OTTAWA -- Canada's political leaders aren't impressed with an Islamic marriage guide offering tips on ear-pulling and slapping, and the fact it's sold out at a Toronto bookstore.
"The contents of this book are disgusting," said Ana Curic, director of communications for Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney. "Spousal abuse is a despicable crime and the person who wrote the book should be ashamed of himself."
The book, entitled A Gift for Muslim Couple, by Maulavi Ashraf Ali Thanvi, advises that a husband shouldn't beat his wife too hard, but pulling her ears and hitting her with a hand or a stick is all right for discipline.
The 160-page book also offers tips on how to confine a wife to the home and withhold cash if she acts up.
Kenney's office notes that the new citizenship guide specifically mentions that savage treatment of women in Canada is forbidden.
"The guide now says, 'In Canada, men and women are equal under the law. Canada's openness and generosity do not extend to barbaric cultural practices that tolerate spousal abuse, honour killings, female genital mutilation, forced marriage or other gender-based violence'," Curic said.
Interim Liberal leader Bob Rae was not comfortable with the book being sold in Canada.
"It's deeply troubling, these are all things that are against the law in Canada and they fly in the face of our common morals, our sense of fairness and equality," Rae said. "We have clear laws about forcible confinement, and with respect to abusive behaviour and physical violence - this is not how life is lived in Canada."
The book is sold out at the Islamic Books and Souvenirs shop, but it's not known how many copies were in stock.
Also on the store website is a book, entitled Fatwas of Muslim Women, by Ibn Taymyah, which describes the best way to circumcise a woman and explains which babies a woman is allowed to breastfeed.
The owner of the store selling the controversial marriage guide said it would be "stupid" to order more copies.
"It would be stupid to get more copies," Shamim Ahmad said, refusing to answer any more questions on the advice of his lawyer. "I'm not going to talk. My attorney ... advised me and that is it."
Ahmad also refused to comment on the international attention -- and outrage -- the story has generated, having been picked up by media outlets both in the United Kingdom and the U.S.
Moderate Muslim voice Tarek Fatah, who, after the story first broke, said Ahmad "should be charged" for selling such a book, told QMI Agency on Monday that while it is "cute" that Ahmad has now stopped selling A Gift for Muslim Couple, many more books sit on the store's shelves and others in the Greater Toronto Area that promote something even more "dangerous" than spousal abuse: war -- or Jihad -- against the Western world.
"There are other books ... that have amazing attacks on Western civilization," said Fatah. "The books that are promoting Jihad are far more dangerous."
'Disgust' over Muslim wife-beating book | Ontario | News | Toronto Sun
"The contents of this book are disgusting," said Ana Curic, director of communications for Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney. "Spousal abuse is a despicable crime and the person who wrote the book should be ashamed of himself."
The book, entitled A Gift for Muslim Couple, by Maulavi Ashraf Ali Thanvi, advises that a husband shouldn't beat his wife too hard, but pulling her ears and hitting her with a hand or a stick is all right for discipline.
The 160-page book also offers tips on how to confine a wife to the home and withhold cash if she acts up.
Kenney's office notes that the new citizenship guide specifically mentions that savage treatment of women in Canada is forbidden.
"The guide now says, 'In Canada, men and women are equal under the law. Canada's openness and generosity do not extend to barbaric cultural practices that tolerate spousal abuse, honour killings, female genital mutilation, forced marriage or other gender-based violence'," Curic said.
Interim Liberal leader Bob Rae was not comfortable with the book being sold in Canada.
"It's deeply troubling, these are all things that are against the law in Canada and they fly in the face of our common morals, our sense of fairness and equality," Rae said. "We have clear laws about forcible confinement, and with respect to abusive behaviour and physical violence - this is not how life is lived in Canada."
The book is sold out at the Islamic Books and Souvenirs shop, but it's not known how many copies were in stock.
Also on the store website is a book, entitled Fatwas of Muslim Women, by Ibn Taymyah, which describes the best way to circumcise a woman and explains which babies a woman is allowed to breastfeed.
The owner of the store selling the controversial marriage guide said it would be "stupid" to order more copies.
"It would be stupid to get more copies," Shamim Ahmad said, refusing to answer any more questions on the advice of his lawyer. "I'm not going to talk. My attorney ... advised me and that is it."
Ahmad also refused to comment on the international attention -- and outrage -- the story has generated, having been picked up by media outlets both in the United Kingdom and the U.S.
Moderate Muslim voice Tarek Fatah, who, after the story first broke, said Ahmad "should be charged" for selling such a book, told QMI Agency on Monday that while it is "cute" that Ahmad has now stopped selling A Gift for Muslim Couple, many more books sit on the store's shelves and others in the Greater Toronto Area that promote something even more "dangerous" than spousal abuse: war -- or Jihad -- against the Western world.
"There are other books ... that have amazing attacks on Western civilization," said Fatah. "The books that are promoting Jihad are far more dangerous."
'Disgust' over Muslim wife-beating book | Ontario | News | Toronto Sun
