A Kuwaiti cleric and president of Iqra TV has said that Islam allows for wife beatings if she suffers from a “mental disorder,” such as masochism.
“We all know that some men suffer from a mental disorder known as sadism, and that some woman suffer from a mental disorder known as masochism,” Jassem Al-Mutawa said to guest host Muhammad Al-Hajj, a professor from the University of Jordan.
“What is the cure for such disorders? Beatings,” he continued. “Such a woman must be dealt with harshly.
“A psychiatrist friend of mine once told me that sometimes people come to him with marital problems, in which the woman suffers from that disease. He advises the husband to beat her in a certain way, and the problem is solved,” he said. “The Koran deals with such problems. Brothers and sisters, there is no need for concern. Our religion is glorious, and the verses of the Koran impart absolute justice. They are not unjust toward either the woman or the man, but we must learn how to apply the rulings of Islam.”
The Kuwaiti also excused the practice of wife beating, because “no [Muslim] woman has died as a result of her husband’s beating.”
“Meanwhile, according to the latest U.N. statistics, from 1999-2000, every 12 seconds, a wife is beaten by her husband in the U.S. in some cases, these beatings lead to the woman’s death,” he added. “When the Westerners criticize us about our issues, we must be confident and talk about their own issues. Even though the Koran [permits wife-beating], we have no cases of death resulting from it, and if there have been any, it is rare.”
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• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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