The Qur’an doesn’t tell men that they can kill women, but it does tell men to “beat” those from whom they “fear disobedience” (4:34). Islamic apologists in the West insist that this is supposed to be only a “light” or even “symbolic” beating, but the problem with this limitation is that it’s a subjective judgment. How light is light? Where does one draw the line?
Islamic spokesmen routinely say that one must not leave any lasting mark, and yet disfiguring acid attacks are dispiritingly common in places such as Pakistan and Afghanistan, and this fellow, although he is likely familiar with the permission given for corporal punishment of women, doesn’t seem to have gotten the memo about leaving no mark. That doesn’t mean that there is no such restriction, or even that there is some large-scale catechetical failure on the part of Muslim clerics, but nevertheless, this incident demonstrates the hazard of opening the door to this kind of behavior in the first place, even if it’s only left ever so slightly ajar.
“Attempted murder: Syrian wanted to ‘disfigure’ girlfriend with Stanley knife,” translated from “Mordversuch: Syrer wollte Freundin mit Stanleymesser ‘nur verunstalten,’” Exxpress, October 19, 2022 (thanks to Medforth):
A Syrian has to answer before a court in Linz today for attempted murder. He stabbed his partner in the face and neck with a Stanley knife on the street – in front of their children. The man denies any intention to kill, he “only” wanted to strike and disfigure her.
The trial for attempted murder against a 52-year-old Syrian begins today in Linz. He stabbed his 42-year-old partner in the summer on the Obere Donaulände in Linz. Because the stateless person is said to have been in contact with other men on social media, he freaked out. He stabbed the mother of two in the face and neck several times with a Stanley knife. The woman suffered serious injuries but survived the attack because a passer-by gave first aid and a man fought off the attacker.
Particularly sad: the Syrian didn’t even shy away from the presence of his two children (both 11) – they saw the crime. The jealous perpetrator previously admitted to hitting his partner, but he no longer remembers the knife attack. If so, then he “only” wanted to disfigure her anyway, there was no intention to kill. A jury will now decide on the penalty, he faces between ten and twenty years in prison.
