A Perspective on Domestic Violence in the Muslim Community

by Salma Elkadi Abugideiri The Muslim community in the United States is a multi‐ethnic, multi‐racial community. There are 6 to 7 million Muslims in the United States, with the largest sub‐groups being South Asian, Arab and African American.1 In addition to ethnic and racial diversity, Muslims come from different educational and socio‐economic backgrounds and practice their religious teachings to various degrees. The diverse nature of this population can lead to challenges for advocates. While some cultural norms and the misinterpretation of certain religious texts may lead to an increased propensity towards domestic violence in certain sectors of the Muslim population, certain cultural and/or religious practices may appear oppressive when taken out of context, but simply represent different values and beliefs that are not necessarily oppressive in and of themselves. One example is the gender segregation that occurs socially in some Arab countries. Another example is the complementary but different gender roles in Muslim families, including the leadership role that men play in the family. Incidence of Domestic Violence in Muslim Families