The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has called for harsher penalties against perpetrators of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Kano State, emphasizing that no true Muslim would ever beat his wife.
He highlighted the alarming rise in cases of men raping women and abusing their spouses across the state. Sanusi stressed the crucial role Islamic clerics and Imams must play in driving societal change to eradicate this problem.
The Emir made these remarks on Monday, July 21, during a visit from a delegation representing the Development Research and Project Center (dRPC) and Bayero University’s Center for Islamic Civilization and Interfaith Dialogue (CICID) at his palace in Kano.
The delegation was advocating for their project focused on mentoring Muslim Opinion Leaders (MOLs) to combat GBV in predominantly Muslim northern Nigerian states. The initiative is funded by the Ford Foundation.
Sanusi stated, “I do not believe in beating women, and those who do so are not trying to correct their wives. What we see today is severe abuse and injury under the guise of reform.”
He continued, “Islam honors and dignifies women more than any other religion. Those who abuse women while hiding behind religion disrespect it deeply.
“Anyone who beats and injures his wife is not a good person. This is not my opinion — it is the teaching of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Only those who are ignorant fail to understand this.”
The Emir acknowledged the project’s importance, noting it addresses a critical social issue in the Muslim-majority northern states.
He urged the group to collaborate in reviving Kano State’s family law draft, which addresses major GBV challenges.
“All the necessary legal frameworks already exist within our Islamic jurisprudence,” he said. “We simply need to compile and formalize them into a usable draft.”
Reflecting on his PhD research on codifying Islamic family law, Sanusi revealed that a five-year study of nine Kano Shari’a courts exposed the widespread nature of GBV in the community.
“That is why I have warned all district and village heads that anyone caught abusing his wife risks losing his traditional title,” he concluded.
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