[Skinwalker]

Originally Posted by Arabesque

I don't think men who beat their wives go around looking for justifications in the Qur'an or hadith. They just do it. If they were mindful of Allah, and if they were following the Prophet's example, they wouldn't be beating their wives or losing their temper to that extent in the first place.

Domestic violence has nothing to do with Islam. I'm sure women get abused, but not in the way it happens in the West. It's extreme in the West. Women are beaten up blue and purple. It is considered culturally unmanly to beat a weaker person to that extent. Beating, in the cultural sense, means to cause pain. A ***** from a thorn can cause pain, just like a light beating can.

I've handled the case of a woman who beat her husband so bad, the guy was scared of reporting her. In fact, the only reason they were in court was because she she said he wasn't man enough for her. It wasn't the husband who brought the wife to court as I had first thought. But you see, there's this habit of victimising women. As if the way to empower women is by convincing them that they are being abused and denied any rights.

Maybe cases of physical abuse by men are more reported, but there are cases of physical and emotional abuse by women that are almost never reported or even addressed. I personally believe that emotional abuse is worse than physical abuse. With physical abuse, there's so much evidence available to indict the perpetrator. You can have a divorce and then move on (it can be tough, I'm sure), but emotional abuse stays for a very long time and can be very damaging, too.

This "disobedience" the verse is talking about probably has to do with emotional abuse on the part of the women. God knows best.

I love you Arabesque but I think you are wrong about domestic violence in the Middle East and other Islamic countries. I'm not saying thast Domestic Violence is endorsed by Islam, but that the way Islam is interpreted by many men, they feel they have a licence to do it. Of course domestic violence happens in reverse, but in general women are the greater number of victims.

There are a number of organizations dedicated to aiding women who are victims of domestic violence throughout the Middle East.

Afghanistan - Humanitarian Association for Women and Children

Bahrain - Women and children's Welfare society

Iran - Institute for Womens Studies & Research

The Arab women's Court is active in Lebanon, Algeria, Egypt, Mauritania, Jordan, Morrocco, Syria, Iraq, Tunisia, Yemen and Palestine. (whew, think I got it all)

Jordan - Arab Youth Directory

Lebanon - The Lebanese Council to Resist violence against Women


Qatar - The Qatari Foundation for the Protection of Women and children

Syria - Syrian Women's League

UAE- General Women's League

You can find information at these sites regarding the problem of domestic violence in these areas and what is being done to combat it.