‘He’s permitted to hit her’: Alarming video appears to condone domestic violence

TODAY’S Ben Fordham slammed a video that appeared to condone domestic violence against Muslim women. The women in the video aren’t happy.

TODAY host Ben Fordham slammed a video appearing to give the green light to domestic violence against Muslim women. Now they’ve hit back.

Fordham spoke passionately on the Channel 9 program on Thursday morning about an alarming video shared by an Australian Muslim women’s group that shows a panel discussion between two members about Islam’s teachings regarding men disciplining women.

“They’re annoyed because I slammed their support for wife bashing, so I view their criticism of me as a badge of honour. As a White Ribbon ambassador, I’ve got a track record of speaking up on these issues regardless of who’s involved. I won’t take a backward step when confronting violence against women or anyone who condones it,” Ben Fordham said.

The video was shared online by the Women of Hizb ut-Tahrir Australia Facebook group, an arm of a well-known and widely condemned radical Islamist group.

In the video, the woman leading the conversation, who is identified as Sydney teacher Reem Allouche, says a man is permitted to hit a woman as an act of discipline, and fellow panellist Atika Latifi, agrees.

“He is permitted, not obliged to, not encouraged, but permitted to hit her,” Ms Latifi says.

On the Today program, Fordham was adamant: “It’s never OK to hit your wife. Never. That’s assault.

“When you have people in positions of power spreading dangerous messages it is important to call them out,” he said.

On Thursday afternoon, Women of Hizb ut-Tahrir Australia shared a post on its Facebook page labelling Fordham a “shock jock ... whose (career has) been built on the consistent shameless demonisation of Muslim women (and Islam generally).”

Ben Fordham has hit back at 'so-called Muslim leaders' saying it's OK to him women. Picture: Today/Channel 9

The group said parts of the media, as well as some government ministers, were “the same folk who are a hundred times louder on ‘terrorism’ and ‘extremism’, simply because it sells, than on the domestic violence, which is a far greater menace in this country.”

They also acknowledged “the very understandable concern expressed from sections of our Muslim community” regarding the post and labelled domestic violence “an abomination that Islam rejects in the strongest terms”.

Earlier, the Turnbull government joined in condemnation of the confronting clip. Minister for Women Michaelia Cash released a statement saying the video was “abhorrent”.

“These attitudes have no place in modern Australia,” Ms Cash said. “Attempts to teach the next generation of young Australian Muslims that violence from a husband to a wife is completely out of touch with community standards and should be condemned in the strongest possible terms.

“Domestic violence is abuse — plain and simple. It is not, ‘a beautiful blessing’ as the video describes it.”

The video at the centre of the controversy describes the permissive text as “beautiful” and “a blessing”.

“It’s very evident that this is symbolic in nature and it’s not as what people have understood or what people would like to have understood,” Ms Allouche says. “This is the reality.”

But Mr Fordham said it was important that these messages are challenged.

“If you hit a women, you’re a coward. It’s not OK to hit your wife gently, or softly, or occasionally or any other way you want to spin it,” he said. “It’s assault. It’s illegal. It’s just wrong.”

Reem Allouche (left) and Atika Latifi speak at a Hizb ut-Tahrir conference

Referring to Ms Latifi and Ms Allouche’s suggestion that it’s OK for a man to hit his wife with a “small stick” or a “folded handkerchief”, Mr Fordham said hitting anyone with anything is assault, and is never excusable.

“Stop it. Just stop. We have young Muslim women growing up in this country and they need to know they have the same rights as anyone else,” he said.

“They live in Australia, and that means they can wear what they want, they can marry who they want to marry, and they can do what they want to do. They don’t need these so-called leaders telling them they’re punching bags.”

Muslim women have also begun to speak out against the extremist group’s message.

In a radio interview Thursday morning National Centre for Australian Studies researcher Dr Susan Carland said: “We cannot be entertaining this sort of talk.”

“It’s really important that it’s never presented that this is somehow the mainstream opinion. There is domestic violence in every community, sadly,” she said.

Yassmin Abdel-Magied, who announced on ABC’s Q & A earlier this year that Islam was the most feminist religion, responded to the video saying domestic violence is unacceptable.

“In Australia, >1 woman is killed A WEEK at the hands of a partner (or ex),” she wrote on Twitter. “Domestic Violence, in all and any form is unacceptable. End of story.”

Female Muslim community leaders including Susan Carland and Mariam Veiszadeh have shared a video featuring Muslim leaders condemning domestic violence with the message “break the cycle”.

“HT (Hizb ut-Tahrir) can take a hike,” Ms Veiszadeh said on Twitter where she shared the clip.

In the video, Australia’s most senior Muslim leader Mufti Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohamed, says: “Violence within the home and outside it is rejected.”

HT can take a hike.
This is what the Clerics in our community have to say about #DomesticViolence https://t.co/yD0xI7dj4C

— Mariam Veiszadeh (@MariamVeiszadeh) April 12, 2017

In Australia, >1 woman is killed A WEEK at the hands of partner(or ex). Domestic Violence, in all + any form, is unacceptable. End of story.

— Yassmin Abdel-Magied (@yassmin_a) April 13, 2017

Discussing exactly what is permitted when it comes to hitting a woman, the panellists demonstrate lightly striking each other with a small stick and a rolled up piece of fabric.

“Striking should be done in such a way as not to cause harm or pain. It’s a symbolic act,” Ms Latifi says.

Addressing what sort of act by a woman would justify “striking”, the women agree “committing sin” and “disobedience to the husband” would require disciplinary measures.

“Immoral acts or cheating. Admitting anyone to the home that the husband doesn’t like,” Ms Latifi says.

“It’s not like a simple argument. These are serious things that can break up the family unit.”

Ms Latifi also said the Koran suggested three measures for men to deal with their wives: “Advise them first, leave them alone in bed, and hit them. It’s simple.”

She goes on to clarify that all three steps should not be taken “at the one time”, and hitting “should not cause pain”.

The discussion, recording at an all-women’s event in Sydney’s west, according to The Australian, followed controversial comments made by Muslim leader Keyser Trad who argued in a television interview that Muslim men could hit their wives as “a last resort”.

Introducing the discussion, Ms Allouche said: “It needs to be placed in context.”

Hizb ut-Tahrir is known for spreading extremist views and was previously under consideration by the federal government to be banned.