Reflecting on Women’s Day and the meaning of sisterhood

COMMENT | A few months ago, a friend of mine who is a mother of two and a victim of domestic abuse, ran away from her violent husband. Over the 10 years of her marriage, her husband had physically hit her, burned her with a hot iron, punched her face, forced her to take nude photographs and denied her access to her children whenever she planned on leaving him.

Her mother-in-law, who lived in the same house, was in total support of her son. Her sister-in-law, who was well aware of the happenings, preferred to stay out of their marital woes.

My friend’s own mother told her to tolerate the abuse and stay in her marriage for the sake of her two children. And her aunts, who were her support system, advised her to focus on being a better wife, almost justifying her husband’s act of violence as a result of her lack of commitment as a good wife.

Two months ago, having had enough, my friend ran away from her marital home. Without the support of all the women in her family, she went into hiding. Using the little she had saved, she filed for a divorce under fasakh (annulment of marriage). However, her syariah lawyer, a woman, ignored my friend’s request and filed for divorce under Section 47 (divorce by talaq) instead...