Clash of Civilizations

Reading Kimberle Crenshaw’s discussion on victims of domestic abuse in minority communities, I was immediately reminded of a situation that is not too far off from this, and much closer to home.

Domestic violence and marital rape are shockingly common in Pakistan. Not only are they regularly inflicted and justified by Muslim men; they are also internalized by Muslim women to quite an extent, who have accepted it is as a right of the husband in Islam.

This issue has been frequently brought up by all schools of feminists, from brown feminists in Pakistan, to the white feminists and their NGOs, that operate or research in Pakistan.

The issue, however, is not as black and white as it would seem. Any person with common sense might instantly support the feminists and openly oppose all forms of domestic violence as well as marital rape, but this understanding is complicated by race (in case of white feminists), or rather, the mix of culture and religion that is the dominant practice in Pakistan. The word “feminism” is already associated with the West and their schools of thought, for instance liberalism and secularism (although liberal feminists are just a sub-group within feminism). Even a socialist feminist in Pakistan is branded as a liberal, the latter being taken to mean an agent of the West, in very crude terms. White feminists, on the other hand, are naturally taken to literally be agents of the West. As a whole, then, all feminists are portrayed as anti-Islam and pro-West. Their rational criticisms are deemed to be attacks on Islam and the Pakistani society and culture; all part of a world-wide conspiracy to overthrow Islam and defeat Muslims. The problem also is, unfortunately, that while all feminists do not fall into this stereotype; often, the magnanimous international NGOs that have adequate resources to fully take on this issue might have, or be used for, similar ulterior motives. During a time when there have been waves of Islamophobia taking over the West, negative images of Muslim men and Muslim states would help feed this narrative. This fits very well in the case of domestic violence because some Muslim scholars have interpreted domestic violence and marital rape, both, as either strictly domestic matters and/or allowed in Islam.

The problem is manifold. For one, with this dominant narrative of anti-Islam conspiracies, Muslim women might be reluctant to stand with the feminists who call out Muslim men on these issues, fearing this would divide the Muslim community and strengthen the Islamophobic narrative that is rampant in the West. They see this as another excuse for predominantly white people to reinforce the stereotypes of Islam as a barbaric religion, by highlighting the abusive behaviour of Muslim men. As Crenshaw eloquently puts it, “The more common problem is that the political or cultural interests of the community are interpreted in a way that precludes full public recognition of the problem of domestic violence.” Moreover, this also allows the patriarchal culture to strengthen its roots under the shield of religion. Knowing both the importance and sensitivity of the topic of religion itself, men can be seen comfortably justifying this matter and may even get legal cover by deeming it a domestic matter.

Thus, in between the struggles of Muslims against Islamophobia or the formerly colonized against the former colonizers, and of women everywhere against patriarchy, some Muslim women seem to be caught as victims, bearing the cost of suppressing the issue of domestic violence.

“I cannot afford to choose between the fronts upon which I must battle these forces of discrimination,” write Audre Lorde. There is a need, then, to heed Crenshaw’s advice; the solution cannot come from suppressing the problem itself, nor can it come without recognizing the consequences of the racial or cultural hierarchies.

Note: I do not mean to generalize the experience of Muslim women or domestic violence. This is merely a reflection on a not-too-uncommon occurrence in some sections of our society, and my personal experience.