As is the case with most of the populist information about Islam going around in media, publications and the Internet, the record of family rights and women’s rights, at times, appears to be exceedingly negative too. Incidents involving Muslim women and children are often used as a basis for condemnation of individual rights in Muslim countries. What is not obvious to an outsider, though, is the difference between cultural practices and Islamic directives.

In Eastern countries, quite a few hurdles need to be overcome before domestic violence can be addressed effectively. For one, it is often considered inappropriate to take what are known as ‘family matters’ to the authorities for help. In many cases, the known corruption in the authorities themselves is a hurdle for people to get safety – in fact, it is quite common in a country like Pakistan to not report to police since the chances are that the victim will be put under more strain and problems due to weaknesses in the system.

The good news nevertheless is that situation is improving towards betterment. In many western countries, as well as in some Eastern ones, authorities and individuals are attempting to curb domestic violence. For instance, a new organization called “The Committee of Social Protection” in Saudia Arabia has embarked on a drive to educate health workers about domestic violence and abuse. This is important because health workers are usually in a position to first identify such cases and report to proper authorities. It still needs to be seen whether it leads to any positive results or not, nevertheless, the effort is a first step towards improving the states.

In a different effort, Mohammed Baobaid, a Yemeni immigrant in London, Canada, received the Everyday Hero award from Center for Research on Domestic Violence against Women and Children. Baobaid founded the program ‘Muslim Family Safety Project’ to have the Muslim community address domestic violence effectively. According to London Free Press, he is reported to have said, “Ninety per cent of my conversations with the leaders were not about the Canadian framework on women abuse but about Islam's position on woman abuse.” In London Free Press’s words:

Everyday Hero award is not the only recognition – he has also been praised by London’s imams for his efforts, giving his struggle a religious backing, and reinforcing that effective application of Islamic principles ought to improve societies towards good.