Turning religion around in defense of violence victims

Turning religion around in defense of violence victims

By Ati Nurbaiti

JAKARTA (JP): "Ibu Ana" was often abused by her husband. One day she decided to share her suffering with her priest, who told her to pray to God that He forgive her husband and give her strength.

This continued until one day she came to the priest with a bleeding face. Ana was taken aback when the priest said, "You must have done something wrong to make him do that."

This story was told by Nunuk Murniati, a Catholic theologian and chairwoman of Women's Solidarity, during a one-day seminar last month on religion and violence.

Nunuk had handled Ana's case and told the forum that she, in anger, "had asked one question of God."

"Why does a priest, assigned to lead his people ... do that? Would the loving God also blame Ibu Ana for her husband beating her?"

Ana's experience, Nunuk said, was just one of many similar cases handled by a crisis center where she works.

Nunuk, a long-time activist based in Yogyakarta, along with other speakers, discussed the phenomenon of misogyny in the teachings of various religions: the hatred toward women as if they were the source of the world's sin.

This, said Nunuk, "has become theological 'fact' and the basis of (religious) teachings".

She gave several descriptions of religious texts portraying biased attitudes against women.

Such discussions may be common among women activists, but this was a "national seminar" featuring speakers of different faiths, held by a new organization cofounded by First Lady Sinta Nuriyah Rahman.

This new organization deals with a similar theme as that reflected in the talks -- the determination to turn religious institutions into sanctuaries for victims of violence.

Called the Puan Amal Hayati Association, it is a network of women's Islamic boarding schools, or pesantren.

Although many pesantren disseminate a view of women in a "subordinate" position, Sinta Nuriyah said they are nevertheless the most strategic places to help victims of violence.

Trying to ensure women do not have to go through the same experience as Ana has long been a concern among activists -- some of whom have long questioned the seemingly quiet acceptance among their mothers or other close female relatives who experienced abuse at the hands of men.

The constraints of religious and cultural interpretations remain; but the discourse is increasingly unpopular in the face of the dangerous trend consuming so many embroiled in warfare pitting "us" against "them" in the name of religion or any other cause.

And domestic violence, one excess of religious and cultural misinterpretations, continues.

Breaking through barriers, even religious taboos, has become a necessity among those helping victims of violence.

In the case of domestic violence taboos include the questioning of ingrained, dominant perceptions formed by culture and religious interpretations. These dominant views also prevail to the effect of silencing victims; therefore maintaining different standards among the public in reacting to different situations involving violence.

More men and women are now involved in efforts to reinterpret culture and religion.

Husein Muhammad, another speaker at the seminar, urged a critical look at statements in the Koran regarding discriminative aspects of Arabic tradition, which he said existed before the Prophet received the scriptures.

Although religious texts aim for "cultural transformation", he said, "such goals cannot materialize instantly, given the established religious, social, economic and political space" in which the texts are introduced.

Such observation, he said, "should be the basis of our methodology in realizing the aims of the Koran itself; equality for humans and their freedom to make decisions free of threats".

Therefore attempts at change take the form of "evolutionary reform" in Islam, Husein said.

Questioning culture and religion not only means speaking out against authorities inside and outside the home who are mostly men -- the father, husband, brothers, teachers, the kyai and priests -- but also against mothers, aunts, grandmothers, sisters, friends and neighbors.

State Minister of Women's Empowerment Khofifah Indar Parawansa has introduced a program which addresses violence in the home, at the work place and state violence. It addresses these problems through a legal approach, public awareness and setting up the necessary infrastructure.

A system of "one-stop" crisis centers with sensitive people at all levels, from social workers, medical practitioners to the police receiving complaints, is supposed to provide a friendlier alternative to victims of domestic violence, who are often viewed as being responsible for the violence.

The pattern of women being blamed for violence against them was described by the representative of the United Nations Fund for Population Activities, Nesim Tumkaya.

He said women were blamed for "not obeying the husband, talking back, refusing sex, not having food ready on time, failing to care for children or the home, questioning the man about money or girlfriends or going somewhere without his permission".

Only the conviction that their religions do not condone violence has kept some women engaged for years in the examination of religious teachings. They hope their daughters and granddaughters will grow up in a safer, far less hostile environment.