Muslim men!
By Tara Kasim, London

I came to Vancouver to attend my cousins wedding. She’s married into an Indian Muslim family, we are a mixed bunch of people. During the wedding, we noticed some changes in my the in law’s attitude. They were so nice and welcoming, but during the Nikkah ceremony and reception, we all felt the brush off. A couple of months later, my cousin called me in England, she was calling from her friends house in Surrey. She was crying madly, so much that it was difficult to understand what she was saying. Her friend tried to calm her down, and finally my cousin did. Than, she broke the tragic news to me. Her husband had been beating her, and her in laws had been hitting her and treating her like a dog. They forced her to quit her fantastic post in the government, so she could waiter to them. She told me the abuse started the very night, after the reception. Most husbands and wives consummate their love with romance and passion. He punched her so hard that night that she was knocked out. When she woke up, she was naked on the floor, while her husband was sleeping on the bed. She realized what happened. His physical and emotional abuse continued. She was not allowed to go anywhere or even call my aunt and uncle. They were also worried since they had not heard from her. Finally she broke loose and walked all the way to her friends home. She was worried, and scared to tell her parents. With no where else to go, and feeling alone and afraid, she called me. I was disgusted! I talked to her, and convinced her to tell her parents, and she agreed. But the first thing I needed to make sure, was her safety. I forced her to make the complaint to the police, and luckily for her, her friend was nice enough to help her through it all.

Her husband denied everything, and so did his parents. But unfortunately for him, my cousin was smart enough to take pictures of herself as much as she could, documenting his beatings. She told the court that she knew that someday she would need the proof. And it wasn’t just the photo’s, she had been telling her doctor about the rapes and beatings. His family was shamed, but continued to spread wicked lies about her and my family, even to this day, they deny it all.

She’s been divorced and free for 3 years, but the torment is still painted on her. This is not the first time I saw such an evil. I hear and see it all the time here in London. I work for an abused woman’s hotline, and it’s too often that such things happen. I see it around me, all the time. I am a proud muslim, but I’m repulsed by many of the muslim men. And it’s not just a particular race of muslim men, I see it in all of them. For some reason, these men are taught to hate and abuse their wives. To treat them like dirt. Well listen up! It’s in the Quran, look it up, to respect and honor women! It’s sick what these perverts do, and it’s sick that they’re families support them. Gosh, they are so sick!