RIYADH: The second national experts’ meeting on abuse against women and children will be held in Riyadh today.
The meeting aims to unite the private and public sectors in the fight against domestic abuse. Experts will discuss mechanisms and ways to deal with the problem.
The National Family Safety Program in collaboration with the Medical Affairs Department at the National Guard has organized the meeting. The event, being held under the patronage of Princess Adela bint Abdullah, will be addressed by Minister of Justice Mohammed Al-Eissa.
A similar two-day meeting was held last year where participants concluded that according to Islam there was no justification for abuse of women and children. The meeting also came up with 22 recommendations to tackle the problem.
The recommendations included the need for a fatwa on the issue that could serve as a legal basis to approach courts. The fatwa would also help allay misconceptions that Islam sanctions abuse of one’s family members.
Speaking at the meeting last year, Princess Adela said, “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.
“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,” she said.
