Muslim women and domestic violence: Developing a framework for social work practice

There is a great deal of research on domestic violence, but few studies investigate the role of religious values on intimate partner violence or faith-based prevention and intervention strategies in Muslim community. This article draws on a study of 14 abused Muslim immigrant women in Australia and aims to contribute to the understanding of how religion intersects with culture, gender, and immigration. The contemporary climate for Muslims in the West, including Australia, has become increasingly volatile since September 2001 and more recently with the emergence of the so-called “Islamic State” (ISIS). In this context, the Muslim community has been stereotyped as a violent community whose religious teachings and cultural beliefs support and enforce violence, especially against women. Yet abused women’s narratives provide a different view of the effect of religious values and spirituality on the experience of domestic violence. The findings of this study of abused Muslim immigrant women focus on four themes: positive role of religion and spirituality; negative role of religious leaders; perception of the relation between religion and domestic violence, and the intersection of culture and religion.