When Sexual Violence Intersects with Spiritual Abuse: Exploring the Misuse of Religious Tradition and Authority to Perpetuate a Culture of Sexual Violence

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Sabreen Mohammed, Haddijatou Ceesay, Yasmeen Khayr,
Hera Syed, and Nadiah Mohajir

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Sexual violence in religious communities often intersects with spiritual abuse. A recent study on its prevalence in Muslim communities indicates that 35.8% of Muslim respondents who reported experiencing unsuccessful rape attempts also reported that religion was used to minimize their abuse. 50.5% of respondents shared that religion was used to pressure them to stay silent about the sexual abuse they experienced. The impacts of spiritual abuse on victims of sexual violence are often lifelong and can lead to religious trauma and isolation from religious communities. Spiritual abuse may occur at any point in a victim’s experience. From the moment of sexual violence to the moment of disclosure, religious scripture or authority could be misused to commit abuse, justify abuse, or silence the victim when seeking support after abuse. Most disturbingly, religious scripture or tradition may be misused to protect those who harm and evade accountability, leaving many in the community vulnerable to harm. This paper will explore the ways we’ve learned that spiritual abuse can intersect with experiences of sexual violence and how that can have profound spiritual consequences for entire Muslim communities.