Violence against Women: Sanctioned by Islam?
Violence against women is an epidemic that plagues most societies in the world today. Like other women around the globe, Muslim women have been subject to gender motivated violence, be it honor killings, domestic violence, or rape. Such violence is hurled against Muslim women within their own communities as well as by external groups.
In recent years, honor killings in Muslim countries have received immense press coverage. These murders committed in the name of honor are practiced in various countries around the world, particularly in the Middle East and South Asia. Unfortunately, most Muslim countries not only fail to condemn these murders but the religious laws grant immunity to any man who murders a female relative in the name of honor. In Iran, for example, Article 61 of the Iranian Islamic Retribution law states that “if someone kills another in defence of his honour . . . provided the force used is not excessive and it is not by government agents, then it will not be considered a crime.” Islam condemns such honor related killings and the Quran clearly states: “and no bearer of burdens shall be made to bear the burdens of another” (Quran 17:15). Individual accountability before God is an essential pillar of Islam, and all forms of extra-judicial killing are condemned.
Domestic violence is another form of violence against women that is rampant in many societies of the world, including the Muslim world and Western nations. In Muslim communities, this form of violence is perceived as the husband’s right and is justified on religious grounds. Zanan, an Islamic feminist magazine in Iran, reports the following statement from a man who admitted to beating his wife: “No, well it has happened and we have had to sort it out . . . but it was not real beating . . Well you know one is human, you lose your temper and then it’s a kick or a slap and so on, but not with a shovel or a pick-axe” (Zanan, vol. III, no. 18, June-July 1994). Domestic violence of all sorts is justified by traditional religious leaders under the false interpretation of a Quranic verse. Such isolated interpretations of Quranic verses are incompatible with the overall Islamic message of love and companionship between spouses. The Quran states: “and among His wonders is this: He creates for you mates out of your own kind, so that you might incline towards them, and He engenders love and tenderness between you: in this behold, there are messages indeed for people who think” (Quran 30:21).
Rape is another common form of violence against women. Muslim women have been subjected to acts of rape both within their communities and without. The systematic rape of Muslim women in Bosnia, Kosova, Chechnya, and in recent weeks, in India are all examples of rape used as a tactic for humiliating and dishonoring Muslim communities. In Afghanistan, key members of the Northern Alliance have been known to be involved in political rape. Human rights groups now report that wives of the Taliban are being raped because of their husbands’ political affiliation. Unfortunately, members of societies resort to blaming the rape victims rather than laying blame upon the men (or groups of men) who commit the horrendous act(s). Women who have been raped are stigmatized and ostracized from society and many are left with no choice but to enter the world of prostitution in order to support themselves. Even those groups that reject societies inclination to blame victims of rape use phrases such as: “unwilling partner” and “blameless participant.” Underlying such statements is the continued phenomenon of holding victims of rape responsible on some level. We find it difficult to accept that the act of rape could have taken place if the woman had not complied on some level, therefore, the use of the words such as “participant” and “partner” (emphasis added). Islam condemns the act of rape and prohibits men from forcing their will upon women (Quran 4:19). Islam further sees the act of sex as the union between a husband and a wife within a relationship of love and tranquility (Quran 30:21).
The underlying perception behind all forms of violence against women is the inability of societies to accept women as autonomous and independent members of society. Islam guarantees women many rights including the right to inheritance, the right to choose their marriage partners, and the right to leave a marriage if they choose to do so. The Quran talks of women as financially independent members of society (Quran 3:195, 4:32) and emphasizes the role of both men and women in the building of a social structure (Quran 9:71).
Position Statement:
The PMN calls for the end of all gender motivated violence. Moreover, we call upon Muslim communities to recognize, develop, and implement the gender egalitarian message of Islam so that we may, one day, live in a world where gender inequality becomes a painful memory and men and women stand side-by-side as envisioned by the eternal message of the Quran.