Misinterpretations about
Islam that Perpetuate Domestic Violence
Uzma Mazhar © 1999
Muslim women
often feel compelled to stay in abusive relationships as it is believed
that they are supposed to "obey their husbands".
Women feel pressured to not bring shame to
their family by revealing the abuse in their marriage and believe that it is
their responsibility to maintain peace in the home.
Abused women often feel abandoned by
family, friends and God.
Rather than offering protection and help to battered women, imams and community leaders often advise
women to return to violent homes and be "better wives" by
"trying harder to please their husband"... implying that they
are somehow responsible for the abuse, that if they really were
"good" they would not get abused. Nothing can be
further from the truth.
For misinterpretations to stop we need to
question our understanding of Islam. The answer is easy if we ask ourselves
these very simple, basic questions about the philosophy of Islam:
- Does Islam allow/encourage 'zulm'
(violence, cruelty or abuse)?
No
- Does Islam give ANY human being the
right to rule over another?
No
- Does Islam hold each individual
accountable for his/her actions?
Yes
- Does Islam allow anyone to take away the
God-given rights of another?
No
- Does Islam hold women accountable for
their deeds in the same way as it does men?
Yes
- Does Islam allow women to leave/divorce
an abusive husband?
Yes
- Does Islam teach that women and children
are the property of men?
No
- Did the Prophet Muhammad
(saaw) ever beat/push/yell at any of his wives?
No
- What does Islam teach us about
relationships? (husband/wife and parent/child)
To treat everyone with love, kindness,
compassion.. be it a family member, slave or a captive prisoner.
- Why did the Prophet (saaw) not abuse his
wives... or anyone else?
Simple... Abuse in any form is NOT allowed in Islam.
So how and why do we allow domestic
violence to continue?
Uzma Mazhar © 1999
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