Row over Turkey's wife-beating book

The book was funded by women's taxes, too, ironically

Turkey's state-run religious foundation has sparked public anger after publishing a booklet which approves of wife-beating.

The booklet, published by the Pious Foundation, which is part of the government's Religious Affairs Directorate, says men can beat their wives as long as they do not strike the face and only beat them moderately.

The "Muslim's Handbook", authored by a retired cleric Kemal Guran, also suggests that men are naturally superior to women.

It says that if man's wife is ill and he cannot afford a servant, he can take a second wife.

The handbook says a woman's face should be spared

A leading female deputy in the Turkish parliament expressed her disappointment at the publication of the booklet, describing it as totally unacceptable.

Sema Piskinsut, who chairs the parliamentary human rights commission, said the booklet was full of inaccuracies, and it mis-interprets the words of prophet Mohammed and Islam.

Modern interpretation

"I am outraged that such a book was published with state funds - with money women paid in taxes", said Zuhal Kilic, head of Kader, a group which promotes women in politics.

Although several books published in the past approved of wife-beating, the "Muslim's Handbook" tries to present a modern interpretation of Islam which includes greater rights for Muslim women.

But the publishers are already in trouble with the government. Another of its recently produced booklets described the Turkish army as the representatives not of the whole nation but of a faction within society.

The military is investigating whether the PIous Foundation violated laws which makes insulting the army a criminal offence.

Such an offence is punishable by a maximum prison sentence of six years.