Domestic violence against women in the West

[All praise is due to Allah Lord of the Worlds, the Owner of all of the creation]

Domestic violence against women in the West

Where does the western woman stand in scale of humanity and who
represents her?


Are they represented by the artificial ladies of Hollywood who appear
on the TV screens, who are suppressed by the massive work load and by
men?


When comparing two different cultures, can a real study be made in
order to compare between the realities of the two cultures, and thus
reach a practical answer (and not just an informative one) as to which
of the two is more honorable and civilized?


In a media that is controlled by corrupt people, women who adhere to
Hijaab are considered as a clear evidence for her humility,
backwardness degradation, ignorance … etc. On the other hand, trading
with women’s bodies was never considered as such…!!


We are trying to claim that the situation of the Muslim or Arab woman
is in the highest level of perfection and development. Additionally,
we do not believe that the humongous stress she faces is due to her
being a female, but rather it is part of what men face, all of which
comes as a natural result of the nation being oppressed, tyrannized
and forced to follow other cultures.


When we address the situation and status of the western woman, we will
do it from an inside look and we will let those concerned do the
talking, and let numbers and statistics inform about reality.


We will raise a real dialogue between two civilizations, not only a
methodological or ideological one, but a true comparison between the
two realities. The topic we chose to start with and address is;
“Domestic Violence Against Women In The West”.


We must notice that such violence, which goes beyond human limits and
dimensions, is not exercised by illiterate people who live in the
countryside somewhere, nor in the poorest areas. Conversely, such
abuse is practiced by slick men like those who appear in Hollywood who
are in some cases well educated having high social status. It is
exercised against weak women, regardless how fine they may appear to
be … after returning to their homes; they become nothing more than
slaves under the effect of lash of humility and violence.


We will limit our talk to domestic violence against women in the west,
and we will prove by numbers that the humiliated woman is not the one
who lives in Afghanistan and wears her face cover. We will illustrate
that such woman is not the one from the Arabian Peninsula, who is in
fact well protected and honored in a community that calls for her
respect. Real degrade and vulgarity is that which makes a woman cheap
merchandise just like any other tradable good, and made her subject to
attacks and all types of oppression and inequity.


The United States of America:


Violence, in all its shapes, has afflicted the weakest member of the
family, namely women and children. Things like, secrecy, no sufficient
evidence and legal and social barriers make it difficult to obtain
very accurate data regarding violence against women, which is,
according to social scholars, is the least type of crime that gets
reported.


Ironically, most of the available information regarding violence
against women is collected from small statistics done here and there,
which give a quick general view for something as important as this
international phenomenon. Such information can not be used to provide
precise indicators to the level of violence and abuse practiced
against women, but it certainly clarifies that violence and abuse at
homes is a widespread phenomenon, and that the woman is the victim in
most cases.


· In 1980, a statistic was done by Appleton, which included
six hundred and twenty American ladies showed that 35% of them were
subject to physical husband abuse at least once. In 1981, Chtraws
expressed that husband abuse ranges between 50-60% in the United
States. On the other hand, in 1982, the percentage was estimated to be
21% by Russell, while Baglo estimated it to range between 25-30%.

· In 1984, based on her research, Walker pointed out that
American women are well experienced in physical abuse, and that 41% of
women experienced physical abuse by their mothers and 44% by their
fathers. 44% of them witnessed accidents of physical abuse by their
fathers on their mothers.

· Two thousand nine hundred and twenty eight people were
killed in 1985 by one of their family members, and if only consider
the case of women we see that two thirds of them were killed by their
husbands or boyfriends. Then again, in 1984, 20% of women were killed
by their husbands and 10% by their boyfriends.

· Statistics prove that three out of every four women were
subject to abuse; 9% of which was done by ex-husbands, 35% by
boyfriends and 32% by ex-boyfriends.

· Another statistic that studied the percentage of attackers
confirmed that ex-husbands or separated husbands committed 79% of the
attacks, while husbands committed 21% of the attacks.

· Statistics proved that the most common cause for physical
injury of women (and in some cases the only cause) was their
boyfriends. It was higher in number than injuries caused by car
accidents, robberies and rape all accumulated.

· According to a study, one out of every four women who seek
medical care by a family physician, report that they physically abused
by their boyfriends. 37% of such women reported that they hardly
overcame them being sexually abused in their childhood, and 29%
reported that they were sexually abused when they reached puberty.
Also, women who were subject to such abuse experienced depression more
than women who did not.

· Results of a questionnaire that was done on six thousand
American families showed that 50% of the men continuously abuse their
wives and children physically.

· Children who were subjected to physical abuse by their
fathers usually grow up to be violent people with their wives and
abusive of them three times more than other men who did not experience
abuse from their fathers in childhood. Additionally, children whose
fathers were very harsh and abusive are one thousand times more likely
to be abusive to their wives.

· More than three million kids are endangered by parents’
abuse per year.

· One million women per year suffer being the victim of abuse
by a family member that does not reach the extent of death; this
statistic is one of the most moderate ones.

· Four million American women a year experience life
threatening abuse by their boyfriends. Moreover, one out of every
three grown up women face physical abuse by their boyfriends at least
once.

· In 1993 five hundred and fifty seven men were arrested for
their abuse to women.

· In 1994, 21% of physical abuse cases against women were done
relatives, while only 4% of the attack cases against men were done by
female relatives.

· 90-95% of the victims of domestic violence were women.

· Children who live in homes were the husband and wife attack
one another are subject to physical abuse fifteen hundred times more
than other children.

· 40-60% of the men who ill-treat their wives physically abuse
their children.

· In one of the studies done, 27% of the murder cases inside
the same family were children.

· 90% of children who get killed before the age of ten were
killed as a result of a family dispute, and 56% of them were younger
than two years of age.

· In 1994, two hundred and forty three thousand of those who
received medical care in the “Emergency Room” were treated for
injuries resulting from physical abuse done by a relative, and the
ratio of men to women in this number was 1:9.

· There are at least four million reports of violence against
women yearly, and around 20% of them happened in the house.

· In 1991, more than ninety women were killed weekly; nine out
of every ten were killed by a man.

· In around 30% of the family violence cases weapons were
used.

· 95% of family violence cases were attacks by men on women.

England:

· 1 in 4 women may experience violence in their relationships
with men (Women's Aid Federation [England] report, 1992)

· Severe, repeated and systematic violence occurs in at least
5 of every hundred marriages in Britain;
Between 40 and 45% of murdered women are killed by their male
partners;
Between 1 of every 2 women are murdered by their male partners every
week;
more than 25% of all violent crime reported to the police is domestic
violence of men against women, making it the second most common
violent crime; (Domestic Violence - Action for Change, G. Hague & E.
Malos, 1993)

· 100,000 women per year seek treatment in London for violent
injuries received in the home (Punching Judy, BBC1 TV programme,
1989)

· 30,000 women and children stay in refuges in the UK every
year;
One quarter of all assaults are in domestic circumstances (Domestic
Violence - Report of an Inter-Agency Working Party, 1992)

· Jean Louis stated that between one third to two thirds of
divorce cases are due to violence at homes, consuming intoxicants and
the low moral standards of men.

· In another report, 77% of husbands who beat their wives do
it for no reason. Additionally, the report quoted a woman, whose
husband has been beating her for three and a half years since they got
married, she said: “If I tell him complain about anything after he
beats me, he would resume hitting me, and thus I choose to remain
silent. He does not beat using one method, but rather uses many
different means of beating, like punching, kicking and hitting my head
against the wall; and he would not care if his kicks or munches fall
on sensitive areas of my body.”

· Women organizations try to provide shelters, financial
assistance and psychological care for the victims. Joan Jangler is one
such example for women who lead this type of campaign, and through the
past twelve years she helped thousands of people who were abused at
their homes. She collected seventy thousand Pounds to run this project
and established the first center in Manchester in 1971, and then her
centers spread throughout England and reached one hundred and fifty
centers in total.

· Domestic violence accounts for almost a quarter (23%) of all
violent crime. The British Crime Survey: England and Wales. London:
Home Office, 2000.

· In 1999 37% of women homicide victims were killed by present
or former partners. This totals 92 women, - 1 every 3 days, or 2 women
per week. Criminal Statistics England & Wales 1999. London: Home
Office, 1999.

· 1 in 5 young men think that abuse or violence against women
is acceptable. Zero Tolerance Charitable Trust. 1998.

France:

· In France, almost two million women are subject to physical
abuse. The officials from the French police stated that this
phenomenon covers around 10% of the French families. The government
announced that they will run a campaign to educate people most of whom
consider this phenomenon a normal thing.

· Michele André, who is the secretariat for women’s rights in
France: “Even animals are treated better than women sometimes. If a
man hits a dog in the street then at one person would complain to an
animal right’s organization, but when a man hits his wife in the
street, no one moves”. She added in a press conference to French
press: “People must be made to understand that hitting is an act that
just will hold them accountable for. I would like for people to stop
thinking of this as a normal matter … the world admits of the
existence of the concept of a controller and a controlled, and
approves of it …this is a logic that must be stopped”.

· “France Swar” newspaper quoted officials in the police
forces regarding such who said: “92.7% of beating cases amongst
spouses happen in cities while 60% of the calls appealing for help in
Paris were women whose husbands were abusing them”

· The secretariat for women’s rights in France that there
different types of abuse practiced against women, some are
psychological, like threats and humiliation, and others are physical,
like hitting.

· An organization named “Rescue of women who are beaten”
noticed that the women who are received in their organization range
between 25 and 35 years of age, and the average they were mothers of
two children whose education level was law. In most case such ladies
were isolated from their families and neighbors. More than often,
matters like illness, addiction to intoxicants or unemployment made
the abuse practiced against them increase even more, but few dared to
expose their situation due to them fearing their husbands’ revenge, or
due to the lack of courage.

· A twenty five year old lady, who tolerated two years of her
husband’s beating, said when she was told to leave her house: “In
France we do not talk about our married lives, because we do not trust
his friends or anyone else to the point that we disclose our personal
secrets to them”

· Alixder Douma, one of the French writers resembled women to
meat slices saying: “The more you beat them the thicker they get”

Canada:

· In a major survey done of over 12,000 Canadian women in
1993, findings showed that one in four women reported experiencing
violence from a partner or ex-partner. The Violence Against Women
Survey. Ottawa: Ministry of Supply & Services, 1993.

· The results of a Canadian survey that included married women
reflected that the capital experienced more intensive cases of
violence against wives than any other place. 36% of wives openly
declared that they were abused one way or another at least once since
they reached the age of sixteen. 81% of the abuse cases recorded by
the police department were done by males, 9% of the abuse cases were
done by females, and 10% of the abuse cases were done by both males
and females. More than half of these cases (53%) resulted due to one
of the two parties at least being under the influence of intoxicants.

New Zealand:

· According to an official survey to record the cases of
domestic violence which was conduct by the Suzan Snaifli and her team
reflected that almost three hundred thousand woman and children were
victims and domestic violence cases.

· Moreover, according to another survey done by social
services in New Zealand, it was agreed that the ratio of domestic
violence reach a rough percentage of 14%. According to other similar
studies and surveys in 1994, the ratio was 1 out of 10 or 1 to 4 based
the population. This means that the number of abused children were
129556 and the number of abused women were 172125, giving a total of
301681 abuse cases all together.

· In the year 1985 domestic violence was one of the factors
that contributed to the increase of divorce cases to reach 59% from
1500 divorce cases. 38% of these cases were working class women who
were forced to call in the police for severe cases of beating, while
13% of the middle class wives refrained from calling the police, in
addition to 4% of the wives from the upper class.

Germany:

· According to one of the surveys in Germany, not less than
one hundred thousand women are being attacked and abused by their
husbands or boyfriends yearly, both physically and psychologically,
with the possibility that the actual figure jumps the six digit
number.

· One of the surveys conduct attributed the high number of
abuse cases to long-term unemployment, debts, being an alcoholic and
extreme jealousy. One of the governmental institutes in Germany set a
program to offer aid through a charitable organization over a period
of two years as a solution to this phenomenon.

Switzerland:

· Switzerland 1997 - 20% of a small sample of women report
being physically assaulted (From WHO's website).

These were some surveys and numbers reflecting the reality of the
situation of the western woman in the United States and Europe. These
countries are claiming to want to reform men by amending laws and
legislations worldwide.

The American and European man who commits such a huge number of abuse
cases against women, whether a wife, a daughter or a girlfriend, he
does so because the method of upbringing in their countries are
corrupt and astray and need major practical reformation.

Women in the Arabic and Muslim countries do not face even one tenth of
such humility, because men get their guidance from their religion
before the law, men are (in most cases) ashamed of committing such
crimes that these surveys address.

We are not claiming that our communities are free from any abnormal
cases, but such crimes remain within limited numbers that co not
exceed by any case 5%.

The so called “Women freedom” program that is trying to enforce the
western values and criterions on the entire glob, is doing nothing but
attempting to place Muslim women in a low rank and make her a cheep
commodity for men to enjoy, use and abuse her by working during day
time, then physical abuse on her and her children at night.

We wish that true and authentic surveys could be conducted in our
Islamic countries to prove to the world that the Muslim woman who
wears a head veil and a face cover, as in some of our conservative
communities, gets honored and enjoys the care which the American and
western woman never dreams to get.

Note: Most of the statistical data collected are about Western
societies that are due to the availability of documentation on the
matter. We realize that crime is prevalent in all societies -- Eastern
and Western alike. The main thrust of our topic is that adopting the
Islamic solution is more fruitful than man-made solutions.

Note: Most of the statistical data collected are about Western
societies and that are due to the availability of documentation on the
matter. We realize that domestic violence is prevalent in all
societies -- Eastern and Western alike. The main thrust of our topic
is that adopting the Islamic solution is more fruitful than man-made
solutions.

http://www.islamweb.net/ver2/archive/article.php?lang=E&id=135294