Sociologists demand fatwa to criminalize domestic violence

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – Sociologists and psychiatrists at the three-day Domestic Violence Conference at the Jeddah Chamber for Commerce and Industry here requested the Board of Senior Ulema to issue a fatwa that criminalizes domestic violence and entitles mothers to have custody of their children until they reach 15 years of age. They also requested the creation of a social police department which would receive cases of abuse and deal with them immediately. “There is no clear system for receiving, treating and following up cases of abuse,” said Dr. An’am Al-Roboy’e, Chairwoman of the Hemayah Association. “Male domination is the main obstacle in developing a social protection system,” she added.She also requested that all government sectors be involved in solving the problem of domestic abuse.The conference was inaugurated by Prince Mish’al Bin Majed, Governor of Jeddah.Al-Jawharah Al-Anqari, deputy chairwoman of the Saudi Commission for Human Rights, criticized the current system in social protection houses and asked that it be changed completely. She explained that the current system only makes the situation worse regarding the domestic violence. “Among other obstacles that we face now are the lack of enough specialists and the rights defense commissions,” said Al-Jawhara, “in addition to the misinterpretation of religious issues, the domination of the traditions, the contradiction between the systems and their applications and the lack of religious awareness among men and women.”She said that a high commission should be established to fight domestic violence, improve the conditions of poor families, follow up the situations of women and children in remote villages, focus on fighting drugs, take away the right of guardianship from the head of the household if he has committed incest, and activate family courts.She insisted that the person who commits violence in the home is the one who should be taken out of the house, not the victim.Badr Ahmed Korayem, a member of the media committee at the Shoura Council, in his paper suggested the need for the creation of a new ministry for the family. “I assume that with a ministry chaired by a woman, many family issues would be able to be treated properly,” Korayem told Saudi Gazette. He added that media has negatively affected the violence issue in our society.“This is because many media channels are keen to provide their followers with the latest news even if that news is about violence. They have the full right to do that, but this should be done according to ethical and professional publishing and broadcasting principles,” he said.
*With an input by Hussain Hazzazi, Okaz.