Our Problem
The issue of violence within Muslim families is our problem, and we must accept community responsibility for it to effectively address it.
This isn't easy because most members of the Muslim community are:
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Unaware of the extent of domestic violence within the community
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Unsure about how to frame its existence and how to deal with it within the teachings of the religion
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Afraid of the repercussions of raising the issue within the community in terms of dishonor of individuals and their families
- Afraid of repercussions of raising the issue on external perceptions of the community in terms of feeding negative stereotypes about Muslims
- Mistrustful of existing social services that remain largely insensitive to the cultural exigencies and value systems of Muslim populations
- Unaware of the many ways they can get effectively involved in the process of changing attitudes within the community concerning the issue
- Resistant to placing a priority on addressing an issue that is intimate, personal, perceived as "private" when there are so many obvious external threats to the integrity of the community...from the 'war on terror' to MTV
- Not supporting existing community institutions that address the issue, nor organizing themselves to create new institutions