Statement Against Abuse: The Female Scholars Network
{You who believe, uphold justice and bear witness to God, even if it is against yourselves…} (4:135)
We, a network of Muslim women scholars, teachers, and da’iyas, are horrified by recent criminal allegations that have come to light against a prominent Qur’an teacher. We are appalled and angered by this incident as well as the instances of abuse in our community’s recent history where the perpetrators have faced few consequences and little accountability.
We stand in solidarity with victims, survivors, and community members as they speak out, seek justice, and heal. There is much work to be done in addressing the cultures and behaviours that enable the abuse of vulnerable people. We pledge to our communities that we will stand firmly against all forms of abuse and participate in creating effective safeguards for all, especially women and children. We also promise to do our best to build communities of goodness and justice in order to resist and repair the effects of abuse in all its forms.
It is the responsibility of religious leaders to address and strongly condemn any and all abuse – spiritual, sexual, physical, emotional, and financial – especially when the perpetrator is in a position of power or influence. A reticence on the part of religious leaders to do so and an unacceptable societal tendency to blame victims of abuse have led to a sense of impunity among perpetrators, the serial retraumatizing of survivors, and feelings of abandonment and betrayal among women. This silence and enabling must end.
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We will be issuing a formal statement along with a list of resources for victims and communities in the coming days insha’Allah.
Signed:
The Female Scholars Network
Ustadha Aamenah Patel, UK
Ustadha Aisha Hussain Rasheed, Maldives / Malaysia
Ustadha Alia Dada, USA
Ustadha Alima Ashfaq, UK
Ustadha Amal Abdifatah, USA
Sh. Dr. Amina Darwish, USA
Ustadha Amina Mujela-Botic, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Ustadha Arzoo Ahmed, UK
Ustadha Dur-e-Nayyab Khan, UK / Pakistan
Ustadha Faduma Warsame, USA
Ustadha Fadwa Silmi, USA
Dr. Hadia Mubarak, USA
Ustadha Hafsah Sayeed, UK
Sh. Dr. Haifaa Younis, USA
Ustadha Hosai Mojaddidi, USA
Dr. Huda Waraich, UK
Ustadha Imaan Barday, UK
Dr. Jinan Yousef
Ustadha Kaltun Karani, USA
Dr Khadijah Elshayyal, UK
Ustadha Marjaan Ali, USA
Sh. Maryam Amir, USA
Sh. Muslema Purmul, USA
Ustadha Najiyah Maxfield, USA
Ustadha Raidah Shah Idil, Singapore/Malaysia
Sh. Dr. Rania Awaad, USA
Ustadha Rashida Esakjee, UK
Ustadha Sadia Abdul Sattar, USA
Ustadha Rumaysa Sidat, UK
Ustadha Saira Master, UK
Ustadha Safiyya Dhorat, UK
Dr. Sameera Ahmed, USA
Sh. Sarah Ahmed (USA)
Ustadha Sana Mohiuddin, USA
Ustadha Shazia Shamshad Ahmad (USA)
Sumaiyah Saleem, UK
Ustadha Suzane Derani, USA
Sh. Dr. Tamara Gray USA
Umm Ayyoub, UK
Umm Hasan bint Salim, UK
Sh. Umm Jamaal ud-Din, AUS
Ustadha Umm Maryam, UK
Yusairah Batan, UK
Ustadha Zahida Suleman, UK
Dr. Zainab Alwani, USA
Zainab bint Younus, Canada
Ustadha Zaynab Ansari, USA
Sh. Zehra Hazratji, USA
Related:
What Do I Do When I Find Out My Favorite Preacher Is Corrupt?
Blurred Lines: Women, “Celebrity” Shaykhs, and Spiritual Abuse
