The 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, on Monday warned against violence against women, emphasizing that Islam stands against any form of violence against women.
He spoke at his palace in Kano while addressing a group of visitors from the Development Research and Project Center (dRPC) and the Center for Islamic Civilisation and Interfaith Dialogue (CICID) under Bayero University.
The team was in the palace as part of an initiative sponsored by the Ford Foundation aimed at guiding Muslim religious leaders to take an active stand against gender-based violence in northern Nigeria.
During the visit, Emir Sanusi emphasised that all traditional rulers in his domain must respect and uphold the right of women.
“I never believe in beating women, and those who do, are not beating their wives with the intention of reforming them,” Sanusi said.
“What we see today is even serious beating and injuring of women in name of reforming them.”
He made it clear that any titleholder found guilty of such acts would face the consequence of having their traditional title withdrawn.
Emir Sanusi’s remarks add to ongoing efforts by religious and community leaders to confront harmful practices disguised as discipline or moral correction.
The emir stressed that violence, regardless of the justification, cannot be aligned with Islamic teachings.
