Siblinghood, Shame, and Spiritual Healing: A New Approach to Muslim Chaplaincy for Survivors of Sexual Violence

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Wietske Merison

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Any Muslim chaplain ought to be well-equipped to help recognize, address, and
heal the injuries and trauma caused by experiences of sexual violence. In this essay, I propose a new approach to chaplaincy based on the Islamic concept of siblinghood (ukhuwwah). I explain this new approach as applied to the specific context of the case of Hiba, a Muslim woman who was faced with sexual violence during her visit to al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem during the holy month of Ramadan. I will analyse this case on three levels, referring to the different aspects of the Islamic tradition as highlighted in the famous narration of Jibrīl: (1) islām, (2) īmān, and (3) iḥsān. The first level of analysis, islām, deals with the ethical questions arising from sexual violence, such as questions of guilt,consent, and abortion. The second level, īmān, examines the theological dimension of the case of Hiba, focusing on the crisis of faith that may be the result of sexual violence, and the problem of evil. On the third and last level, iḥsān, the emphasis lies on the spiritual dimension of the case, focusing on a phenomenon I refer to as ‘broken tawakkul’ (trust).