BEIRUT, Lebanon (Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Muslim authorities should recognize domestic violence and religious courts should act quickly regarding any case, Hezbollah’s deputy secretary-general Sheikh Naim Qassem said Monday, adding that a draft law protecting women against domestic violence would only fragment the family. “We should not completely dismiss the problems the family suffers from, especially women and children,” Qassem said in a statement released by Hezbollah’s media relations office, suggesting that verdicts from the religious courts in domestic violence cases should be issued “as soon as possible.” The statement came after Qassem met with members of Dar al-Fatwa, the country’s highest Sunni body, to discuss the draft law, which has raised concern from Muslim religious groups who describe the proposed law as a blow to family values. “We are against domestic violence, we do not accept harming women, and we affirm their rights, which were given to them by Islam in all areas,” Qassem said. “But we don’t approve of fragmenting the family with complaints that open the door for courts to interfere in any small or trivial dispute.” Qassem said that families should not be bound to answer to civil courts on “private internal affairs … [be these] between husband and wife or between parents and children.” The draft law, written by lawyers and women’s rights groups, was approved by the Cabinet in April 2010. It is currently being debated in Parliamentary committee, and has provoked controversy. Both Dar al-Fatwa and the Higher Shiite Council, the highest Shiite council, are opposed to the law The law would create legislation specifically to tackle domestic violence, which currently falls under the jurisdiction of religious courts. It would set sentences for perpetrators, assign prosecutors to investigate reports of domestic violence, and establish a mechanism for women and children to seek restraining orders. In the Hezbollah statement Monday, the Dar al-Fatwa subcommittee which met with Qassem reiterated previous comments from the group that the bill is Western, and said “we affirm that all of us are against any violence or harm inflicted on any member of the family.” Women’s rights groups have defended the law against such criticism, and the Lebanese Women’s Council recently issued a statement saying the law would not override Muslim values or religious laws. “Our aim is to improve the female status in the family and society and to help enforce religious laws over those who don’t respect them … those who have taken religion as an excuse for practicing male dominance without logic, justice, fairness or accountability,” the statement said./129
