It’s an ugly tale of child abuse that might happen in any country, but it’s also an illustration of the way shari’a supports and enables this anti-human behavior: Father Arrested for Brutal Murder of Nine-Year-Old Daughter in Makkah.

JEDDAH, 10 April 2006 — A man and his wife are being held by Makkah authorities in connection with the fatal stabbing of his nine-year-old daughter. Local newspapers reported the murder a few days ago and said that the father will record his confession in court. According to initial police reports he will tell the court that he did not intend to kill his daughter but only to discipline her.

However, according to Arab News sources, the coroner found signs of severe physical abuse and stab wounds on the girl’s body. The man and his wife, who is the girl’s stepmother, allegedly collaborated in abusing the girl while she was with them during the past year, and now each is accusing the other of causing the death.

Family members close to the girl’s biological mother say that the mother and the father divorced a long time ago after she suffered physical abuse at his hands. She kept custody of the girl in accordance with Islamic law until the girl turned seven. The father then began demanding custody of the girl, especially after his ex-wife had remarried. The father won custody last year. The mother appealed the court’s decision but was denied custody. She was given visitation rights, but the father generally prevented the mother from the court-ordered visitations with impunity.

And note this revealing paragraph:

Intervention by authorities is virtually nonexistent. Police do not have the authority to enter homes and bring abused children under public protection. A legal guardian’s permission is required to medically treat children, and, according to law, wives cannot report domestic abuse by husbands to the police.