Anyone who beats his wife is nothing more than a wife-beater. No man has the right to beat a woman as if they were some kind of animal, and if they do, they should be jailed on domestic violence charges, or at least forced to take classes in anger management. Same goes for a woman who beats her husband, and believe it or not, there are cases of male spousal abuse, although not as many as female. But no-one has the right to beat a defenseless person because they happen to anger you. There are some who believe the man has every right to do whatever he wants with his wife; some even believe that right is rooted in religion. According to Qaher Sharif, the head honcho of the Algerian Islamic council (Algeriàs Superior Islamic Council)Mohammed and the Koran are very specific about the rights of men to beat their wives. In fact, he was outraged that some in Algeria are trying to push through a bill that would dictate jail time for wife-beaters. The proposal, put together by Farouk Qustantiti, chief of the Consultative Council on Human Rights, was handed over to Abdelaziz Bouteflikas, the head of state for consideration. Now, many will claim that Islam does not promote violence against women, but Sharif seems to indicate that it does and had some harsh words for Qustantiti:
“This man’s aim is to violate a law of the Koran and of the Sunnah, and he meddles in subjects that are beyond his competence”, Sharif said in an interview with the Arab-language edition of the daily newspaper El Khabar. “Hés done it before with the death penalty, and now with beatings,” he added, asking “what difference can it make to him what goes on between a man and his wife?” The President of the Islamic Council said that he was stunned by Qustantinìs proposal, because “God has already pointed out precisely the way that a husband must behave towards his wife”. He quoted verses 34 and 35 of the Surah on women, in which men are advised to “admonish women, confine them to their bed and beat them” should they commit “nushooz”, a term signifying both infidelity and a refusal of sexual intercourse. Sharif pointed out that the text is so precise that it indicates the method of punishment to be used against the wife, and that this should be neither “too insistent, nor provoke disfigurement”.
So which is it? It seems pretty clearly stated to me: it’s perfectly fine to beat the living daylights out of your wife, if they refuse to have sex with you. What kind of religion condones beating your spouse as if she was nothing more than a piece of property? And, what kind of man would adhere to such teachings? Thank God for people like Qustantiti advocating for women’s rights. There need to be more men like him in that region.
And Sharif asks what difference does it make what goes on between a man and his wife? It makes a lot of difference. Women are human beings, they are not pets nor are they whores, that are there for man’s pleasure. This just proves that to some, there is no equality. Sadly, that is how it is with many ultra-conservatives, in other religions, as well.
Domestic violence is domestic violence, whether it is sponsored through religion or not.
