The 14th and 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has made a strong statement against domestic violence, revealing that he has instructed his daughters to retaliate if their husbands ever slap them.
Speaking at the National Dialogue Conference on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) prevention from an Islamic perspective, Sanusi emphasized that any form of domestic violence, including beating, is explicitly prohibited in Islam.
Sanusi shared troubling statistics, noting that 45% of cases across nine Kano Shariah courts over five years were related to domestic violence, including wife-beating. He highlighted the severity of these cases, with women suffering broken limbs, lost teeth, and other severe injuries inflicted by their spouses.
He stated, “Beating your wife, daughter, or any woman is haram (forbidden). Violence against another human being violates their basic dignity. We must teach our daughters not to tolerate it and educate our sons that it is unacceptable.”
Sanusi added that he always warns his daughters before their marriages that they should not return to him with complaints of being slapped unless they have defended themselves.
He said, “If my daughters are ever slapped by their husbands, they know I expect them to slap back. I did not send my daughters to be abused. If you dislike her, send her back to me, but do not raise your hand against her.”
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