Violence against women has no place in a religion that proclaims equal rights for males and females, Canada’s Muslim leaders say.

Ongoing publicity surrounding an Ontario murder trial featuring prominent discussions of honour killings motivated imams throughout the country to tackle the topic of domestic violence in their Friday prayer sessions.

Their sermons reinforced one of the key messages of the Qur’an and reminds Muslims that respect for women is a fundamental part of their faith, they said.

“Domestic violence is very un-Islamic. It’s a crime in the eyes of the law, it’s a crime in the Islamic teaching,” Imam Soharwardy said in a telephone interview. “Prophet Mohammed has clearly said in very unambiguous words that women have rights on men and men have an obligation to treat their wife and daughters . . .with kindness and courtesy.”

Soharwardy said members of the Islamic Supreme Council and other Muslim organizations across Canada felt the need to speak out against the image of repressive violence emerging from a courtroom in Kingston, Ont. There, Mohammad Shafia, his son Hamed and his wife Tooba Yahya are facing four counts each of first degree murder in the deaths of four female family members.

The Crown alleges the victims died for dishonouring the family either by dating, skipping school or planning to leave the household. Shafia, his wife and son have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

“Hypothetically, if a person has killed a family because a person, male or female, is doing something un-Islamic, Islamic teaching says this person should be brought to a court,” he said. “I cannot take law in my hands. This is un-Islamic.”   »»» Global Regina

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