Muhammad Sanusi II, the 16th Emir of Kano, has sparked discussion by advising his daughters to retaliate if their husbands slap them, firmly opposing domestic violence, Daily Trust reports.
Speaking at the National Dialogue Conference on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) prevention held at Bayero University Kano (BUK), Sanusi said, “When my daughters are getting married, I say to them, if your husband slaps you, and you come home and tell me my husband slapped me, without slapping him back first, I will slap you myself.”
The conference, themed “Islamic Teachings and Community Collaboration for Ending Gender-Based Violence,” was organized by the Centre for Islamic Civilisation and Interfaith Dialogue (CICID) in collaboration with the Development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC) and supported by the Ford Foundation.
Sanusi shared statistics from nine Shari’a courts in Kano, revealing that 45% of cases over five years involved domestic violence. He said, “We had women whose limbs were broken, teeth knocked out, and were constantly beaten with sticks. Beating your wife or daughter is not just unacceptable, it is haram (prohibited) and a crime.”
He emphasized that violence against women violates their dignity, adding, “We must teach our daughters not to accept it and our sons that it is prohibited. Violence against any person is a violation of human dignity and must stop.”
Dr. Hassan Karofi, Director of Partnerships and Strategic Communications at dRPC, highlighted the importance of religious leaders in addressing GBV.
“The Muslim Opinion Leaders for Gender-Based Violence Prevention Project (MOLS4GBV) leverages the influence of religious leaders to challenge harmful cultural norms and promote the protection of women and girls,” Karofi said.
Dr. Taofeek Abubakar Hussain, Director of CICID, urged stakeholders to collaborate in correcting misperceptions about Islam and preventing violence against women.
The event gathered religious leaders, government officials, traditional rulers, and community organizations to address GBV in Northern Nigeria.
