The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammad Sanusi II, has emphasized the importance of women standing up against domestic violence, asserting that if his daughters were ever slapped by their husbands, he would expect them to defend themselves in kind.
Speaking at the National Dialogue Conference on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Prevention, themed “Islamic Teachings and Community Collaboration for Ending Gender-Based Violence”, the Emir highlighted alarming statistics. Over a five-year period, 45% of domestic cases in nine Shari’a courts across Kano involved wife beating and domestic violence.
The conference, held at Bayero University Kano (BUK) and organized by the Centre for Islamic Civilisation and Interfaith Dialogue (CICID) in collaboration with the Development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC), aimed to address GBV from an Islamic perspective, with support from the Ford Foundation.
The Emir criticized misinterpretations of Islamic teachings that some use to justify domestic abuse.
He said, “While some may argue that Islam permits light physical correction under specific rules, real-life cases reveal severe violence, such as broken limbs and knocked-out teeth. In none of the cases studied was the violence ‘light.’ Violence against women is prohibited in Islam—it is haram. Allah commands the removal of all harm, and gender-based violence clearly constitutes harm.”
Sanusi further emphasized the need to educate both daughters and sons, saying, “Our daughters must know they are not to endure abuse, and our sons must be taught that violence against any human being, including their wives, is unacceptable. This behavior violates the dignity of a person and is completely against Islamic principles.”
In his remarks, Dr. Hassan Karofi, Director of Partnerships and Strategic Communications at dRPC, highlighted the role of religious leaders in addressing GBV. He stated that the Muslim Opinion Leaders for Gender-Based Violence Prevention Project (MOLS4GBV) leverages the influence of religious leaders to challenge harmful norms and promote Islamic teachings that emphasize justice and dignity for women.
Dr. Taofeek Abubakar Hussain, Director of CICID, added that the event sought to dispel misconceptions about Islam’s stance on violence against women and foster dialogue among stakeholders to promote a collective approach to GBV prevention.
The conference brought together faith-based organizations, government representatives, traditional leaders, and women’s advocacy groups to explore actionable strategies for addressing GBV and creating a safer society.