20 Jun 2010
SCOTLAND’S leading Islamic scholar is launching an unprecedented campaign to place anti-domestic violence messages in Friday prayers at every mosque in Scotland.
Shaykh Amer Jamil, right, the country’s most prominent and respected Muslim thinker, is to meet every imam in Scotland over the coming months. Jamil will ask the imams to tell their congregation about Islam’s stance opposing domestic violence, and give the clerics advice on dealing with the police.
According to police, there is a problem in the Muslim community of families failing to report domestic abuse. Scholars like Jamil also say that some Muslim men use incorrect readings of the Koran to justify beating their wives.
Jamil added: “When police or social work got involved, some men were saying: ‘Look, this is allowed in my culture and religion, you don’t understand’. That’s rubbish.
“Half the problem is that imams don’t understand the reality of domestic violence and how bad it is. I think that if we can get the information to them, it will motivate them to do something about it.”
As well as the messages in Friday sermons, there will be 30,000 leaflets distributed around the country in English, Urdu, Arabic and Bengali.
Jamil added: “Islam has no religious justification for this kind of behaviour. If this goes on in families, and someone knows their cousin, uncle or brother is doing it, they have a responsibility to speak up. If they don’t, it’s sinful.”
Jamil has also campaigned against the dangers of forced marriage, terrorism and ‘DIY Islam’ – incorrect versions of the religion learned over the internet often with a hardline twist.
His latest project has the backing of Strathclyde Police, the Association of Chief Police Officers Scotland and the Scottish Government.
Amar Shakor, chair of the Scottish Police Muslim Association, is backing Jamil. “We support this initiative that will provide education to the community on how to report domestic violence,” he said. “One of the issues we do have in the Muslim and Indian sub-continent community is in regards to the honour of a family if they report domestic violence, because shame is said to be brought onto the family as well. That’s a hurdle we need to cross.”
Shakor also wants Muslim men to know they can report domestic violence. “It’s not just women that suffer,” he said. “Some male victims that come over from the sub-continent suffer from domestic violence and there is under-reporting amongst men too.”
The Scottish Government sees the project as a strand of its own campaign against domestic violence.
A government spokeswoman said: “The project will make it very clear that Islam does not tolerate domestic abuse of any kind or under any circumstances. By working closely with imams and the community the project will challenge the misconceptions and empower more women to come forward for help.
“We support this initiative, in partnership with ACPOS, and will continue to do everything we can to tackle domestic abuse in Scotland.”
Half the problem is that imams don’t understand the reality of domestic violence and how bad it is
Shaykh Amer Jamil
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/imams-urged-to-condemn-domestic-abuse-1.1036028
Comments
This is because most men who
This is because most men who bash about their wives, daughters, sisters think it's ok as they learn this behaviour from their family especailly the men. It has been culturally accepted and it is a form of control to keep her under the thumb. They are not religious but base their life on culture.
They use this excuse that it is ok and have been practising this behaviour back home so why not do it here too sort her out etc. She needs fixing to listen to him. I think anyone especially a women who is being abused like this shoud report it and walk it of that marraige if he not willing to change, hard as it may be but why suffer like this, unislamic.
Amina the Muslim Women's
Amina the Muslim Women's Resource Centre
We found the article in the Sunday Herald in relation to addressing domestic abuse and violence against women in Muslim communities very interesting. Amina MWRC has been working to support women who have been abused since 2002 and has been funded by the Scottish Government to do this work since 2006. Amina MWRC which commissioned Shaykh Amer Jamil to write the booklet "What Islam says about domestic abuse". We must also remember that domestic abuse takes place in all communities, Muslim and non-Muslim - Black, white and Asian. We would never say that one of the contributing factors is because the religion permits it to happen. It is quite correct that "some" men use an inaccurate knowledge of the Quran to argue that they are permitted to beat their wives. That is not necessarily why they do it; rather they use that statement as a justification for their actions. Just the very fact of knowing that violence against women is not permitted would not necessarily stop them from perpetrating the violence. For example, how many people still smoke whilst knowing that they could die as a result?
Their faith, for most Muslims determines how they respond to situations which occur in their lives, domestic abuse is no different. It is important therefore that agencies such as the NHS, Social Work and the Police know that this is not a legitimate excuse. In light of this, much of Amina's work is focussed on providing training to such agencies on domestic abuse as it impacts Muslim communities. Agencies which come into direct contact with Muslim women who are abused need to understand how to deal with such cases. We also work with women's organisations to encourage women to report abuse and we provide one to one support for women who have/or are experiencing abuse through our development officer and counselling services.
In addressing domestic abuse it is equally important to focus on raising awareness amongst Muslim men, the Imam's are key to this work by delivering sermons and working with men on a one to one basis. It would be wrong to suggest that they are not aware of the scale of the problem. Obviously some are more forward thinking than others. Over 250 men attended six talks on domestic abuse across Scotland which were organised by Amina MWRC in partnership with mosques. Most of these took place in mosques with the support of the Imam's of each mosque and they were in fact delivered by a leading Glasgow Imam, Imam Mustaqeem Shah of Al Furquan Mosque in Glasgow.
We currently have an Imam working with us in Dundee, who is working in partnership with all the other Imam's in the city to ensure that domestic abuse is discussed in the mosques both within the Friday Khutba (sermon) and in more informal gatherings. There does however need to be more coordination of the work of the Imam's in this area and a discussion of how best to deal with the issues in relation to what works and what doesn't.
Thank Allah my family male
Thank Allah my family male members do not behave not like this…
I unfortunately married a man from Pakistan who is a member of several Muslim organisations within the Glasgow community. He along with some of his friends (who I would love to name) portray themselves as good Muslim men ‘yet far it!’ They think that their cultural background permits them to abuse females behind closed doors’, once in the open they change their cover- I have had bruises to prove this! Shame on some of you men out there.
Have you ever though about ever standing in the shoes of your mother, wife, sister and daughter how you would like it if you were treated in such a sub servant way as the way some of you treat them- It is men like you who give a bad name to Islam
Treat others the way you would like to be treated!
Why people resort to violence
Why people resort to violence especially to their spouse is beyond me. It means they don't have respect especially for themselves.
It seems to be due to a few
It seems to be due to a few reasons: (1) due to a misunderstanding of gender, of gender difference (how to understand male/female behaviour in context etc)
(2) misunderstanding role-difference (husband/wife)
(3) due to lack of self-discipline but having pride in one's 'place' (see 1 and 2)
(4) due to having little or no connection with Allah, lacking taqwa etc.
Reason 1 and 2 are often made worse due to culture-specific ideas that infect the mind but also as one may not have thoroughly understood what the husband/wife relationship is and what male/female difference is -this is usually picked up as one grows up by observing other people, but in recent times this doesn't happen as effectively. Reason 3 is due to being too attached to dunya and having grand ambitions, not seeing one's own limited life and faults the latter of which the wife will pick up on as they spot the details (see 1). Reason 4 is linked to a deeper point "not having a good opinion of Allah, i.e. being unhappy or agitated by what is given to one" -this includes the wife on has and all the situations they have in their life together. When one has a bad relationship with Allah - a bitterness, then it is hard for them to truly care for individuals as at the root of their soul is an annoyance (with Allah), and this unsettledness surfaces when someone unsettles them (i.e. a husband/wife quarrel) and they get physical or 'animal', meaning they descend from being human. In reality without this relation to Allah one is not truly human anyway, but on the edges.
I say beat them back - if you
I say beat them back - if you a female get slapped then slap the man back.
How does writing a leaflet,
How does writing a leaflet, make you a thinker!
Dear Asad, I think u should
Dear Asad,
I think u should try and get your facts right about the work being done before critiscing others.This topic has got more media attention because of the article which has been read by all those involved in this field making it a hot topic in our communtiy whereas before it was all undercover.It is giving our sisters that are suffering the himmat to stand up for themselves and know that they are NOT to blame.The community will not do anything until they have someone who has the guts to stand behind otherwise it would have been dealt with long time ago.Perhaps u may want to have listened to tuesday ladies hour on radioramadhan.The "preacher" has been contacted 800 times in the last 18 months on family/marriage problems and that includes domestic abuse in all its forms, all on a voluntary basis!
This is a communtiy problem.As i said find out what is being done before putting others efforts down.I would love to hear how u r willing to give up ur time to help?
Working in the social sector
Working in the social sector I have my facts right: there are so many agencies as pointed out like AMNA womens Aid etc that are doing the core work on this issue amongst many others for years and years - not just for the last year. Their work is being diminished, which is the REAL work making the REAL impact on the ground. Media stories do not give help on the ground, hard graft work does. It is just a means of getting 'erroneaous' inaccurrate, labels and exposure - does solve anyone elses problems. That is why a quick media juicy zap up for one individual is realy unfair to those who do the real work. Questions is what advise did he give to these 800 people the fact is there is lots of misinformation also amongst it which circulates in teh community but nobody can have a honest public debate easily, which is just accepted because people do not know any better or have nowhere else to go. This is not actually to demean a person really but to look critically, are the labels true, is the advise sound. No one can say it is - only time will tell.
have to say the 'preaching' is to do with constant barrage of face book stuff, should a shaykh be doing that??
this is nothign to do with me, and what i do, I have not put myself up as a 'prominent leader' , and 'thinker' etc if I did i woudl have to take the responsibility with it actually.
dear A-sad Read the newspaper
dear A-sad
Read the newspaper it's the journalist who has labeled the shaykh as a thinker and a leading cleric. Who else in scotland has written on contemporary issues with such clarity ESP the one on terrorism , identity and jihad.
Your jibe about facebook doesn't make sense as this is another method of reaching the wider audience to those who want to know.
Personally you need to chill a little
How can you say that to
How can you say that to anyone that if someone slaps you you should slap them back, as violence never solves anything and that makes you as bad as them.Two wrongs do not make a right.
Actually another thing i am 5 ft 4 inches tall and weigh 7 stones my husband on the other hand is 6 foot tall and weighs 18 stone .So ur advice would not help me at all.Unless i wanted to end my life once and for all..
Alisha
You are so right
You are so right
a woman in islam is however
a woman in islam is however ordered to obey her husband within limits etc.
one has to look at the argument from two points of view. we are in the west and there is too much corruption however there is also a degree of justice. obviously it is wrong to hit your wife/sister/daughter over petty arguments eg. dinner, cleaning etc..this is where justice would come into play.
On the other hand there is too much corruption which i would say is lacking proper punishment, hiting wouldnt be enough for.
I know and have heard of muslim sisters in intense haram relationships with men astagfirullah even after marriage. in such circumstances i have to admit that they could deserve more than a beating.
but over petty traditional narrow minded arguments i am strongly against this
well said - i dont believe
well said - i dont believe there is any excuse to beat your wife, why would you?
Yet again I hear of acid
Yet again I hear of acid attacks on women carried out by their husbands or other males linked to the women. This act has now come into the UK. Where in Islam does it say if things don't work out in the marriage, instead of divorcing, or problems with child custody, or refusals of marriage proposals, allows the rights to carry out this horrific act??
These men are young in their 20's and 30's. However, there are those in the older age groups doing this too. Ask why is it they are thinking this is acceptable. 100% cases is the man throwing acid on the woman.
This is unislamic and very worrying. This is a coward act and must be stopped. It is a crime and also shows the level of respect shown to women. Those who carry this are jahil and one of the lowest of all who walk on the Earth.
These are obviously criminals
These are obviously criminals and psychopaths.
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