Men abusing women is a sign of love, according to this Moroccan song

Earlier this month, Eman bint El Hawat, a Moroccan singer, released a song that basically says it's ok for men to physically abuse women. 

Yes, you heard that right. 

A part of the song says: "If she tastes his beatings, she'll never forget his love... his abuse is a sign of jealousy and passion." 

In another part, El Hawat sings: "A slap fixes the mood. They say a beating comes from paradise, the one who tastes it gets peace." 

After the intense backlash her song received, the singer tried to explain herself in an interview, but her words made things worse. 

"How else will a woman know her husband loves her and cares about her? I am not supporting violence or men who severely beat or scar women, no. I am for the 'sweet beating' the kind that reflects love, a playful slap, things like that," she said. 

"He could push her, he could slap her, it's normal. A mother of (a beaten woman) says: 'Only the one who loves you, beats you. If he didn't love you, he wouldn't beat you,'" she added. 

Since the song's release, thousands have expressed outrage.

To many, the song isn't only offensive but also reflects the dangerous normalization of domestic abuse among Moroccan and Arab women in general. 

Speaking to Stepfeed, Lina, a Moroccan activist who has worked with many domestic abuse victims expressed outrage over the song. 

"This week our country was rocked by a horrific case of abuse against a woman who was raped on a bus. We all asked ourselves the same question:  Why did no one step in and help out even though the bus was full? And the honest answer is that in so many parts of our country, people have normalized violence against women and that's the most dangerous thing," she said. 

"Here, instead of speaking up against abuse, television channels simply teach women how to 'cover up' signs of it," she added. 

"If you hear this singer talk about her song, you'll realize this: To many, abuse against women isn't out of the ordinary, it's an accepted part of daily life," she explained.

"What message does this so called work of art send to thousands of Moroccan women who face domestic abuse? What message does it send to men who abuse them?"

"He beat you because he loves you, he beat you because he's jealous, take it as a good thing, a sign of love. This kind of rhetoric is disgraceful, regressive and it's the last thing we need as we continue to fight against domestic violence," she added. 

According to a national survey conducted by the Moroccan High Commission for planning, 62.8 percent of Moroccan women aged 18-65 have experienced physical, psychological, sexual, or economic violence in recent years. 

"Of the sample interviewed, 55 percent reported 'conjugal' violence and 13.5 percent reported 'familial' violence."

What's even more alarming is that only 3 percent of those who experienced abuse, reported it to authorities. 

And those who did report cases to police said that "officers refused to record their statements, failed to investigate, and refused to arrest domestic abuse suspects even after prosecutors ordered them to," reported Human Rights Watch. 

"In some cases, police did nothing more than tell victims to return to their abusers."

This 'normalization' of abuse, isn't only a major issue in Morocco but exists in countries across the Arab world.