Child Abuse in Islamic society

A topic worth mentioning. Islam needs to be addressed since it’s rules and regulations are used to govern Islamic states.

People in Islamic countries do not take child abuse seriously nor do they have laws to psychologically treat sexual abuse cases.

Sharia considers child abuse as rape and it does not in any way address the mental illness involved in helping or assisting the victim. It is time that such issues are brought to the attention of media.

1. I am not muslim
2. Islam does not protect child abuse, nor does Islam host a background for child abuse and neglect[CAN]. It is possible to find wordings in Qur’an [1300 years ago]and New testament [2000 years ago] that may be interpreted as potential indicators for maltreatment and violence against children [VAC]. However, a modern interpretation is growingly being inserted within legislative frames all around the arab world in order to comply with the requirements of the convention for the rights of child [Amman 2005=1st conference of the arab network for the prevention of child abuse and neglect, Syria 2006= symposium, Yemen 2007 = 2nd conference of the arab network for the prevention of child abuse and neglect, Lebanon 2008 =workshop of health and law in CAN, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 2009=3rd conference of the arab network for the prevention of child abuse and neglect]. Since the regional 2005 United Nation Study on Violence (UNSV) conference in Cairo, the CRC Geneva meeting in 2006 and the UNSV remarks in 2007 and 2008, the arab region is now increasingly joining and building the United Nation efforts in order to prevent CAN and VAC.
3. Islam and christianity have been frequently exposed as religions who foster child abuse and protect perpetrators. In reality: Both of them offer texts of reference for child protection and human resources for the promotion of child rights and child protection. Both religions – and others – should however make those credentials clear, publicly develop strategies in this regard and give visibility to such commitments.
4.Child protection initiatives are however hindered in the middle-east by armed conflicts, and challenged by unstable socio-political situations. Furthermore, children follow sometimes, in terms of civil rights, inherited traditions and may be at the mercy of the different cultural references prevailing – and there is more than one, as shown in the Yemenite case, where ca 10 years old girl was subject to child sexual abuse, cultural abuse and early marriage on one side, but was also able to get a legal decision based on local – civil and religious – legislation to cancel the marriage; perpetrators were arrested, but rehabilitation lacks resources. Bottom line: such countries need support, not blame!

What Fatima went through with her step-father as a teenager is deplorable to say the least. My issue with the story has nothing to do with the rape and the abuse, but with generalization. It has to do with grouping 1.2 billion people from many countries under different laws and labelling them as one. Blaming what happened to Fatima in UAE on all Muslims and Islam, instead of dealing with the specific culture, country or person. No doubt, what Fatima went through is painful and has emotionally scarred her for life, and some justice should’ve taken place to vindicate her. My trouble with the story is her case never went to court or was never discussed under the Sharia law, so where is blaming Islam as a whole justified. I am confused.
Let’s compare Fatima’s story to the most famous rape and abuse case in the news – Josef Fritzl – Despite the monstrosity of his crime, there was never a mention of his religious background or blaming Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, or any religion or cult. He was judged based on his action as a man, and under the laws of the country.
Fatima’s story goes on to reveal that “Fatima was told by the UAE-based lawyer that under Sharia law, it was unlikely she would get a favourable outcome from any legal action against her stepfather.” I am not a lawyer, but common sense dictates, with no evidence or witnesses to collaborate Fatima’s story it would be unfavourable under any law. The opposite of that, of course, would’ve been to argue against the Sharia law, but I don’t see any excerpt from the Sharia law to support the argument.
I agree there should be more openness, more dialogue, and more teaching to bring awareness to the issue, not just in the Middle East but in many countries. However, in a time when we should be bridging the Gap between East and West, this story only supports the bigotry that Muslims have been suffering from, especially since 9/11.

I am a muslim woman and very proud of it. Fatimas case is the exaption not the role. what happend to her is painful but again unfortenatly hapens to many children arrownd the world. I can understand why her case wasnt brghout to the court . I admit that ppl in middle east are not ready for that yet but its very hard for me to beleave that every1 in her family was aginst her. What about her sistrs ? were they abused as well? nothing was mintiond about that. I keep thinking if she was that traped how did she mange to travel to USA all alone?….
The annoing thing to me is whenever a women is abused or kidnaped for 14 years or abused at a work place is only phscological or mental disorder. Also boming or killing ppl in a colege. but when it happens in middle east Islam is blamed.
I am a muslim women and proud of it . all the women in my family are highly educated and working and driving. I wear Abaia and the hed vial becouse i belive on it. no 1 is qusetioning why a nune is coverd from head to tou so why it is considered as a jale for me. My Hijab doese not stop me doing anything. another annoing thing is that most of the muslim women shown in the eastern media is either the abused 1 or the oes that they dont wear hijab which indicates indirectly that who wears hijab are bacworded and jailed by there familyes