Muhammadu Sanusi II, the Emir of Kano, has demanded harsher penalties for those who engage in gender-based violence in Kano state, claiming that no decent Muslim beats his wife. He pointed out that the state is seeing an increase in the number of men who abuse women and cheat on their spouses. He went on to say that Islamic imams and clerics are essential in changing society’s behavior to put an end to the threat.
When Sanusi hosted a delegation from the Bayero University Center for Islamic Civilization and Interfaith Dialogue (CICID) and the Development Research and Project Center (dRPC) at his palace in Kano on Monday, July 21, he made the call.
The group’s visit to the palace was part of their advocacy for their project, which involves training Muslim Opinion Leaders (MOLs) to help eradicate GBV in northern Nigerian states that are dominated by Muslims. The Ford Foundation provided funding for the project.
“Those who beat their wives are not doing so with the intention of reforming them,” the emir declared. “I never believe in beating women.” What we see today is even serious beating and injuring of women in name of reforming them.
“Islam has respected and dignified women more than any other religion and all those seeking cover under it to abuse women do not even underrated the religion.
“Whosoever beats and injures his wife is not a good person. I did not say this, it is the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) who said it. It is those who do not read that don’t know.”
The project is timely, according to the Emir, because it attempts to address one of the most important social issues facing the northern states that are dominated by Muslims. He urged the team to work together to bring back the Kano State family draft, which tackles the state’s most urgent GBV issues.
“All the legal frameworks needed are already on our Islamic jurisprudence books, all is needed is to bring them out and put together as a draft for use. he continued.
“During my PhD, thesis, which is on codification of Islamic family law, I studied nine Kano Shari’a courts over the period of five years, and the findings show that the trend of GBV is rampant in our society. That is why I told all my district heads and village heads that anyone caught beating his wife does so at the risk of losing his title”
