Marriage is half of faith and the rest is fear Allah: Marriage and spousal abuse among American Muslims

Understanding the problem of woman abuse requires attention to the cultural context in which it occurs. American Muslim women are a group whose culturally specific experiences of abuse in families have remained largely unstudied. To address this gap in knowledge, this study examined the cultural context of abuse among American Muslim women using an interpretive approach. This article examines culturally specific marriage practices and the ways that these practices intertwine with women's abuse experiences. Findings indicate that American Muslim women's marriage practices are distinctly different from dominant American practices and that these practices significantly shape abuse experiences over time.