Where does the western woman stand in the scale of humanity and who represents her? Is she the indecent and phony woman of Hollywood or is she crushed under the impact of exhausting work and the tyranny of men?
In the dialogue of civilizations, could a real study be made to compare the realities of two civilizations in order to reach a practical answer, and not an answer that is fabricated by mass media, of which of the two is more honorable and advanced? In a media that is dominated by the corrupt, Hijab is considered the clearest evidence of woman’s humiliation, backwardness degradation, and ignorance, while on the other hand, trading in women’s bodies is never considered as such!
We do not claim that the condition of the Muslim or Arab woman is at its best state of advancement and perfection; however, we believe that most of her afflictions are not caused by the fact of her being a female; rather, it is part of what also afflicts men, all of which comes as a natural result of oppression, tyranny and civilization hegemony that are being imposed on the Ummah (Muslim nation). Within the context of our civilizational view of the reality of the western woman from the inside, we will let the figures reveal the truth. In this way, we may be able to establish a true dialogue between civilizations, not only between two trends of thought or two methodologies, but also between two realities.
Domestic violence against woman in the West
We will begin with this topic. We cannot but notice that such violence, which goes beyond human limits, is not exercised by illiterate men who live in the jungles or in the poorest areas. On the contrary, such violence is perpetrated by men who are ‘refined’, just like Hollywood movie stars, with regard to fame, culture and social positions. They perpetrate such violence against weak women who, regardless of their glamour, have nothing to do after returning home but to be like slaves who are humiliated and degraded.
In this study, we will focus on domestic violence against women in the West. This study will prove by figures that the humiliated woman is not the stereotypical Afghani woman who covers her face, or the Arabian woman who lives protected and honored in a community that calls for her esteem and respect. Real degradation and vulgarity is that which make a woman a commodity like any other commodity, and subject her to attacks and all types of oppression and persecution.
Woman in America
Domestic violence, in all its forms, has afflicted the weakest members of the family, namely women and children. Secrecy makes it difficult to provide adequate evidence, and there are other social and legal impediments to it also. All these factors make it difficult to know the exact figures regarding domestic violence against women. Sociologists believe that domestic violence is the least reported type of crime. Most of the available information regarding violence against women is collected from small studies, which give a hint of what is supposed to be an international phenomenon. Such information cannot be used to precisely indicate the level of violence and abuse that is perpetrated against women, but it certainly clarifies that domestic violence is a widespread phenomenon and that the woman is the victim in most cases.
- In 1981, the renowned Strauss stated that incidents of spousal abuse included 50-60% of marital relations in the United States of America, whereas Russell, another expert, estimated this percentage to be 21% in 1982 and Paglow, another expert, estimated it to range between 25-35%. Moreover, Appleton, who is also a leading authority, in a survey that he carried out in 1980 on 620 American women, stated that 35% of them were subjected to physical abuse at least once at the hands of their husbands. In 1984, based on her research, Lenore Walker pointed out that American women undergo a great deal of physical abuse, and that 41% of women have experienced physical abuse at the hands of their mothers, 44% at the hands of their fathers and 44% of them witnessed incidents where their fathers physically abused their mothers.
- In 1985, 2,928 persons were killed by a family member. Counting only female victims, one third of them were killed by their husbands or partners. Also, 20% of women who were killed in 1984 were killed by their husbands and 10% of them were killed by their partners.
Statistics of perpetrators of violent crimes against women in America
- Three out of every four perpetrators are husbands; 9% of them are ex-husbands, 35% are partners and 32% are ex-partners.
- Another statistic that studied the percentage of attackers showed that divorced husbands or those who are separated from their wives committed 79% of the assaults, while husbands committed 21% of the assaults.
- It was proved that the most common cause for women’s physical injuries is physical abuse by male partners. It is more common than injuries caused by car accidents, robberies and rape all together.
- According to the results of another study, one out of every four women who seek medical care by a family physician report that they were physically abused by their male partners. 37% of women who seek medical care by the family physician reported that they survived sexual abuse in their childhood, and 29% reported that they were sexually abused by the time they reached puberty. Also, women who were victims of such sexual assaults experience depression more than women who were not subjected to this.
- Results of a questionnaire that included 6,000 American families showed that 50% of the men who continuously abuse their wives also physically abuse their children.
- Children who witnessed their fathers' violence are expected to be three times more violent and abusive with their wives than other men who did not witness violence in their childhood. Additionally, children whose parents are very violent are 1,000 times more likely to be abusive to their wives in the future.
- More than three million children are endangered by the parents’ violence every year.
- Every year, one million women are victims of domestic violence that does not reach the degree of death and this assault is made by someone who is close to the victim. This statistic is one of the most moderate ones.
- Every year, four million American women are subjected to dangerous physical abuse by close male partners. Moreover, one out of every three adult women is subjected to physical abuse by her partner at least once during her adolescence.
- In 1993, 575,000 men, more than half a million, were arrested for committing violent crimes against women.
- In 1994, 21% of violent crimes against women were committed by male relatives, while only 4% of violent cases against men were committed by female relatives.
- 90-95% of the victims of domestic violence are women.
- Children who live in homes where the husband and wife assault one another, are subjected to physical abuse 1,500 times more than other children.
- 40 - 60% of men who mistreat their wives also physically abuse their children.
- Fathers who physically abuse mothers tend to acquire legal guardianship of the children after divorce, twice more than non-violent husbands.
- In one study, 27% of the victims of domestic violence are children.
- 90% of children who are killed before the age of ten are killed during a family dispute, and 56% of them are below two years of age.
- In 1994, 243,000 of those who received medical care in an emergency room were treated for injuries resulting from physical abuse committed by a relative, and the ratio of male versus female victims here was estimated at 1:9.
- There are at least four million reports of domestic violence incidents against women annually, and around 20% of them take place at home.
- In 1991, more than ninety women were killed weekly; nine out of every ten were killed by a man.
- In around 30% of domestic violence incidents, weapons are used.
- In 95% of the incidents of domestic violence, women are assaulted by men.
- In the field of work, harmful husbands and lovers cause annoyance to 74% of the women who are subjected to physical abuse, whether directly or through annoying phone calls.
- In intimate relations, the rate of female victims who experience violence is tenfold greater than male victims.