Why ignoring ‘religious’ domestic violence?

Religious domestic violence may though initially sound quite odd and obfuscated, but when you allow it to sink and give the brain some time to critically analyze the phrase, it will surely become your today’s take-home. While countless number of homes unknowingly suffer from this pseudo type of domestic abuse, notably in religious geographies, the […]

Religious domestic violence may though initially sound quite odd and obfuscated, but when you allow it to sink and give the brain some time to critically analyze the phrase, it will surely become your today’s take-home. While countless number of homes unknowingly suffer from this pseudo type of domestic abuse, notably in religious geographies, the need to unveil and tackle this type of intimate partner violence becomes an inevitable obligation.

According to the United Nations (UN) Domestic Violence, also called “domestic abuse” or “intimate partner violence”, can be defined as a pattern of behaviour in any relationship that is used to gain or maintain power and control over an intimate partner. Abuse is physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person. This includes behaviour that frightens, intimidates, terrorises, manipulates, hurts, humiliates, blames, injures or wounds someone.

In line with the aforementioned definition, we can say that religious domestic violence simply refers to the use of half-baked understanding or rather misconception of religious command, painted with sentiment, to inflict sense of insecurity and manipulate or frighten a partner in order to ultimately have total control on them.

The ill-conceived interpretation and manipulation of some scriptural verses is the primary cause of this religious domestic violence. However, because many deem it the only way to sustain their power and maltreatment against their intimate partners, the issue remains controversial.

Besides, our inability to question any irrational interpretation of any scripture, simply because the compass of our thought has been disoriented, hence forced to think in lower rather than higher resolution, has chiefly contributed to the escalation of this menace. Meanwhile we are not challenging the scripture rather the unfair interpretation of it. Additionally, the fear that you can be easily given your certificate to hell by some so-called custodians of religion has made this type of domestic violence seemingly undefeatable.

The effect of this pseudo-domestic violence is so clear that it has stolen the joy and peace of many homes, leaving most women helpless or with serious psychological trauma. The effect is not restricted to the primary victim, it also affects the closest people to the victim like children, which in turn affects their psychology and perspective. Hence, the fear, insecurity, and misconception of the sacred meaning, is passed through different generations, leaving potential victims in fear and uncertainty.

Most often, religious domestic violence cuts across mental, economic, and psychological boundaries. In a situation where one, due to his badly thought-out interpretation, renders one’s wife inferior, with no regard in decision making, it becomes psychological.

Similarly, when one marries or bears children more than one’s capability, that certainly involves both mental and economic nature of domestic violence. Superiority of men over women lies in their ability to protect them with all their might, provide for them, support them with all they have, and be a shoulder for them to lean on, anywhere any time.

Rational and fair explanations of some sacred commands, notably those related to marriage, should be the priority of any society that wants to see the end of this menace.

Until fair explanation of the scripture becomes paramount, and irrational interpretation painted with sentiment is scrapped, many homes will continue to live in agony, and many men will continue to hide under the masquerade of religious interpretation to maltreat their partners. Therefore, the need to create a paradigm shift where this unfair perspective is found becomes necessary.  Sensitization is key and the responsibility to do that is a collective one.

Know your religion and what it says, seek for rational interpretation of the scriptures, and do not hesitate to question anything irrational.

Sabo Ibrahim Hassan wrote via [email protected]