Angry crowd chases off women's rights protesters

A crowd of more than 500 Afghans in Kabul chased off protesters against a new Shiite marriage law, which says a husband can demand sex with his wife every four days unless she is ill. Critics of the law say it "insults the dignity of women".An angry crowd of more than 500 Afghans chased off a few dozen protesters in Kabul on Wednesday who criticised a new law for imposing Taliban-style restrictions on Shiite women.Up to 50 women lawmakers and rights activists marched outside a Kabul university demanding "justice" and distributing a declaration saying the Shiite Personal Status Law "insults the dignity of women", said an AFP reporter.They were soon outnumbered by a rowdy group of 200 Shiite women and around 300 men who chanted slogans in favour of the law -- which regulates marriage, divorce and inheritance for the Shiite minority on their request.President Hamid Karzai signed the law in March but it has yet to be published, despite changes that some parliamentarians say soften more severe drafts.Karzai ordered a review after an outcry from Western allies, including Canada, the United Nations and the United States, who say it violates international regulations on the equality of women.