In A Nutshell
Born in Malaysia in 2011, the Obedient Wives Club is a very small sub-sect of the Islamic faith which believes that a good wife gives total sexual submission to her husband, and as such will ensure his faithfulness and loyalty throughout the marriage. To date, the group has over 3,000 members in just under a dozen primarily Islamic countries worldwide. It has published two sex manuals (both banned by the Malaysian government), and even has its own Facebook page (though it hasn’t been updated in a while). Its stated mission is to promote lasting marriages through proper training of wives in their role as lovers and partners to their husbands, citing Malaysia’s rocketing divorce rate as reason for the club’s formation.
The Whole Bushel
Founded by some employees at the Global Ikhwan Cafe in Malaysia’s capital city, Kuala Lumpur, and led by club organizer Azlina Jamaluddin, the group has generated much controversy in the Muslim world since its creation. Their basic teaching is that men need to be completely sexually satisfied by the wives in order to remain faithful and provide for the family. The ultra-religious group quotes a verse from the Quran as an inspiration and mission statement:
Verse 4:34—“Men are the leaders of women, because God has made one of them to excel over the other, and because men spend to support them from their means.”
The group has generated so much controversy not only for its teachings, but also because many of its founding members belonged to a sub-sect of Islam called the al-Arqam sect, which was banned by Malaysian religious authorities due to its extreme viewpoints. The group states that it has no remaining ties to the sub-sect and that it is a completely separate entity, despite its roots. Add to that the publishing of a sex manual simply titled “Islamic Sex” (a 115-page book detailing a woman’s sexual role in the marriage), and one can see why the controversy is warranted.
To be fair, an offshoot of the club, known as the Loyal Husbands Club, also exists. That club promotes faithfulness and duty among Muslim husbands, and also gives strict guidelines for the “rules of marriage.” This is the so-called “second phase” of the Wives Club, which aims at bringing Islamic teachings to the traditional heads of households.
The Wives Club continues to publish literature on marriage and sex. It also continues to expand, branching out into a few European countries as well. Many feminist and human rights groups have called for the complete banning of the group, but this seems unlikely now that the ball has begun rolling.
Show Me The Proof
Official Facebook Page: Obedient Wives Club
Official Facebook Page: Loyal Husbands Club
The Guardian: Malaysia bans Obedient Wives Club sex manual
NPR: ‘Obedient Wives Club’ Irks Some Muslims In Malaysia
Huffington Post: ‘Obedient Wives’ Club: Malaysia Group Says Good Sex Is A Duty
