Barriers to Healing and Justice and Moving Toward Abolitionist Solutions

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Sabreen Mohammed, Sahar Pirzada, Kiran Waqar, and Anahita Farishta

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Sexual violence is the most underreported crime, according to the NSVRC, with nearly 68% of incidents of sexual assault not being reported. Furthermore, nearly 93% of offenders are known to the victim, making reporting the crime even more difficult. People of faith and people of color are less likely to report the sexual violence they experience. Survivors may choose not to report for reasons including feelings of love and respect for the offender, financial reliance on the offender, or fear of retaliation. Working with law enforcement can be an additional motivation to stay silent and not seek healing or justice in the face of increased state surveillance and the disproportionate impact of state violence on communities of faith and color. This chapter explores the challenges Muslim survivors face in seeking healing and justice across various levels: individual, family, legal, institutional, and structural. The authors will examine legal options for Muslim survivors and advocate for an abolitionist approach to accountability. Currently, community-based interventions and transformative justice solutions are not well understood or widely implemented, making it difficult to shift away from punitive responses. Nonetheless, an abolitionist approach may offer a path toward a world free of sexual violence.