Thursday, January 22, 2009

Cleric: Violence Against Women OK

"A Melbourne Islamic cleric has told his male followers they can force their wives to have sex and hit them if they are disobedient.

Coburg's self-styled cleric Samir Abu Hamza said despite Australian rape laws it was impossible for a man to rape his wife even if she refused to have sex with him, the Herald Sun reports. In a recorded lecture entitled "The Keys to a Successful Marriage", delivered to his male worshippers but now broadcast on the internet and viewed by several thousand people, Mr Hamza said Islamic law allowed men to hit their wives as a last resort, but they were not to make them bleed or become bruised.

He said under Islamic law, as described in a koranic verse, it was a man's right to demand sex from his wife whenever he felt like it. He then mocked Australia's criminal laws, which required consent for sex to be lawful.

Despite concerns about his preaching being raised by female members of the Islamic community, Mr Hamza yesterday stood by his comments and blamed controversy over them on a hidden Zionist agenda run by the media."


I am sure the controversy surrounding this "man's" words will not end here. This is not the first Melbourne Cleric whose denegrating words towards and about women have made headlines - and unfortunately, I fear he will not be the last unless all women and men take a stand against this type of incitement of violence against women.

2 comments:

Careless said...

I am a muslim woman and i just wanted to put my two cents down for this.Prophet pbuh him married a widow (with her consent) yet when ever he went to her she turned to her children. He didnt hit her, abuse her , told her she would go to hell or any of such things. He waited, and waited till she was ready.
In another instant he married a woman and when he went to her she changed her mind and he didnt force himself on her instead they divorced. Please donot consider words of one man to be the essence of islam. Trouble with such men is that they bend religion to better suit their believes. And muslim need to develop a voice to end violence against muslim women.

Anonymous said...

I truly appreciate your comments as I value the opinions of Muslim women on this matter.

I do realise that the majority of Muslim men are not like this cleric and do hope that all people will unite against this type of message.

Again, your thoughts are much appreciated.