Ikram Jilani, Imam in World Islamic Mission, right, one of the biggest moslem parishes in Norway, made it clear last month that even if violence against women is incompatible with Islam, certain circumstances permits a man to punish his wife, also through beating. In an interview with the national daily Aftenposten 9 November, Jilani exemplified with a situation where a woman leaves the home to meet other men. (04-DEC-05)
Without stating what the punishment ought to be – if any – for a husband being unfaithful to his wife, Jilani went on to elaborate on the different stages of wife-punishing. First, he said, the husband must explain to the wife that he doesn?t like what she?s doing. If, nonetheless, she continues, and these meetings are of an ?unsuitable character,? the husband can give her house arrest. If the wife still continues to meet that other man, the husband can refuse both to talk to her and to share the bed with her.
-Only one or two lashes, not hundreds
-That should be enough of a punishment, but if the wife does not change her behaviour, the husband might beat her to show his rage. However, he should not beat her on the face, and not with a stick or any other object. One must not beat so that it bleeds, the Imam also explained, and went on to clarify that the beatings must only hit the wife?s body, and that this should only happen in exceptional cases. Furthermore, ?there is only talk about one or two lashes, not hundreds?. An alternative, said the Imam, would be to shake her, as one would do to a child. -That might be sufficient here in Europe.
-This is in our regional culture, not in our religion
According to both police and crisis centre statistics in Norway, violence against women is more common in immigrant communities. Pakistani parishes, however, are split in their opinions on this issue. Imam Noor Ahmed Noor in the liberal parish Mihaj Ul-Quran says that violence against women an never be tolerated. -Violence against women can be explained with reference to the regional culture, not to religion. Here in Norway, we try to change our culture. No good moslem can raise his hand against a woman, says Noor.
