According to media reports, Fagirad bit, slapped, choked and beat his wife, including pushing her down a flight of stairs, whipping her with a belt, and sitting on her chest.
When Fagirad left, she ran to the 109th Precinct stationhouse, where she filed a domestic violence report and was hospitalized. Fagirad has filed some type of “counterclaim” but it is not clear what it would be.
Since this is a private offense unrelated to his consul status, police are not recognizing diplomatic immunity in this case.
There has been increased attention to the treatment of women in Afghanistan who are subject to harsh treatment in the conservative religious areas of that country. Many in these areas believe that men have a right to beat or even kill women, often citing the Koran. For example, this is a commonly cited passage: “Men have authority over women because God has made the one superior to the other, and because they spend their wealth to maintain them. Good women are obedient. They guard their unseen parts because God has guarded them. As for those from whom you fear disobedience, admonish them and send them to beds apart and beat them.” — Qur’an 4:34
Obviously, most Muslims find such treatment appalling, but with the Taliban on the rise in both Afghanistan and Pakistan, the plight of women in the area is likely to get far worse.
For the full story, click here.