Islamic interpretations and Its role in muslim South African women remaining In physically abusive relationships

Abstract

This study explored the role of Islamic interpretations in Muslim South African women currently remaining in physically abusive relationships. Physical abuse is an important social problem in need of attention due to its high prevalence rates and negative impact on survivors and their families. The rate of women abuse in South Africa is alarming. Physical abuse causes long term suffering. There is also a great amount of historical evidence which shows that women have always suffered violence from their husbands or partners. Physical abuse can occur across all cultures and socio- economic statuses. Being Muslim was deemed as a risk factor in women being physically abused by their partners and therefore interpretations of the Islamic religion was the focus of this study. Religious women are often in a predicament as they have to either choose between their 'Islamic' teachings and their safety. In order to respond to the needs of battered women, physical abuse needs to be examined in the different religious contexts, in this instance in the Islamic religion. The theoretical framework that was utilized in the study is Social Constructionism. The design that was implemented was a qualitative research design. The participants consisted of 6 Muslim women between the ages of 31 to 40. Participants were sourced from various women's shelters as well as through various health professionals. Data collection was completed by conducting a face to face semi structured discursive interview. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and thereafter analyzed using deconstructive thematic analysis. Ethical clearance was granted by the university and by the centers before the study commenced. Consent was provided by the participants and consent forms were signed by them. These consent forms informed them about their rights pertaining to their participation in this study. Counseling services were also provided in the event that a participant experienced any form of unintentional stress due to the sensitivity of the topic. The four main themes identified were: reasons for remaining in the physically abusive relationship; religious motivations for staying/leaving the relationship, Islamic interpretations and how interpretations and dominant social constructions influenced decisions to remain in a physically abusive relationship. There was no single conclusion as to whether Islamic interpretations played a role in women remaining in the physically abusive relationships; however there were some findings that suggested that certain elements of their interpretations could be tied to Islam, but each of the interpretations were subjective and therefore unique to respective individuals.