The original draft, sponsored by the high ranking Shia cleric
Asif Mohseni, was sent to parliament in 2006 where it stayed for almost 3 years. After some modifications, the bill was approved by the
lower house of the
Afghan parliament on 7 February 2009, and then in the
upper house later the same month. Further, the bill was passed as a package; the typical procedure in the legislature was to vote on items article by article. The law violated the gender equality provisions of the
Afghan constitution. The bill was passed ahead of a presidential election in August 2009. Hazaras, who constitute the majority of Afghanistan's Shia population, were expected by many to be the
deciding bloc in the election's outcome. Many western leaders and multiple UN bodies condemned the law. Critics worried that the passage of the law indicated that human rights protections in Afghanistan were backsliding, and that the nation was falling through on its commitments to international law, particularly the
CEDAW treaty. In response to the law's passage, an international conference was held in
The Hague regarding Afghanistan at the end of March 2009. The conference, named
A Comprehensive Strategy in a Regional Context, started on 31 March 2009, and analyzed the political, security and development issues faced by the international community in Afghanistan. In April 2009, protestors took to the streets of
Kabul to voice opposition to the law. About 200 women protestors made it to the protest after many were held back by husbands, and not allowed access to public transit. Between 800 and 1,000 counter-demonstrators from a local
madrasa swamped the women's protest, who were supporters Asif Mohseni. Counter-protestors in some instances threw stones at demonstrators. They argued that the law was in line with Sharia, and therefore opposition was anti-Islamic. The protesters included Afghan member of Parliament
Sabrina Saqeb. When the protest reached the parliamentary grounds, a signed petition was presented. ==Amendment==