Article 308 in the Jordanian Penal Code states that: A rapist can escape punishment by agreeing on marrying their victim. One day you have no other choice but to walk home: 'Walk on the streets without tilting your head left or right, Just walk fast and straight ahead, don't look at anyone, And never stare okay? If anyone says anything just keep walking.' Then when you're walking you could feel all these men staring and smiling at you, Although you're just walking fast and straight ahead! Because that's what you were taught right? You could hear all those words strangling you, Pushing you to break the rules you were taught, You try to hold it all in so you close your eyes hoping for all of this to end, But it never does, Because all you should do is just keep walking fast and straight ahead! Your shoelace is loose but you can't stop although you tripped once or twice, But you just have to keep moving fast and straight ahead! You fake call your father in order to scare all those men off, While still walking fast and straight ahead! And as soon as you go to bed you cry yourself to sleep, Wishing you could've stopped all of this from happening, But you didn't, Because you kept walking fast And straight ahead... So why are your rules not helping us? Although we never broke them they broke us... _________________________________________________________________________________________________ The End of the Beginning:It's time to raise our voices against oppression, stand up for our rights and never give up trying. We're in 2016 yet it doesn't feel like it!
I'm glad to start a campaign which will hopefully bring us one step closer to equality. Let us all unite, men and women, hand in hand to bring change and hope for our victims of rape. Join your voices to mine by signing this petition which will only take you one minute to fill your name and email. Don't forget to spread the word! https://www.change.org/p/jordanian-parliament-end-article-308-in-the-jordanian-penal-code |
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