What is domestic violence?

At Ummahsonic we like to explore a diverse range of subjects which we feel do not receive enough coverage elsewhere. We recently heard about Marzana Rahman, a domestic abuse survivor who is fighting for the rights of all domestic abuse survivors and seeking to be a voice for the voiceless.

Marzana’s story is a powerful reflection of the issues faced by victims of domestic violence.

Following a failed arranged marriage, she met a “perfect stranger” with whom she quickly fell in love with and soon married. Her husband’s mother began behaving in an extremely controlling and manipulative way, placing pressure on Marzana. One day, she snapped. According to Marzana, “out of frustration I said, ‘your mother is going to cause the end of us.’ These words were met with a slap across my face. The force was hard enough for me to fall to the floor and I could feel a burning sensation on my cheek”.

Marzana’s husband continued to beat her, even in public, and no matter how vicious the beating she continued to forgive him. As things grew progressively worse her mother-in-law and brothers-in-law also started to abuse her. Marzana became so desperate that she even attempted suicide. One day, following an enormous argument, Marzana left and never returned to her husband.

Stories such as Marzana’s are, unfortunately, more common that you would think.

Having escaped her manipulative and violent relationship three years ago, Marzana has put her focus on actively fighting for the rights of all domestic violence sufferers, going against the norms of her Bangladeshi culture and speaking up against society. Having appeared on national television as well as working on numerous campaigns, Marzana encourages men and women, especially those from the South Asian community, to speak up against injustices and their basic human rights.

To find out more about Marzana take a look at her website.

Defined as violent or aggressive behavior within the home, domestic violence typically involves the violent abuse of a partner and spouse and its victims are certainly not limited to a specific gender, religion or ethnicity. This behaviour is not limited to just physical acts. Any incidents of controlling, coercive and threatening behavior are also categorised as domestic violence.

Domestic Violence Awareness is often symbolised as a purple ribbon, considered to be a “unifying symbol of courage, honour, and dedication ending domestic violence”, and we encourage anyone who is a victim or knows anyone who is a victim of domestic violence to speak up. There are many places for victims to seek  support, for both men and women. A full list can be found here.

Feature image credit: https://www.instagram.com/moosleemargh/?hl=en