Her eyes were burdened with a cry for help, and her mind fraught with fear. She feels weak and cries, standing in the hot shower; her sight is fixated on the dirty water was exiting through the drain. She thought to herself what has changed? How did it become like this? Is she to blame?

She struggles dressing into clean clothes with her bruised leg, suppressing a cry of pain not letting the scream escape. The pungent taste of blood fills her mouth, a tooth must have come loose.

Everything from her eyes to her ankles throbs, but slowly she inches down the stairs to see if he is anywhere in sight. Standing half way down the stairs she peers left and right, but all she hears is her own heavy breathing. As she calms down with the reassurance she is home alone her gaze falls across her wedding ring that she had so happily received some months before. Now, looking at it, the muscles of her face tighten, transforming her face into a frown, a frown of anger, betrayal and confusion. Trying to reason with her emotions; this must have been just an outburst, it won’t ever happen again, she should forgive him.

Surely, a person can only resort to violence if they share hatred for another human being. Did her own husband suddenly switch from love to hatred just because he wasn’t happy with what she had cooked? Losing his job must have made him depressed and he just had to let it out, so he took it out on her. But it was just a mistake, he will come back and apologise and everything will be better.

He brought her to a whole new country, where everything is different, strange. The neighbours were all English; she only knew the common ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. He was all she had here, she felt lonely when he was away at work or when he spent nights away with his friends. Without him, she wouldn’t cope; she had to be a good wife no matter what!

Upon entering her bedroom, she was startled when she saw him standing outside in the balcony from their bedroom watching her every move. She never felt so scared of another human being, he did not seem like the person she thought she knew, and she could not recognise the stranger. This stranger has replaced her husband; he is a darker, vicious and more aggressive person now. Little did she know this would be her reality for the next 5 months…

The ailment of domestic violence has reached an incredible level, it has been growing more and more especially for the Muslim women who do not know their rights here in England. It has become a taboo to openly discuss domestic violence, due to the old fashion culture of keeping it between the spouses only. Society is more tolerant now, and Muslims need to seek out their legal and Islamic rights on this matter. It cannot be silenced, as we come into terms with society always becoming more tolerant towards everything else, this taboo cannot stay a taboo any longer. If the Muslim community were not to address this social illness it would, to an extent, be allowing ignorance to become widespread.

Many emerging services are raising awareness to break the misinformed discernment of domestic violence being only a private matter. Society is either too afraid to admit it still exists in the twenty-first century or too voiceless to raise the issue, and so it seems to get sidelined. In contemporary society the Muslim community in the UK is more aware of what is and what isn’t acceptable, particularly concerning how the old fashioned spouse-beating is no longer tolerable.

It is vital that the Muslim community in the UK realize the severity of this issue. The Qur’an compels mankind to enjoin what is good, in this case to raise awareness and help the victim of Domestic Violence, and forbid the evil, try and eradicate this issue of domestic violence from the community by empowering the victims to stand up against their abusers and also making it aware to the police. This vile act is a result of many factors such as cultural norms, the mirrored behaviour of history, and the illiteracy of scriptural interpretation. Proof from the Qur’an and Sunnah convey that Islam not only condemns violence, but greatly emphasises the significance of living in harmony with the family. And you will find throughout the great Islamic history that women are highly valued in society.

NOUR is an organisation that wants to work in the direction of supporting the Muslim community, empowering the Muslim women and men, and ensuring that marriages are made in concrete unification rather than a result of oppression. The community may not seem concerned with another household’s trouble; however, every home has a child that will grow up to be the product of society. If the Muslim community comes together in eliminating domestic violence, they will be creating a nurturing surrounding for the children to grow up in. This becomes a religious obligation of a Muslim to help a fellow Muslim by enjoining the good and forbidding the evil. The ummah is like one body, if one part of the body is in pain, the rest feels the pain. Society is held together by the functions of families, and if the Muslim community can get more involved with tackling such an awful nature that takes place behind closed doors, they will be helping many vulnerable people out there.

Please support NOUR by visiting the website www.nour-dv.org.uk where you can find the latest on upcoming events, fundraisers and survival stories, inshaAllah also you can follow us on twitter and facebook.

Hafeeza Yasmin-Nour PR