While the parliament is looking into the sexual abuse against a woman and her daughters under the premise of Ruqyah, Minister of Gender, Family and Social Services Aishath Mohamed Didi has said that such atrocious acts cannot be tolerated “in the name of religious practice”.
An per an article published on Mihaaru news, the woman’s husband is complicit in the physical, mental and sexual abuse against her and three daughters.
Citing a family member, Mihaaru said that there were attempts to report the matter to both the police and gender ministry, but that they were ignored over the religious rhetoric provided by the husband.
While the parliament’s human rights and gender committee have decided to look into the matter, they are to summon officials from the relevant institutions for questioning as well. As such, officials from the gender, health and education ministries as well as the police have been summoned for a meeting scheduled for Wednesday night.
In a tweet sent on Wednesday morning, Gender Minister Aishath said that such “atrocious acts cannot be and must not be tolerated” in the name of religious practice.
Noting that the first step is to raise awareness, the minister urged the public to “report as soon as you become aware”.
The Ruqyah practitioner is to have been brought in by the husband after the woman complained of migraines.
Ruqyah is exorcism in Islam, and is the treatment and relief for people whose lives are stuck and who have been suffering for years from Sihr, Jinn or Ayn. It’s also a protection for Muslims against "shirk".