Rape and Hudood Ordinance: Perversions of Justice in the Name of Islam

Abstract:     
In 1979 under the military rule of late General Ziaul Huq Hudood Ordinance was enacted to bring the country's legal system in compliance with Shariah. This Ordinance also covered the punishments for adultery (Zina). Rape was also categorized as a form of adultery, which had drastic and very unfortunate consequence for many women in general and rape victims in particular. In this paper, we examine the problems with these Hudood laws that put women in a serious double jeopardy, perverting justice in the name of Islam.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 11

Keywords: Islam, Islamic Law, Hudood, Gender Issues, Rape, Zina, Zina bil Jabr, Women's rights, Islamic Fiqh, Pakistan, Shariah, Sharia, Taqi Muhammad Usmani, Mufti Usmani

working papers series