By Rebecca Torr
Published: 19th September 2006
THIRTY Bahraini women have signed a petition that urgently calls for a family law to be passed, to end what they call injustice in the Sharia courts. The women, who are all victims of abuse, presented the appeal to the Batelco Care Centre for Family Violence Cases, which is backing the cause.
They are also collecting signatures from other victims of abuse who claim they have been unfairly treated in the courts.
Centre president Dr Banna Bu Zaboon said a family law must be passed and implemented urgently, because hundreds of people, especially women and children, were suffering.
By Rebecca Torr
Published: 19th September 2006
THIRTY Bahraini women have signed a petition that urgently calls for a family law to be passed, to end what they call injustice in the Sharia courts. The women, who are all victims of abuse, presented the appeal to the Batelco Care Centre for Family Violence Cases, which is backing the cause.
They are also collecting signatures from other victims of abuse who claim they have been unfairly treated in the courts.
Centre president Dr Banna Bu Zaboon said a family law must be passed and implemented urgently, because hundreds of people, especially women and children, were suffering.
In particular, she said the family law needed to protect women and children from being put on the streets while cases were being dealt with in the courts.
“They may have to wait for years before they are granted alimony, so how do they live?,” questioned Dr Bu Zaboon.
“Many end up living with neighbours and one woman is living in the corridor of her family’s home, with three children.
“She asked the Works and Housing Ministry to provide shelter, but they said no.
“The minimum human rights are food, shelter, security and health.
“We want an actual democracy, and this starts in the courts.
“The law itself is good and Sharia is always in favour of women, but it is not applied and that is why we need a family law.”
In addition to the family law, Dr Bu Zaboon called for greater transparency in the courts and for a more advanced criteria for the appointment of judges.
The clinical psychologist said the main problem in the courts was that domestic cases took years to be decided on and as a result abuse victims were often left penniless and homeless.
They also suffered from psychosomatic and psychological problems, she added.
Other problems in the courts, she said, were that judges were often not aware of the full case history, had lost important documents and did not give victims the opportunity to defend themselves at the hearings for more than a few minutes.
“In all 30 cases they say we have no justice in the courts,” Dr Bu Zaboon told the GDN.
“We need a written family law so even if the judge does not have much knowledge of the case they will know what action to take.
“I have one case, a woman lost her home. Her husband had psychological problems, he tried to kill her by stabbing her, he broke her nose and attempted to hang her.
“She went to the courts with physical evidence of this abuse and still she has no result.
“There is no respect at court, they won’t give women a chance to speak on their own behalf and they can’t afford to pay for a lawyer to defend them.
“The problem is judges do not listen to the case, they only give them maximum five to six minutes to explain.
“How can a case that’s gone on for three to four years be covered in this time?
“The women doubt if the judge goes through their files and then they postpone the case for six months to a year every time. It is torture for them to have to wait again for a hearing.”
Dr Bu Zaboon said she had the files on more than 200 domestic cases that were still awaiting verdicts and in some cases it had been as long as 10 years.
She said while they were waiting for their cases to be finalised many women and children ended up on the streets, or suffered further abuse at the hands of husbands.
“We want action to be taken so that she has the right to stay in the house. How can women with children and no job be living on the streets, when the man who is single could leave?” asked Dr Bu Zaboon.
“In one case there was a husband who owned a BD250,000 house, but wanted to live in his wife’s house just to be a nuisance.
“His salary is BD1,300 a month and he only gave her BD200 per month for three children and herself.
“He tortured her psychologically every day and she tried to commit suicide.”
The 30 women are attending a three-day workshop at the centre to help boost their self-esteem, said Dr Bu Zaboon.
The workshop, which concludes this evening, will continue at the centre two hours a week in the form of group therapy sessions.
For help, or for more information about the centre call 17597777.
© Gulf Daily News
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