Emir Sanusi: I told my daughters to retaliate if their husbands ever slap them
By Jeffrey Agbo
Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, on Monday revealed that he instructed his daughters to retaliate if their husbands ever slapped them.
He made this remark during a national dialogue conference on preventing gender-based violence (GBV) from an Islamic perspective.
The conference, themed “Islamic Teachings and Community Collaboration for Ending Gender-Based Violence,” was organised by the Centre for Islamic Civilization and Interfaith Dialogue (CICID) at Bayero University Kano, in partnership with the Development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC) and supported by the Ford Foundation.
Sanusi said he consistently advises his daughters before marriage that they should not return to him with complaints of being slapped unless they have defended themselves.
The Emir highlighted alarming statistics from his research into family law, revealing that 45% of cases brought before nine Shariah courts in Kano over five years were related to domestic violence, including severe instances of wife-beating.
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He said: “You can interpret certain verses to justify light beating, but in reality, no one adheres to the rules of restraint. What we witness are cases of severe violence where women are beaten, punched, and kicked. My research in Kano’s Shariah courts revealed that not one case involved ‘light beating.’ Instead, women suffered extreme harm, including broken bones and teeth.”
Sanusi stressed that Islam explicitly prohibits any form of domestic violence, including wife-beating, as it violates the dignity of the individual.
“Beating your wife, daughter, or any woman is haram (forbidden). Violence against another human being violates their basic dignity. We must teach our daughters not to tolerate it and educate our sons that it is unacceptable,” he said.
He further emphasised the responsibility of men to treat women with respect. “If my daughters are ever slapped by their husbands, they know I expect them to slap back. I did not send my daughters to be abused. If you dislike her, send her back to me, but do not raise your hand against her,” he added.