Domestic violence is increasingly being seen by Saudis as an important social problem. This Arab News story reports on the first national conference designed to address the issue. What it is discovering is that there are no rules, spelled out in law, governing domestic violence, nor are there laws that stipulate punishment. Instead, society has relied on people’s willingness to behave as good Muslims. That’s not working, at least in the opinion of Sheikh Salman Al-Odah, supervisor of the Islam Today website. He’s more of the Lord Acton school: power corrupts. Those Saudis with power (or who believe they should have power) do not behave according to Islamic dictates, but rather in their own interests. Interesting.

Conference Calls for Clear Rules Against Domestic Abuse
Nuha Adlan, Arab News

RIYADH, 7 May 2008 — Princess Adela bint Abdullah lent her support to the first National Experts Meeting to Fight Domestic Abuse Against Women and Children, which was organized in Riyadh by the National Family Safety Program.

“Abuse against women and children is increasing astonishingly. So there needs to be a professional strategy to create a balance in relationships between family members,” said Princess Adela in her opening speech at the event yesterday. “Abuse of women and children is a real threat to the stability of our society. It is a worrying universal phenomenon, not just a local one.”

According to the princess, one in every six women is abused daily verbally, physically, or emotionally. She added that 90 percent of abusers are men. “This is not a small number and needs to be fully considered… The National Family Safety Program’s aim is to clearly set a number of objectives and work hard to support the victims socially and psychologically.
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