‘We must discuss role of religion in domestic violence’

by NADEEM BADSHAH

CALLS TO END SCRIPTURES’ USE TO CONTROL BEHAVIOUR BY PARTNERS

BRITAIN’S Asian community has been urged to speak out and raise awareness of men and women who use religious teach­ings to control their partners.

Campaigners have called for more education and tougher laws to tackle individuals who take scriptures out of context to inflict psychological abuse on a spouse or relative.

Prime minister Theresa May is expected to introduce laws to prosecute people who abuse loved ones through controlling behaviour, after a consultation ended on May 31.

Nazir Afzal, the former chief prosecutor for the Crown Prose­cution Service (CPS), believes the Asian community needs to high­light different types of domestic violence to support victims.

Afzal told Eastern Eye: “We need to talk about it. The com­munity doesn’t want to talk about it. Often, we put spiritual leaders on a pedestal.

“If we see a victim with a black eye or broken arm we can see abuse. We do not understand that more often than not, it [domestic abuse] doesn’t involve physical action necessarily.”

Afzal, who will be among the speakers at The Youth Justice Convention in Leicester in No­vember, added: “Around forced marriage and that kind of issue, the whole idea is to take control away from the person, (as if to make it appear) that your religion tells you to behave, to support what your mum and dad tell you.

“I would imagine it’s quite common involving women being told ‘their place is in the home, do what your husband says’.

“Invariably, they invoke scrip­ture or interpretation in order to try and suggest there is a higher reason why you should behave how you are told to.”

Research has shown that white British women suffer on average 35 incidents of domestic violence before they seek help, compared to around 100 incidents among ethnic minority female victims.

Afzal said he would support new legislation in order to outlaw mental abuse.

“Controlling people is some­thing that should be outlawed explicitly not just implicitly. I agree with that.

“Talking to women’s groups that is what they tell you.

“We need clarity. Only legisla­tion can produce that. It goes way beyond physical abuse.”

The prime minister created a domestic abuse offence of coer­cive and controlling behaviour in 2015 when she was home secre­tary. It has a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment and has led to 300 prosecutions.

Harmander Singh has been a magistrate judge for more than 25 years and is spokesman for the Sikhs in England thinktank.

He told Eastern Eye: “In Sikh­ism, men and women are meant to be equal.

“Because they are equal, reli­giously there is no control mech­anism. Anyone who claims it does is using their own insecuri­ties and cultural norms like so-called honour. It’s nothing to do with religion.

“I am very disappointed that the Sikh leadership remains si­lent when it could make that po­sition clear.

“I am working with others on getting women from all faith communities protected under the new modern-day slavery laws, such as those living with in-laws.”

This month, it emerged that mobile phone apps are being used by abusive men to spy ille­gally on their partners.

Tracking apps that can be bought online and secretly in­stalled on phones are estimated to be used against at least 10,000 women in Britain each year.

The apps provide GPS location data, text messages, call logs and have access to a phone’s camera and microphone.

Under British law, it is likely to be illegal to carry out covert mon­itoring of an adult who is not an employee.

Mandy Sanghera, a govern­ment adviser, said: “I have dealt with harmful ritual abusive prac­tices for years where people have exploited others especially the most vulnerable in society.

“Sadly, people have been con­ditioned never to question faith leaders, and faith and communi­ty leaders have a lot of power.”