Beach, you make some very good points, but keep in mind that these are Shiites. I'll be the first to admit that I don't know everything about their sect, but I really doubt that respecting women is very high on the list.

I agree that using the word 'rape' is possibly a misnomer, but if we keep in mind that most civilized people consider that rape is less about sex and more about control and degradation, I think it might be accurate in Afghanistan.