Islamic group blasts Obedient Wives Club

Ikram has joined the chorus of contempt against the recently launched club for treating women like 'sex objects'.
The women's chapter of Pertubuhan Ikram Malaysia has joined the chorus of contempt against the recently launched Obedient Wives Club for treating women like “sex objects” and asked to emulate “sex workers”.

“Wanita Ikram truly regrets the statement by Rohaya Mohamad (left), vice-president of the club who likened the wife as a sex object who should behave like a sex worker towards her husband as a sign of obedience, as well as to keep him from straying,” said Che Asmah Ibrahim, deputy Women president of the Islamic NGO.

Che Asmah also blasted Rohaya for reportedly saying during the latter's speech at the club's launch, that wives to be good and obedient to their spouses even if they were abused, as a sign of obedience.

“Such statements are inaccurate, insulting and denigrating towards women, and actually causes confusion amongst Muslims and non-Muslims alike on the role of women actually prescribed by Islam,” she said in a statement today.

The Obedient Wives Club sparked controversy when its official launch by Selayang Umno deputy chief Mohamed Nasir Ibrahim at a golf club in Templer's Park on June 4 hit the news.

Amongst others, Rohaya's comments that women had to be good in bed to keep their husbands home, going as far as to call on wives to behave like “whores” towards their husbands, has hit a raw nerve with various civil society groups and NGOs.

No 'blind obedience' in Islam

Che Asmah cited a 2004 National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) report that revealed that lack of communication between spouses as one of the main factors towards divorce.

She stressed that Islamic teachings position women as equal partners with their husbands with the same rights in all respects whether individual, family and society.

“The wife's obedience to the husband ... is not blind obedience even where the husband transgresses against Allah,” she said, quoting from a hadith.

“Blaming a husband's infidelity solely on the wife's sexual performance is a vary shallow viewpoint."

She also cited the findings of Jakim that offers plenty of insights into marriage problems, and a Pfizer study in 2008 that revealed that 63 percent men and 73 percent women in the country were dissatisfied with their sex lives.

As such, she said, the husband had equal responsibility to carry out their roles in paying attention to the needs of the wife.