On October 29th, KARAMAH concluded its month long series of “Love Like the Prophet: Ending Domestic Violence in Muslim Communities.” The final event was in an intimate cafe setting, at Busboys and Poets, and true to the mission of the restaurant, the conversation centered around action and social justice. The room was predominantly full of younger attendees, all intently listening to the speakers share their stories and insight on domestic violence within Muslim communities. Ms. Rahman shared the stage with Dr. Azizah al-Hibri of KARAMAH, Qudsia Raja of YWCA USA, and Marium Durrani, the staff attorney at KARAMAH.
The event began with Ms. Rahman speaking frankly about the reality of domestic violence as she saw it happening through her work in Muslim communities. She shared stories of her work as a litigator in a small town, where the rose-tinted glasses were taken off her as she worked case after case. When examining these cases, KARAMAH decided to focus on action rather than dwell on the multitude of problems each case posed. So. three years ago KARAMAH implemented “Love Like the Prophet” as a means to educate the community on the Islamic and Prophetic tradition of love, mercy and peace–something often forgotten as seen through the sheer number of DV cases plaguing the community.
Following her introduction, Dr. al-Hibri took to the stage and spoke on the Prophetic model of love and healthy relationships. She spoke to the inherent rights that we have as humans, stating that, “At the moment of birth, we have God-given dignity, which we must protect by respecting other people.” After, Dr. al-Hibri delved into the necessity for an mutual understanding of rights to be shared among Muslim communities and couples today. She demonstrated her points by underscoring the experiences of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), “Prophet Mohammad was very open about his marital relationships, and had great respect for his wives.”
Next, Qudsia Raja of the YWCA USA took the stage. She spoke very frankly and openly about the state of domestic abuse, relationships and the Muslim community. Bringing in anecdotal experiences, she hammered in the point that lacking conversations and education causes young Muslim women to enter into unhealthy or inappropriate situations. She spoke about the sobering statistics of domestic violence in the United States: “50% of all female deaths in the U.S are caused by domestic violence.”
Finally, KARAMAH’s staff attorney, Marium Durrani, spoke about the direct legal services that KARAMAH provides. She encouraged audience members to spread the word about the legal services provided by our organization, stating a lack of resources within the Muslim community as disempowering those who need the help.
For the last activity of the night, Ms. Rahman again took to the stage, and engaged audience members in several domestic violence scenarios. Audience members sought to give advice, and it was encouraging to see the level to which they encouraged potential survivors to seek legal care.
If you want more information about KARAMAH’s work or direct services, call our offices at: 202.234.7302.
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