Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 2 august 2017

Jews visit contested Jerusalem holy site on day of mourning

JERUSALEM (AP) — Over a then removed, metal de- while Jews call it the Tem- control of the shrine in the the number of Jewish visi-
thousand Jewish visitors as- tectors there following the ple Mount. It is considered 1967 Mideast war. Police tors was “unprecedented,
cended a contested Jeru- deadly shooting of two Is- the holiest place in Juda- spokeswoman Luba Samri unacceptable and should
salem holy site on Tuesday raeli policemen. Muslims ism and the third holiest said nine Jewish visitors stop.” Israel’s Chief Rabbi
to mark Tisha B’av, the Jew- administer the compound, in Islam. Police said the were removed for violat- Yitzhak Yosef also issued a
ish day of mourning over home to the Al Aqsa number of Jewish visitors ing the guidelines. She said statement saying Jews who
the destruction of the bibli- Mosque and Dome of the to the site was the largest three Jews and one Muslim visited the site were “des-
cal temples. Rock, while Jews can visit in a single day in recent were arrested after a minor ecrating its holiness” and
The site has been at the but not pray there. years, and religious nation- skirmish. Azzam al-Khatib, violating Jewish custom,
center of recent tensions Muslims refer to the site alist groups claimed it was director of the Muslim ad- which proscribes entering
after Israel installed, and as the Noble Sanctuary, the largest since Israel took ministration, Waqf, said the holy compound.q

Jordan activists celebrate repeal of ‘marry the rapist’ law

By ALICE SU and Tunisia. Lebanon is
Associated Press considering repeal, the
AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — group said. The clause re-
The repeal of a Jordanian mains on the books in Al-
law that allowed a rapist to geria, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya,
escape prison by marrying the Palestinian territories
his victim was bittersweet and Syria, as well as several
news for a Jordanian wom- countries in Latin America,
an whose daughter was as- the Philippines and Tajiki-
saulted when she was just stan, according to HRW.
13 years old. Tuesday’s vote to scrap Ar-
Tuesday’s vote by parlia- ticle 308 of the penal code
ment’s lower house came capped an emotional par-
too late for the hairdress- liament debate, reflecting
er’s daughter who was co- the schism in Jordanian so-
erced into an abusive mar- ciety.
riage to her attacker as a Parliament’s legal commit-
condition for getting out of tee had proposed amend-
“protective” state custody. ing Article 308 so that girls
Her assailant never served between the ages of 15
a day in jail. and 18 would be able to
“Today I’m very happy that marry their rapists. They
this law was cancelled,” portrayed the marriage
said the 49-year-old moth- Women activists protest in front Jordan’s parliament in Amman on Tuesday, August 1, 2017 with option as a way to pro-
er of the teen, speaking on banners calling on legislators to repeal a provision that allows a rapist to escape punishment if he tect minors. When Mustafa
condition of anonymity to marries his victim. Parliament is to vote on the proposed change to the penal code Tuesday. The Khasawneh, the head of
banner in the middle in Arabic reads: Article 308 is a disgrace in the Jordanian justice system, the
protect her daughter’s pri- banner on the left says: Article 308 does not protect honor, it protects the culprit. the legal committee, pre-
vacy since victims of sexual (AP Photo/Reem Saad) sented those arguments,
assault are still widely stig- Western political orienta- other vote earlier this week would join Tunisia, Moroc- activists in the spectators’
matized. tion and cosmopolitan ur- — to prevent lenient sen- co and Egypt, which have gallery murmured in dis-
“But at the same time, I’m ban elites, many areas of tences for those who kill in canceled their “marry the agreement. Dima Barakat,
heart-broken,” she said in Jordan remain socially con- the name of “family honor” rapist” clauses over the a leading activist, later said
a phone interview. “Where servative, with entrenched — must still be approved years. Tunisia’s repeal took that those forcing a girl to
is my daughter’s justice?” notions of “family honor.” by parliament’s appointed place less than one week marry her rapist “are killing
Women’s rights activists This includes the belief that upper house and by King ago. this girl a thousand times a
hailed Tuesday’s vote as a having a rape victim in the Abdullah II. Such approval The international group Hu- day, at least.”
major victory after a years- family is shameful, and that is expected since the royal man Rights Watch called The attacker “took away
long campaign, but said a such “shame” can be ex- court and the government Tuesday’s vote “impres- her dignity, her honor and
long struggle lies ahead. punged through marriage. backed the reforms. sive” and said other coun- took away her life,” Bara-
Despite the country’s pro- Tuesday’s decision and an- With final approval, Jordan tries should follow Jordan kat said. q

No visa, no veil? Saudi Arabia may ease rules for tourists

By AYA BATRAWY conservative norms could Press request for more de- laws on par with interna- the project is headed by
Associated Press be waived. tails on the rules that will tional standards.” The fund Crown Prince Mohammed
DUBAI, United Arab Emir- The Red Sea project will govern tourists at the Red said the project will attract bin Salman, the young
ates (AP) — Saudi Arabia include diving attractions Sea resort. leading names in hotel prince who in June was
plans to build a “semi- and a nature reserve, with The country’s Public Invest- to “bring about the next- named heir to the throne
autonomous” visa-free some areas resembling the ment Fund (PIF) said Mon- generation of tourism in a by his father King Salman.
travel destination along luxury hotels, islands and la- day it will provide the seed way that will open” Saudi The prince is overseeing a
its northwestern Red Sea goons of the Maldives. The capital to develop the re- Arabia’s Red Sea coast- dramatic overhaul of the
coast where restrictions Saudi Commission for Tour- sort area, explaining that line to tourists from around economy to lessen its de-
on women’s dress, gen- ism did not immediately the new “semi-autonomous the world. The sovereign pendence on oil exports for
der segregation and other respond to an Associated area will be governed by wealth fund developing revenue. q