UAE Men Can Beat Wives And Children, But Cannot Leave Marks

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — The UAE's highest judicial body says a man can beat his wife and young children as long as the beating leaves no physical marks.

The decision by the Federal Supreme Court shows the strong influence of Islamic law in the Emirates despite its international appeal in which foreign residents greatly outnumber the local population.

The court made the ruling earlier this month in the case of a man who left cuts and bruises on his wife and adult daughter after a beating.

It says the man was guilty of harming the women but noted that Islamic codes allow for "discipline" if no marks are left. It also says children who have reached "adulthood" – approximately puberty – cannot be struck.

The ruling was reported Monday in the Abu Dhabi-based newspaper The National.

Comments

[Harir Atmar]

08:10 PM on 10/22/2010

http://allahcentric.wordpress.com/2010/10/22/muslim-scholars-on-spousal-abuse-under-islamic-law-it-is-absolutely-unlawful-to-abuse-a-wife-injure-her-or-insult-her-dignity/

please read through the above link if you are truly want to know what Islam thinks about domestic violence- these are all present day scholars that have influence on the Muslims in America-

[sassafra]

06:24 PM on 10/20/2010

i guess it's time to call up our brokers and ask if there are any mutual funds that specialize in rubber hose exports.

[PORK RIND]

01:30 PM on 10/20/2010

If this were not so surreally stupid and brutal, it would have been HILARIOUS.

[Whinger]

12:00 PM on 10/20/2010

You can have your pound of flesh but not one drop of blood....

Beating a child or a woman is the act of a brutal coward and bully!

[laaambchop]

10:17 AM on 10/20/2010

Interesting how posters forget 'the rule of thumb"...

[soldat1992]

09:59 AM on 10/20/2010

I can see beating a wife you got to keep those 12 year olds in line!!!

[ncconcernedcitizen]

09:00 AM on 10/20/2010

Can I slap my monkey?

[laaambchop]

10:17 AM on 10/20/2010

Watch our for chafing.

[laaambchop]

10:20 AM on 10/20/2010

err..."out"

[Jennifer Hagan]

07:42 AM on 10/20/2010

They need women like me there. A husband can beat his wife and children if they don't leave marks and a wife can off her husband as long as it doesn't leave marks for beating her or her children. :)

[The-JuRK]

11:35 PM on 10/19/2010

As long as they're not allowed to beat gays, America will remain silent.

[Dosadi]

09:22 PM on 10/19/2010

"UAE Court: Men Can Beat Wives And Children, But Cannot Leave Marks"

Sounds like a typical conservative agenda to me.

[MAlas]

08:50 PM on 10/19/2010

Why beat...why not DISCUSS, CONFLICT RESOLUTION, PEACE, MENTOR SHIP

The more I hear about this the more I despise men...

I have much confidence in the women in UAE...and they have my support!

[RubalKhali]

04:12 AM on 10/20/2010

The man was convicted of beating his wife.

[DavidByron]

05:35 PM on 10/19/2010

In America a woman can beat her husband and children as long as it doesn't leave a mark, and since women bruise more easily she can hit a lot harder. Women in America are encouraged to slap men to indicate minor displeasure with something they have said, or some other trifling offense and nobody would ever even consider that a woman slapping a man in such a way has committed a crime -- they are more likely to ask what the man did to deserve punishment. This sort of punishment is often shown on American television and is widely accepted in American society.

[Jennifer Hagan]

07:44 AM on 10/20/2010

American television is hardly representative of all of America. I'm AA and women know better than to go around slapping anyone. You get hit back. I never saw my mother ever raise a hand to my father and vice versa. That behavior isn't acceptable. In America today, you can hardly spank your children, so I don't know where you get that. If a man calls the police on a woman for assault, they have to take her in.

[Ric Hernandez]

03:18 PM on 10/19/2010

The velvet touch.

[Neets101]

12:48 PM on 10/19/2010

This makes a great case as to why separation of church and state is such a good thing.

[Neets101]

12:44 PM on 10/19/2010

So, if the wall they happened to hit left a mark then it's all good???

[Dosadi]

09:23 PM on 10/19/2010

Nope. The playing field is included in the restrictions. You have to play the wall as it lies.