Today on the 700 Club’s “Bring It On” segment where viewers ask Robertson questions, one man wondered how he should go about repairing his marriage with a wife who “insults” him and once tried to attack him.
“Well, you could become a Muslim and you could beat her,” Robertson responded. The co-host interjected, " But, in lieu of that." Prompting Robertson, "You don't want to go to Saudi Arabia?"
Is it legal for muslims to beat their wives in Saudi Arabia?
Update:
As of this week (written on September 1st, 2013), Domestic Abuse has officially been outlawed in Saudi Arabia.
In a historic move, Saudi Arabia banned domestic abuse this week, outlawing any form of abuse at home or in the workplace.
The Council of Ministers' approval of the law Monday marks the first time the country has officially recognized domestic violence as a punishable crime. Offenders may face up to a year in prison and a maximum fine of 50,000 Saudi riyal (about $13,300), the Saudi Gazette reports.
The law will also provide shelter for victims of abuse and ensure the identities of those who report it are kept confidential.
The legislation makes sexual violence in the home and the workplace a punishable crime. Moreover, it provides for shelter for victims of abuse and places the onus on law enforcement agencies to follow up on reports of abuse. It is backed up by a jail sentence and hefty fines.
Saudi Arabia's cabinet has passed a ban on domestic violence and other forms of abuse against women for the first time in the Kingdom's history.
The cabinet approved the ban on physical or sexual violence earlier this week, which applies both at home or within the work place.
The legislation makes domestic violence a punishable crime for the first time. It also provides treatment and shelter for victims of abuse and holds law enforcement agencies accountable for investigating and prosecuting allegations of abuse.
The ban includes penalties of a maximum12 month jail sentence and fines of up to $13,000.
“All civilian or military employees and all workers in the private sector who learn of a case of abuse — by virtue of their work — shall report the case to their employers when they know it,” Alnbawaba reported the cabinet as saying in a statement. “The employers shall report the case to the Ministry of Social Affairs or police when they know it.”
also: Saudi Gazette
In a video done on this in the Young Turks it's also said that there is an anonymous hot-line, I wasn't able to find it mentioned in other sources.
Partially Outdated Information:
It's legal in Saudi Arabia, but the situation seems to be improving.
According to a source at MSN News which depicts an anti domestic violence campaign:
There are currently no laws in Saudi Arabia that protect domestic violence victims.
Also from this source:
There is not one law in Saudi Arabia that regards violence toward women as an illegal activity
...
In terms of law, there is not one law in Saudi Arabia that regards violence toward women as an illegal activity. As a matter of fact, women in Saudi Arabia are minors under law until their death, making it impossible for a woman to make any decision on her own without the permission of her guardian.
This means that even if a woman is “radical” enough to disobey her guardian or reject his abuse or decisions, she has got nowhere to go. She cannot file a complaint or leave the country or do practically anything without her guardian’s permission, which in most cases, ironically, is the abuser himself.
...
“In May, Jeddah’s Summary Court convicted a man for physically abusing his wife to the point of hospitalization, but sentenced him to learning by heart five parts of the Quran and 100 sayings of the Prophet Muhammad.”
The legal system in Saudi Arabia does not have the sufficient tools and laws that would deter men from domestic violence. In case of drugs and murder, the punishment is death penalty, which makes people think twice before committing such crimes because of the consequences. Yet, when it comes to domestic violence the punishment is learning parts of the Quran and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad.
and just recently a national campaign was started by an NGO of the Royal Family to stop domestic violence.
However, in addition to the cases depicted in @non-Saudi man and @user1873 answers, the King Khalid Foundation started a national campaign in Saudi Arabia aimed at stopping domestic abuse.
Here are sources describing the campaign:
The site of the KKF states:
KKF did a research on “Women and Child Abuse Prevention Law” which has been adopted by the Government of Saudi
Also, a Foreign Policy article on the campaign mentions another recent campaign, the "White Ribbon Campaign" which is part of the global White Ribbon Campaign against domestic violence:
The launch of this initiative is all the more striking considering the start of another campaign that preceded it by just a few days. This is the "White Ribbon campaign," the Saudi version of the international campaign of the same name, which aims to involve men more actively in efforts to stop violence against women.
Considering the events of husbands being criminally prosecuted and punished for domestic abuse do start to happen, and a national campaign by a Royal Family NGO, that claims to affect the government, It can be said that Domestic Violence in Saudi Arabia will, hopefully, be on the decline, and its prosecution on the rise.
There is at least one very public case.
Mohammed al-Fallatta had been sentenced to six months and 300 lashes after repeatedly hitting TV presenter Rania al-Baz's head against the floor.
It is quite difficult to find information on this topic. The sources I have found that confirm or deny that you may or may not beat your wife are less than respectable. This single case at least shows that you may not beat your wife severely if she is famous.
daraba was to go away. ''I said to myself, 'Oh, God, that is what the prophet meant,' '' said Ms. Bakhtiar"
Yes, if you accept as correct the recent English translation of the Quran. However, one has to keep in mind that translation of 1500 years old Arabic into English is not clear-cut (as outlined by dave) and thus the answer greatly depends on that assumption and the question here.
Even though it seems that the basic laws of Saudi Arabia are unclear about that. The article 7 of the law says that:
Article 7
Government in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia derives its authority from the Book of God and the Sunna of the Prophet (PBUH), which are the ultimate sources of reference for this Law and the other laws of the State.
Moreover, article 8 says that:
Article 8
Governance in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is based on justice, shura (consultation) and equality according to Islamic Sharia.
By searching a little bit deeper, one can read this:
Quran verse 4:34 Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth. So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband's] absence what Allah would have them guard. But those [wives] from whom you fear arrogance - [first] advise them; [then if they persist], forsake them in bed; and [finally], strike them. But if they obey you [once more], seek no means against them. Indeed, Allah is ever Exalted and Grand.
So the answer depend on your interpretation of the scripture, but to me it seems an evidence that "strike them" grant that right. However, according to article 10, a man beating his wife should do it by caring for her. Therefore, one could be punished by the law for excessive beating and/or beating without a reason (acceptable by the interpretation of the Quran). That could be an explanation to the case given by @user1873.
Article 10
The State shall aspire to promote family bonds and Arab-Islamic values. It shall take care of all individuals and provide the right conditions for the growth of their talents and skills.
The laws of Saudi Arabia can be found on their USA ambassy website
Stories and other interesting links
The section "Undesirablity of beating" show some sources supporting the claim
ps: It seems to me that a man has the right the beat his women to the same strength factor some parents would do to their children in eastern countries (without harm nor considerable pain) - I don't know if I am using the correct English formulation though, and it might be a dangerous comparison.
In this case A husband was sentenced 10 days in prison and 30 lashes just for slapping his wife. The wife is allowed to be present to see his husband go through the punishments.
Manama: A man in Saudi Arabia charged with slapping his wife was sentenced to 10 days in prison and 30 lashes.
The court in Al Qateef in the Eastern Province said that the wife could witness the flogging in retribution for the physical pain her husband caused her, Saudi daily Al Sharq reported on Wednesday.
The husband will also have to take part in special sessions on marriage counseling and on how to treat and deal with spouses, the judge ruled.
According to the court documents, the wife, in her 30s, filed the case after her husband slapped her on the face during an argument.
He admitted the act, arguing that she had been impolite with his relatives, the daily said.
Another source, in Urdu, depicting the same case.
