The 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, emphasized his stance against domestic violence, stating that he advises his daughters to stand up for themselves if their husbands ever hit them. Speaking at the National Dialogue Conference on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Prevention, the emir highlighted alarming statistics from nine Shari’a courts in Kano, where 45% of cases in the past five years involved domestic violence.,Daily Trust reports.
The event, themed Islamic Teachings and Community Collaboration for Ending Gender-Based Violence, was organized by the Centre for Islamic Civilisation and Interfaith Dialogue (CICID) at Bayero University Kano (BUK), in collaboration with the Development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC), with support from the Ford Foundation.
The Emir noted that while some interpret Islamic teachings to permit “light” discipline in specific circumstances, this principle is often misused. He recounted findings from his doctoral research, which revealed severe cases of abuse, including broken limbs and teeth, as well as persistent beatings inflicted on women. He condemned such violence, stating, “Beating your wife or daughter or any woman is prohibited. It is a crime and haram. Allah commands that all harm must be removed.”
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He went on to share his personal approach, saying, “When my daughters get married, I tell them: if your husband slaps you, slap him back. If you come to me and tell me he slapped you without retaliating, I will slap you myself. I didn’t send my daughters to be slapped. If he cannot live with her, he should send her back to me, but no man has the right to hit her.”
The Emir stressed the need to educate both men and women on the unacceptability of violence, urging parents to raise sons who respect women and daughters who refuse to tolerate abuse.
Dr. Hassan Karofi, Director of Partnerships and Strategic Communications at dRPC, underscored the role of religious leaders in addressing GBV through initiatives like the Muslim Opinion Leaders for Gender-Based Violence Prevention Project (MOLS4GBV). He emphasized the importance of leveraging Islamic teachings to challenge harmful cultural practices, adding that religious leaders are well-positioned to advocate for change and shape community attitudes.
Dr. Taofeek Abubakar Hussain, Director of CICID, highlighted the event’s goal of correcting misconceptions about Islam while promoting GBV prevention. The conference sought to align Islamic values of justice, dignity, and protection with contemporary efforts to combat violence against women, fostering collaboration among faith-based organizations, traditional institutions, and government bodies to develop actionable strategies.
