UAE Court says it's ok to beat your wife and kids if there's no bruises

[Amby 490]

(CNN) -- A court in the United Arab Emirates says a man is permitted under Islamic law to physically discipline his wife and children as long as he leaves no marks and has tried other methods of punishment, the country's top court ruled.

The ruling came in the case of a man who slapped his wife and slapped and kicked his 23-year-old daughter, the document said.

The daughter had bruises on her right hand and right knee and the wife had injuries to her lower lip and teeth, the ruling said.

The court ruled that a man has the right to punish his wife and children. That includes beating them, after he has tried other options, such as admonition and then abstaining from sleeping with his wife.

However, the court ruled that in this case the man exceeded his authority under sharia, or Islamic law. His wife was beaten too severely and his daughter was too old to be disciplined, the ruling said.

"Although the [law] permits the husband to use his right [to discipline], he has to abide by the limits of this right," wrote Chief Justice Falah al Hajeri in a ruling issued this month and released in a court document recently. It was reported in the English-language publication The National.

"If the husband abuses this right to discipline, he cannot be exempted from punishment," according to the ruling.

Several experts said it is against Islamic law to permit wife-beating.

Jihad Hashim Brown -- the head of research at Tabah Foundation, which specializes in the interpretation of Islamic law -- couldn't comment specifically on what the courts did and didn't say because he hadn't read the ruling.

However, he said he feels confident that the UAE court didn't sanction injury or abuse. He said sharia law is complex and has been open to interpretation.

But he argued that in Islamic law it is "absolutely unlawful" to abuse a wife, injure her, or insult her dignity.

"When a situation in a marriage reaches the point where people feel like they need to hit someone, that is time for divorce. Anyone who would abuse, injure or even insult the dignity of their wife, this has now become a criminal offense which can be prosecuted in a court of law."

Canadian-Egyptian scholar Dr. Jamal Badawi, who has written about this topic, said "wife beating is not allowed in Islam" and said the Quranic verses and sayings back "the prohibition of any type of wife beating," especially on the face.

Summer Hathout, a lawyer and an activist for women's rights in California, argued that the UAE rulings are based on maintaning a patriarchal elite power structure.

"To those of us who know Islam and the Quran, violence against women is so antithetical to the teachings of Islam," she said.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/10/19/uae.court.ruling/index.html?hpt=T2

[thelastpetitioner 218]

this is nothing new,i remember our theology teacher telling us that at school,its ok for a mother to hit a child or a husband to hit a wife ( seems like they are equally immature in the eyes of Islamic law )as long as there is no blood or bruise.

PS: any act of self defense from the child or wife would get considered an actual crime.

I'm a born Muslim,I was raised in one of the few Islamic countries in the world,but i don't appreciate religion getting mixed with every day rules and laws

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

this is nothing new,i remember our theology teacher telling us that at school,its ok for a mother to hit a child or a husband to hit a wife ( seems like they are equally immature in the eyes of Islamic law )as long as there is no blood or bruise.

PS: any act of self defense from the child or wife would get considered an actual crime.

I'm a born Muslim,I was raised in one of the few Islamic countries in the world,but i don't appreciate religion getting mixed with every day rules and laws.

[luckytxn 2,263]

(CNN) -- A court in the United Arab Emirates says a man is permitted under Islamic law to physically discipline his wife and children as long as he leaves no marks and has tried other methods of punishment, the country's top court ruled.

The ruling came in the case of a man who slapped his wife and slapped and kicked his 23-year-old daughter, the document said.

The daughter had bruises on her right hand and right knee and the wife had injuries to her lower lip and teeth, the ruling said.

The court ruled that a man has the right to punish his wife and children. That includes beating them, after he has tried other options, such as admonition and then abstaining from sleeping with his wife.

However, the court ruled that in this case the man exceeded his authority under sharia, or Islamic law. His wife was beaten too severely and his daughter was too old to be disciplined, the ruling said.

"Although the [law] permits the husband to use his right [to discipline], he has to abide by the limits of this right," wrote Chief Justice Falah al Hajeri in a ruling issued this month and released in a court document recently. It was reported in the English-language publication The National.

"If the husband abuses this right to discipline, he cannot be exempted from punishment," according to the ruling.

Several experts said it is against Islamic law to permit wife-beating.

Jihad Hashim Brown -- the head of research at Tabah Foundation, which specializes in the interpretation of Islamic law -- couldn't comment specifically on what the courts did and didn't say because he hadn't read the ruling.

However, he said he feels confident that the UAE court didn't sanction injury or abuse. He said sharia law is complex and has been open to interpretation.

But he argued that in Islamic law it is "absolutely unlawful" to abuse a wife, injure her, or insult her dignity.

"When a situation in a marriage reaches the point where people feel like they need to hit someone, that is time for divorce. Anyone who would abuse, injure or even insult the dignity of their wife, this has now become a criminal offense which can be prosecuted in a court of law."

Canadian-Egyptian scholar Dr. Jamal Badawi, who has written about this topic, said "wife beating is not allowed in Islam" and said the Quranic verses and sayings back "the prohibition of any type of wife beating," especially on the face.

Summer Hathout, a lawyer and an activist for women's rights in California, argued that the UAE rulings are based on maintaning a patriarchal elite power structure.

"To those of us who know Islam and the Quran, violence against women is so antithetical to the teachings of Islam," she said.

http://www.cnn.com/2...dex.html?hpt=T2

These are animals. I doubt they could even be brought into the 21st century.

[mawilson 2,133]

It's also "permitted" under American law. No evidence, no crime.

[slim 1,514]

It's also "permitted" under American law. No evidence, no crime.

Until someone makes a phone call. Seriously, around here, one phone call and someone's going to jail. Maybe there's no crime, but charges are enough.

[elmcitymaven 9,711]

Promise me that you guys are not advocating violence against women, even when "they're asking for it," or implying that women in general make up domestic violence charges for revenge purposes, because some of the posts above have the distinct whiff of such sentiments. I'm hoping that it's just my uppity female hormones blinding me to your true intentions here.

[slim 1,514]

I think that's exactly what we're implying. Maybe not even implying... more like overtly stating.

[elmcitymaven 9,711]

I think that's exactly what we're implying. Maybe not even implying... more like overtly stating.

Okay, cool! It's nice to know where we stand on this. I'm in the uppity female corner, you're in the misogynist pig corner. We cool.

[slim 1,514]

Okay, cool! It's nice to know where we stand on this. I'm in the uppity female corner, you're in the misogynist pig corner. We cool.

Exactly.

For the record I don't advocate beating anyone... however, if we live in an "equal" society, it should be equal. Yet for some reason, in our "equal" society, women's rights are often placed above the rights of men's. Why is that?

[Ban Hammer 12,836]

Promise me that you guys are not advocating violence against women, even when "they're asking for it," or implying that women in general make up domestic violence charges for revenge purposes, because some of the posts above have the distinct whiff of such sentiments. I'm hoping that it's just my uppity female hormones blinding me to your true intentions here.

i advocate women being armed with something that starts with a 4

[slim 1,514]

i advocate women being armed with something that starts with a 4

I agree. However, what I don't agree with is that woman calling the cops and saying, "he hit me" and then he goes to jail. Adding insult to injury it often happens when "she hit me so I hit her back."

Not fair. Why not? I thought we were "equal."

[Ban Hammer 12,836]

I agree. However, what I don't agree with is that woman calling the cops and saying, "he hit me" and then he goes to jail. Adding insult to injury it often happens when "she hit me so I hit her back."

Not fair. Why not? I thought we were "equal."

she who cooks the meals runs the house.

[elmcitymaven 9,711]

Uh, no it isn't. At least to this uppity broad.

[spookyturtle 9,465]

Spanking is ok, beating is not.