Abstract
There is growing evidence of marital violence experienced by women in the Muslim
community in South Africa. While women may have recourse to divorce in a violent
marital relationship, structural and cultural barriers prevent them from dealing
effectively with abuse. It would seem that women receive little help from religious
organisations and other structures in dealing with marital violence. Androcentric
applications of Islamic law by Muslim religious leaders limit women’s access to
suitable options for dealing with marital violence and obtaining a divorce. Against this
background, Islamic feminist theory provides a challenge to patriarchal
interpretations of the Qur’an and draws attention to social issues such as stigma,
normalisation, and acceptance of violence which results in women occupying
subordinate positions in Muslim society, hence becoming victims of not only direct
violence but also cultural and structural violence. Using concepts of direct, structural
and cultural violence as analytical instruments, this article highlights the ways in
which Muslim women, who experience marital violence, are limited by metaphorical
prisons created by structural and cultural norms produced by Muslim religious
leaders who ascribe to patriarchal interpretations of Islam.