected Alam's marriage proposal, he set her on fire in a fit of rage and fled the scene.
Nigar's neighbours noticed her crying for help and managed to douse the fire. She was rushed to hospital suffering 90 per cent burn injuries.
A local resident said: "For the last few months, Alam had been trying to persuade Nigar, but his efforts were in vain. Alam went to Nigar's house out of desperation."
Alam was arrested the same evening and has been charged with attempted murder. A man poured kerosene on a girl in Kolkata, India and set her on fire after she spurned his romantic advances. ... more
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