Do We Need to Talk about Sexual Violence in Muslim Communities?
An Introduction to the Volume

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Juliane Hammer and Samah Choudhury (volume editors)

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We open the introduction to our open access edited volume Sexual Violence in Muslim Communities: Towards Awareness and Accountability with a question. It is rhetorical but needs to be answered with an emphatic yes. Sexual violence affects those who are victims and survivors directly and forever, but it also tears at the fabric of our societies and communities globally. While awareness of sexual violence in its many forms and with its many victims is growing, there still is a pervasive silence around it that has in part to do with its perceived link to sex and sexuality. But this silence is also about hierarchical systems and structures that are designed to channel power to some who then can abuse that power with impunity. When those in positions of power are the ones who decide whether an issue is worth talking about, the silence around sexual violence begins to make sense. A commitment to justice demands that we break that silence here and now. This volume and its contributors are offering a contribution to that worthy project.