Sex after death: women protest Farewell Intercourse law

Proposed law allowing Egyptian men to have sex with their dead wives 'would be a catastrophe'

EDITOR'S NOTE, 3 MAY: Since this story was published, initial claims that it was a hoax have been borne out. Al Arabiya has quoted a number of denials by Egyptian MPs, and Samy Mahran, Secretary General of Parliament, said: "I have never heard of anything in this regard."

A DRAFT Egyptian law that would allow a husband to have sex with the corpse of his wife up to six hours after her death is being contested by a national woman's group, reports al Arabiya News. The proposal, dubbed the 'Farewell Intercourse' law, is currently going through the majority Islamist parliament. Fighting it is the National Council for Women (NCW), which says the law "marginalises" and "undermines" the status of women in Egypt. The group is also contesting another draft law that would permit a 14-year-old girl to marry. Currently the age limit is 18.

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