Maryam Amir – Sexual abuse allegations and the Islamic Response

Maryam Amir
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AI: Summary ©

The speaker discusses the importance of the Prophet's actions in protecting the lives of its community, particularly children who have experienced abuse or sexual assault. They emphasize the need for a community to act swiftly to ensure that victims are protected and that their actions do not cause harm. The speaker also mentions the need for a community to recognize the possibility of child sexual assault and grooming, and to ensure that victims are protected and respected.

AI: Summary ©

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			I have heard many in the community say
		
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			that we should look towards the life of
		
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			the Prophet to know how to respond to
		
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			the allegations of child sexual assault.
		
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			And in doing so, I have noticed that
		
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			there is only one incident that's consistently mentioned,
		
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			and that is the slander of Aisha, that
		
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			there were companions who participated in slandering our
		
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			mother, and in doing so, they were part
		
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			of a grave sin.
		
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			And therefore, we should wait before we have
		
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			any more information about the allegations against Wissam
		
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			Sharif.
		
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			I'd like to share with you that that
		
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			comes from a place of deep concern for
		
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			our community.
		
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			The problem is that when we prioritize a
		
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			particular incident in the time of the Prophet
		
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			ﷺ, and overextend legal maxims that we can
		
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			derive from that incident, instead of mentioning other
		
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			instances in the life of the Prophet ﷺ
		
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			that are more applicable in this moment, ones
		
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			in which injustice occurred, ones in which the
		
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			Prophet ﷺ held a perpetrator responsible and accountable,
		
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			and taught his community ﷺ accountability, what we
		
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			do is then give credence to the idea
		
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			that speaking about child sexual assault or *,
		
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			speaking about gendered violence, speaking about *, creating
		
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			child *, only happens in this one instance
		
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			or on very rare occasions, when in reality
		
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			speaking about it right now in this moment
		
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			is so critical because child sexual assault, *
		
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			exists in every community.
		
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			This is not one instance in which it
		
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			has happened and it is shocking and it's
		
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			never existed before or again.
		
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			There are adults who are watching this video
		
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			who are the victims and survivors of child
		
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			sexual assault, who from their Qur'an teacher
		
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			as a man were molested or assaulted when
		
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			they were a little boy.
		
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			From their time that they were a child,
		
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			a young girl in the home of their
		
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			parents may have been assaulted or molested by
		
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			their mother or by a grandfather.
		
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			So taking this moment in our community to
		
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			instead of prioritizing the conversation on protecting the
		
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			potential perpetrator, instead of holding accountability for the
		
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			victim, creating systems of accountability within our communities.
		
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			Beyond this case, we are going to change
		
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			our community to ensure that our victims of
		
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			child sexual assault know that we will never
		
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			tolerate it and we will act swiftly like
		
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			the Prophet ﷺ did when there was a
		
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			woman who was going to the masjid to
		
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			pray in Medina and she was raped and
		
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			she came to the Prophet ﷺ and the
		
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			Prophet ﷺ found the perpetrator and the Prophet
		
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			ﷺ held accountability.
		
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			We can draw from both incidents and honor
		
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			the idea that we should always speak with
		
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			caution but we should also recognize that child
		
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			sexual assault, *, gendered violence, grooming, spiritual abuse
		
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			are all realities in every community including ours
		
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			and that our religion teaches us how to
		
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			navigate prioritizing victims, protecting the most vulnerable and
		
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			ensuring that our community has a no-tolerance
		
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			policy.