memorandum to the special select committee on penal code
memorandum to the special select committee on penal code
memorandum to the special select committee on penal code
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In Sûrah al Nisa 4.19 with regard <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> treatment of wives, it was commanded, "... On <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
c<strong>on</strong>trary, live with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m <strong>on</strong> a footing of kindness and equity, If ye take a dislike <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m, it<br />
may be that ye dislike a thing, and God brings about through it a great deal of good.”<br />
(translati<strong>on</strong> Yusuf Ali)<br />
Islam grants rights <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> both husband and wife. Each has a right over <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r. Whilst <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
husband has a right <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> have sexual relati<strong>on</strong>s with his wife, a wife similarly has <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> right <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
sexual relati<strong>on</strong>s with her husband. The Prophet (saw) himself have advised men not <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
neglect this duty <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> meet <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> needs of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir wives. Abdullah bin Amr bin Al-As narrated,<br />
"Prophet Muhammad (saw) said, “O Abdullah! I have been informed that you fast all <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
day and stand in prayer all night” I said, ‘Yes, O Allah's Apostle!’ He said, “Do not do<br />
that! Observe <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> fast sometimes and also leave <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m at o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r times, stand up for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
prayer at night and also sleep at night. Your body has a right over you and your wife has a<br />
right over you.” (Bukhâri)<br />
The myth that a husband is unable <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> rape his wife due <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> irrevocable licence for sex as<br />
provided under <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Penal Code finds its basis not in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> laws of Allah (swt) but in English<br />
comm<strong>on</strong> law prior <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> 1800’s. In <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir justificati<strong>on</strong> for not recognising marital rape,<br />
English law lords often quoted East in his Treatise <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Pleas of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Crown, “a husband<br />
cannot by law be guilty of ravishing his wife <strong>on</strong> account of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> matrim<strong>on</strong>ial c<strong>on</strong>sent which<br />
she cannot retract”.<br />
In perpetuating this myth, Muslims are justifying and keeping alive a myth created by<br />
Vic<str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g>rian Englishmen (and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir forefa<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rs) who viewed women as little more than<br />
property, a view certainly rejected by Islam. Sûrah an Nisa 4.19 commands, “O ye who<br />
believe! Ye are forbidden <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> inherit women against <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir will...”<br />
Rape is not sex, it is violence<br />
No wife who has been raped c<strong>on</strong>siders <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> act <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> be merely sex. It is a form of violence,<br />
aimed at violating <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> victim in <strong>on</strong>e of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> most humiliating manners. Whilst trying <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
preserve <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> rights of married pers<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> engage in c<strong>on</strong>sensual sex with each o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r, it is<br />
alarming that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> result of equating sex with rape appears <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> be c<strong>on</strong>d<strong>on</strong>ing violence against<br />
women in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> home. In punishing rape, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> law does not prohibit or even restrict married<br />
couples from engaging in c<strong>on</strong>sensual sex. To equate sex with rape is <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> equate a caress<br />
with a beating.<br />
In an English landmark decisi<strong>on</strong> of Regina v R [1993] 1 CLJ 1, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> law lord said,<br />
“Nowadays it cannot seriously be maintained that by marriage a wife submits herself<br />
irrevocably <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> sexual intercourse in all circumstances…. There is no doubt that a wife does<br />
not c<strong>on</strong>sent <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> assault up<strong>on</strong> her pers<strong>on</strong> and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re is no plausible justificati<strong>on</strong> for saying<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g>day that she never<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>less is <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> be taken <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>sent <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> intercourse by assault.”<br />
Marital Rape Reporting<br />
Ano<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r public discussi<strong>on</strong> relates <str<strong>on</strong>g>to</str<strong>on</strong>g> implementati<strong>on</strong>; that if marital rape is criminalised,<br />
women will suddenly report rapes in large numbers, sometimes falsely or maliciously.<br />
Studies have also shown that criminalising marital rape has not resulted in a large increase<br />
in police reports, prosecuti<strong>on</strong>s, and c<strong>on</strong>victi<strong>on</strong>s for marital rape.<br />
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