I posted several stories here about Saudi TV host Rania Al-Baz when she was first beaten by her husband. (The treatment of women under Islamic law parallels the treatment of dhimmis.) Now MEMRI has a follow-up report that is quite illuminating of the peculiar blend of religious piety and violent cruelty that accompanies beatings like these -- as one might expect from the Qur'an's Sura 4:34:
Ranya Al-Baz, a Saudi TV host of a women's issues talk show, was severely beaten by her husband, Muhammad Bakr Yunis. On April 4, 2004, Yunis left her in a hospital in a state of unconsciousness. The story received extensive media coverage in the Arab world, and the abusive husband was arrested. He was first accused of attempting to kill his wife, but the charges were subsequently reduced to the use of severe violence. Yunis was sentenced to six months imprisonment and 300 lashes.However, Ranya decided to pardon her husband – a measure allowed by Saudi law. Yunis was spared the lashes and was released in early July after three months imprisonment.
On April 29, with bruises still on her face, Ranya gave a rare televised interview to journalist Mahmoud Sa'd of the Saudi TV station MBC.
Yunis: 'Prophet Muhammad Forbade Beating a Wife on Her Face. But at the Same Time, One May Beat a Wife as Punishment'
On August 1, almost a month after his release, the abusive husband was also interviewed on the same show. In the interview, Yunis was shown excerpts from his wife's April interview and was asked to comment. He said he regretted the physical damage he caused his wife, but he justified the beating itself with religious reasons. He said that Islam forbids beating a woman on her face, but allows beating as a means of punishment.
To view or download broadcast-quality excerpts from the interviews with both the battered wife and abusive husband, see clip no. 184 on http://memritv.org/archives.asp?ACT=S9&P1=184.
MEMRI also includes some teachings from imams on wife-beatings:
Recently, Syrian TV aired a lecture by Sheik Abd Al-Hamid Al-Muhajir who asked rhetorically: "[In the case of] a wife who endangers her husband and her own life, what's better, that she gets slapped or that she ruins her family, herself, and society?"...Egyptian Sheik Muhammad Al-Massir of Al-Azhar University also explained the circumstances in which a husband is allowed to beat his wife. If a woman is disobedient, he explained on the Saudi-based channel Iqra TV, " a woman for whom marital life is important suffers when she is left alone in the bed. If we get to a point where abandonment [in bed] does not pain her and words do not deter her, we may have come to the stage of beatings."
This explanation is based strictly upon Qur'an 4:34: "Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge them."
However, Ranya decided to pardon her husband – a measure allowed by Saudi law. Yunis was spared the lashes and was released in early July after three months imprisonment.
Only because she knew what would eventualy happen to her if she didn't.......such a peaceful religion...this peace in Islam seems to permeate in every sphere of human life.
A shocking story and one wonders WHY ANY WOMAN would want to stay with this HORRIBLE CULT?? Maybe they are so brainwashed and threatened is the reason they do so...Am sure Rania Al Baz received much Saudi pressure to be seen as 'the dutiful Muslim wife.'Let's face it WOMEN IN SAUDI ARABIA HAVE NO MORE RIGHTS THAN THEY DID IN THE SEVENTH CENTURY.And Sharia Law is what Islam wants to dominate the Planet along with crazy Pedophile Prophet and Bloody Rock God...NEVER!!
Below was my comment to a memebr that brought up this issue a few days back,it may sound cold but please read my whole opinion because I've met women like her and men like him.
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Saw the video and this isn't the first time this woman was injured,remeber,for every abusive husband there's a woman that married them and stays with them. I have three sisters and God help the guy that does that to any one of them,the difference is that my Sisters don't see me as a enemy of Islam and a godless infidel pig that will rot in hell with the filthy Jews. This woman would slit your throat as soon as looking at you,don't get out the cry-towel so quickly,some people volunteer to be victims and enjoy the abuse by proxy. Accepting the abuse is a way of forcing guilt on the purpetrator and after an apology this re-enforces their sense of moral values which may be low for us but uses the husband to feel morally superior. You should read about the men who abuse woman and the woman that love them,it is sad to see this but the husband is part of the results for blindly following the Quran that was written by a misogenist/pedophile/murderer.
The violence in Iraq has more to do with abusive male Muslims fearing women getting power through non-Muslim values on human dignity and in return
taking away their control over females.I dated abusive people and dumped them quick after a few insults and guilt trips. Life is what you make it,and things will be much easier when you understand your not responsible for everyone elses bad choices and their desire to noy change.
I'm going to guess she's still with the guy and accepts that it was Allah's will.
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I see she's back with him as I predicted,in Canada we have shelters for "Battered immigrant wifes" and some of these women flee to Canada and then sponsor the man they claimed forced them flee here. There is also a marriage scam where female immigrants get citizenship and get thousands of dollars to marry a foreigner and then divorce him and do it again.
I don't know if all the alleged abuse is real,but even the real abuse frustrates police because charges get dropped befor most of the trials take place.
Here's a link to a news item about abused women that protect the abusers,my earlier post seemed cruel but below is the proof that some people
accept abuse and defend the attackers.
http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/08/10/samaritan040810.html