Muslim women overcoming marital violence: breaking through ‘structural and cultural prisons’ created by religious leaders

abstract

There is growing evidence of marital violence experienced by women in the Muslim community in South Africa. While women may have recourse to divorce in a violent marital relationship, structural and cultural barriers prevent them from dealing effectively with abuse. It would seem that women receive little help from religious organisations and other structures in dealing with marital violence. Androcentric applications of Islamic law by Muslim religious leaders limit women’s access to suitable options for dealing with marital violence and obtaining a divorce. Against this background, Islamic feminist theory provides a challenge to patriarchal interpretations of the Qur’an and draws attention to social issues such as stigma, normalisation, and acceptance of violence which results in women occupying subordinate positions in Muslim society, hence becoming victims of not only direct violence but also cultural and structural violence. Using concepts of direct, structural and cultural violence as analytical instruments, this article highlights the ways in which Muslim women, who experience marital violence, are limited by metaphorical prisons created by structural and cultural norms produced by Muslim religious leaders who ascribe to patriarchal interpretations of Islam.

keywords:

• domestic violence
• religious leaders
• structural violence
• cultural violence
• Islamic feminism

ORCID

Shahana Rasool http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7491-9480

Notes

1. See Marlese Van der Merwe, ‘The Muslim Marriages Bill: Will it finally see the light of day’, Daily Maverick, 26 September 2016, available at: http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-09-08-the-muslim-marriage-bill-will-it-finally-see-the-light-of-day/#.WDaw7dR95y1, site accessed 2 December 2016.

2. Marlese Van der Merwe, ‘The Muslim Marriages Bill: Will it finally see the light of day’, Daily Maverick, 26 September 2016.

3. MRL.

4. Type of divorce discussed earlier in article.

5. Muslim religious body.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Shahana Rasool

SHAHANA RASOOL (D Phil) has been an activist, researcher, trainer and academic in the field of gender for many years, with a particular focus on gender-based violence. She is a Rhodes Scholar who obtained a Masters and Doctorate from the University of Oxford (United Kingdom), Department of Social Policy. Shahana has a keen interest in social transformation, which began as an anti-Apartheid activist and continued through her work in the NGO sector both in South Africa and Australia. In South Africa she has worked in the field of gender-based violence as a social worker, trainer, and researcher. Whilst in Australia she worked in the HIV and AIDS sector, with women experiencing post-natal depression and with immigrant women on domestic violence policies. Her current research is focussed on adolescent gender attitudes and witnessing gender-based violence. She has published in a variety of journals in the area of help-seeking after domestic violence. Her research has looked at the socio-cultural influencers of help-seeking as well as responses from formal and informal resources to abused women. She has lectured at the University of Witwatersrand and is currently Associate Professor and head of department at the Department of Social work at the University of Johannesburg. She also does consulting in the areas of gender, leadership and transformation. She would like to extend a special thank you to Palesa Nkwadi for her assistance with searching for articles and referencing.

Muhammed Suleman

Muhammed Suleman holds an undergraduate degree in psychology, Honours in industrial sociology and a Master’s degree in sociology. He is currently doing his PhD on Muslim religious leaders’ views on domestic violence. He is an assistant lecturer at the University of Johannesburg. Muhammed is involved in community engagement and is a part of the Azaadvillle Health and Wellness Association (AHAWA). In the last two years he has presented his work at both a national and international conference. Email: [email protected]