Why I told my daughters to retaliate if their husbands slap them – Emir Sanusi

Why I told my daughters to retaliate if their husbands slap them – Emir Sanusi

Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has restated his firm stance against domestic violence, revealing that he instructed his daughters to defend themselves if ever subjected to abuse in their marriages.

He spoke on Monday at the National Dialogue Conference on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) prevention from an Islamic perspective.

Sanusi stressed the importance of empowering women to stand against violence.

The event, themed “Islamic Teachings and Community Collaboration for Ending Gender-Based Violence,” was hosted by the Centre for Islamic Civilization and Interfaith Dialogue (CICID), Bayero University Kano, in partnership with the Development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC), with support from the Ford Foundation.

The emir said he advised his daughters before their marriages to resist and retaliate if their husbands ever slapped them.

“Do not come to me with complaints of being slapped unless you have defended yourself,” he stated.

Sanusi also presented alarming statistics from his research into family law, revealing that 45% of cases handled by nine Shariah courts in Kano over five years involved domestic violence, including wife-beating.

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These cases highlighted severe abuse, with victims sustaining broken limbs, lost teeth, and other traumatic injuries at the hands of their spouses.

He said: “You can interpret certain verses to justify light beating, but in reality, no one adheres to the rules of restraint. What we witness are cases of severe violence where women are beaten, punched, and kicked. My research in Kano’s Shariah courts revealed that not one case involved ‘light beating.’ Instead, women suffered extreme harm, including broken bones and teeth.”

The Emir emphasized that any form of domestic violence, including beating, is explicitly prohibited in Isla.

“Beating your wife, daughter, or any woman is haram (forbidden). Violence against another human being violates their basic dignity. We must teach our daughters not to tolerate it and educate our sons that it is unacceptable.”

He added, “If my daughters are ever slapped by their husbands, they know I expect them to slap back. I did not send my daughters to be abused. If you dislike her, send her back to me, but do not raise your hand against her.”

Earlier, Dr. Hassan Karofi, Director of Partnerships and Strategic Communications, outlined the goals of the conference. The event aimed to use Islamic teachings to advocate for the prevention of GBV in Northern Nigeria through the Muslim Opinion Leaders for Gender-Based Violence Prevention Project (MOLS4GBV)

Karofi said, “This initiative leverages the influence of religious leaders to challenge harmful cultural norms and promote justice and protection for women.

“By aligning Islamic principles with modern GBV prevention strategies, the conference seeks to foster dialogue and actionable solutions among faith-based organizations, youth groups, traditional leaders, and government bodies.”

The event, coinciding with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, emphasized justice, dignity, and the safeguarding of women as central tenets of Islamic teachings.

 

Why I told my daughters to retaliate if their husbands slap them – Emir Sanusi