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Monday, May 30, 2011

OIC Fatwa on Domestic Violence and the Rights of Women in Islam

This post has been moved. It can be read here.

6 comments:

  1. As a woman myself, and as having spent time in muslim countries, I think it's important to point out that we need to be aware that muslim-women are not 'just' the innocent victims at the mercy of the men. Muslim women are complicit because they are not standing up collectively against this. In fact, they AGREE with these ideas, they promote them and teach their sons and daughters the same ideology.

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  2. Dear Anonymouse (comment one)

    I found your comment to be hurtful, proud, and lakes the knowledge of the complexity of this oppressive abuse.

    This abuse is knitted in the culture and has muti-level circles of oppression. The outer levels are more cruel than the inner ones explained in this post.

    I believe, you needed to spend more time amongst 'these women' to understand that Muslim and non-Muslim women who chose to fight for their freedom are pushed to fight the aggressive battle twice. Once against the unjust enslavement of such rules, and again, to prove their innocence of the accusation of being flirt, bad women. Often those who win the first battle loose the second, either for the sake of their loved ones, ore because they lost all their power in the previous fight and are so fatigue to go on.

    Here is a you-tube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A78U208zWf4&feature=player_embedded of the women who were arrested by the Egyptian army in Tahrir square, Egypt, during the recent Egyptian revolution. In this occasion 18 women were subjected to virginity tests in the most humiliating procedure, after being accused with prostitution.

    This is another you-tube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mb2960uQfg4&feature=email of the a Sudanese activist Safia Ishag Muhamed, a 25 years old graduate of creative arts who was beaten, accused of being a Communist, then nocked unconscious when she refused to give her consent for a virginity test. She walk up to the severe pain as 3 policemen were gang raping her. This took place after she has participated in the recent January protest against discrimination in Khartoum Sudan.

    It is not uncommon for women who chose to speak out to be deserted by their own friends and family who are concerned about their own reputation.

    Women who chose to promote their abuse, do so because it is the least of all abuses!

    May Christ bless you richly!

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  3. Hi Mark. Very interesting read, but I have one request. Could you provide a link to the specific page with this fatwa or maybe indicate where to look. I couldn't find it on the fiqhacademy.org.sa

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  4. I have added the link to the document (it is in Arabic).

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  5. Hello, Mark. You may wish to mention that the relevant fatwa is on pp. 14-17 of the Arabic text or pp. 15-18 of the pdf.

    The only improvement I'd suggest to your translation is under 2F: instead of "abstaining from evil", i'faf (related to 'iffah) should be translated as "chastity", i.e. a husband and wife have the right to not be cheated upon.

    You may also wish to consult "Have You Stopped Beating Your Wife," my recent, 17-page study of the "wife-beating" verse of the Qur'an. It is available on my blog.

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  6. Usama Hasan - thank you for the suggestions additions and correction. I have made the changes.

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