Battered women.. Battered Society : The Cult of Domestic Violence

Battered women.. Battered Society : The Cult of Domestic Violence

by Nisaar Y. Nadiadwala on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at 12:25pm

 

 Long back I remember having seen a documentary on domestic violence. There was scene acted out where a drunk husband returns home late night and finds no food in the kitchen. The camera works on his facial expression and shows how his temper rises and he yells. The next scene shows his little son’s  frightened  face …The camera remain on the child’s face and in the background there is a loud abusive language, a helpless mother screaming for help and pleading guilty. The viewers see the domestic violence from the eyes of the little child.. This is a common scene of many American homes

By the time you finish reading this article, five women will be battered by their partners in the US. Mark my words, I am not saying ‘husbands’ but ‘partners’. America is already fighting a war within its boundaries and this time no Saddam or AlQaeeda.It is the domestic violence that is the biggest threat to American National life. Once a lady had put a comment under an article on Domestic violence “American women fear their partners more than Islamic militants…

 Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women between the ages of 15 and 44 in the United States, more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined. ("Violence Against Women, A Majority Staff Report," Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, 102nd Congress, October 1992, p.3.)

Three to four million women in the United States are beaten in their homes each year by their husbands, ex-husbands, or male lovers. ("Women and Violence," Hearings before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, August 29 and December 11, 1990, Senate Hearing 101-939, pt. 1, p. 12.)

The cult of  domestic violence in America is being exported to other nations too through cultural invasion via alcoholism and Hollywood . A vast number of children are growing up experiencing violent fights between their parents stuffed with vulgar dialogues and abusive allegations….

  When bed room fights are echoed in the entire house, the culture of hatred is directly inherited the passive participants of the family. Boys who witness domestic violence are twice as likely to abuse their own partners and children when they become adults. (Strauss, Gelles, and Smith, “Physical Violence in American Families: Risk Factors and Adaptations to Violence” in 8,145 Families. Transaction Publishers 1990)

Children who witness violence at home display emotional and behavioral disturbances as diverse as withdrawal, low self-esteem, nightmares, self-blame and aggression against peers, family members and property. (Peled, Inat, Jaffe, Peter G & Edleson, Jeffery L. (Eds) Ending the Cycle of Violence: Community Responses to Children of Battered Women. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, 1995.)

Where do a physically and psychologically battered woman go ? There are 1,500 shelters for battered women in the United States. There are 3,800 animal shelters. (Schneider, 1990).. The only difference between the two shelters: Animals don’t take refuge from violence but women do….

  That brings forth the ethics of hitting in Islam….. When you hit an enemy do not hit on his face…..Consider this.. even an enemy is spared from being struck on his face during the intense heat of fight. Among the partingl advices that Prophet gave to his followers : I caution you about the rights of your women.. they have a rights upon you the way you have rights upon them so fear Allah in dealing with them…... tsk tsk tsk and they say Islam is harsh upon women!

Author : Nisaar Nadiadwala writes and speaks on socio-educational issues from Islamic view perspective. He can be reached at nisaar_yusuf@yahoo.com
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