Article 522, in the Lebanese Law

Translation: He rapped you, then marry him!

The above picture ironically presents what has been implied in Article# 522 in the Lebanese law!  Article 522 in regarding the marrying of women who have been raped, abused, abducted, or seduced, states: “If a legitimate marriage contract is established between the perpetrator of one of the crimes mentioned above and the victim, the pursuit of the perpetrator is halted, and if a sentence has already been issued, its execution is halted.” In short, Article 522 exonerates the rapist of his crime if he marries the victim.

This has gotten a lot of commotion recently. I think it is wrong on so many levels. And is probably one of the stupidest articles ever in the Lebanese law! If a girl was raped, and this man was to marry her, the case would be dropped and he would not face a lawsuit! Think about it, isn't it outrageous that if a girl was raped, her rapist would get away with it if he would marry her?

In my opinion, this is like justifying for men to rap girls. It is legitimizing sexual violence and rap. It gives them an easy escape from their crime. Many families would want the raped girl to be wedded to her raper, because they see it as the honorable thing to do, i.e. protecting the honors of the family. Because she is not married and is no longer a "girl", meaning a virgin. She would be a disgrace to the family and to the society. She would be a shame, not being a virgin and not have been married. But what girl who has been raped would want to marry her rapist, let alone, see him day in, day out, or even alive?!

Personally, why I think this is s shameful article is that it violates every human beings' right to live in a safe environment where s/he is protected from any harm and violation. Shouldn't we all have the physical and emotional safety and well-being? Aren't we all allowed to live in a safe environment where if someone does a crime against us, that we be protected from them and they will have to pay the price for what they did to us? How would marrying the girl to her raper exonerate the rapist from his crime? Would it be solved just by having a marriage?