1 in 10 children in Asia-Pacific suffer abuse--UNICEF

1 in 10 children in Asia-Pacific suffer abuse--UNICEF

Unacceptable physical abuse is causing long-term damage to the lives and futures of far too many children in East Asia and the Pacific, according to a report released by UNICEF on 8 August.  

The report, Child Maltreatment: Prevalence, Incidence and Consequences in East Asia and Pacific, is the first comprehensive analysis of existing studies undertaken by experts and academics about child maltreatment in the region. It examines studies produced between January 2000 and November 2010.

Estimates of the frequency of physical abuse of children vary from country to country and from study to study, but the report found that even the best case scenario suggests that 1 in 10 children experience physical abuse, while the worst case finds that 30.3 per cent of children suffer from abuse.

Read more and download Child Maltreatment: Prevalence, Incidence and Consequences in East Asia and Pacific

O, Parents! Must Thou Beat and Abuse the Pleasure of Thine Eyes?
In Islamic societies the main purpose of marriage is procreation, which is an obligatory religious duty.
The advent of a child is not only welcomed and considered a blessing, it is also regarded as essential for strengthening the marriage bond, for the perpetuation of the line of descent,
and for enlarging the community of the faithful.

To Allah belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth.
He creates what He wills.
He bestows female (offspring) upon whom He wills,
and bestows male (offspring) upon whom He wills.
The Noble Qur'an - Ash-Shura 42:49

Every child is born Muslim

Hadith - Bukhari 2.440, Narrated Ibn Shihab

Abu Huraira, narrated that the Prophet said, "Every child is born with a true faith (i.e. to worship none but Allah Alone) but his parents convert him to Judaism or to Christianity or to Magainism, as an animal delivers a perfect baby animal. Do you find it mutilated?" Then Abu Huraira recited the holy verse: "So set you (O Muhammad SAW) your face towards the religion of pure Islâmic Monotheism Hanifa (worship none but Allâh Alone) Allâh's Fitrah (i.e. Allâh's Islâmic Monotheism), with which He has created mankind. No change let there be in Khalq­illâh (i.e. the Religion of Allâh Islâmic Monotheism), that is the straight religion, but most of men know not. [Tafsir At­Tabarî, Vol 21, Page 41] " (30.30).

	Al Mâ'ûn Surah 107. Small Kindnesses, Almsgiving

107:1	Seest thou one who denies the Judgment (to come)?
	Araayta allathee yukaththibu bialddeeni
107:2	Then such is the (man) who repulses the orphan (with harshness),
	Fathalika allathee yaduAAAAualyateema
107:3	And encourages not the feeding of the indigent.
	Wala yahuddu AAalataAAami almiskeeni
107:4	So woe to the worshippers
	Fawaylun lilmusalleena
107:5	Who are neglectful of their prayers,
	Allatheena hum AAan salatihimsahoona
107:6	Those who (want but) to be seen (of men),
	Allatheena hum yuraoona
107:7	But refuse (to supply) (even) neighbourly needs.
	WayamnaAAoona almaAAoona

O, Muslims! Must Thou Repulse the Orphans?

Children, according to Islam, are entitled to various rights. 

The first and foremost of these rights is the right to be properly brought up, raised and educated. 

This means that children should be given suitable, sufficient, sound and adequate religious, ethical and moral guidance to last them for their entire lives. 

They should be engraved with true values, the meaning of right and wrong, true and false, correct and incorrect, appropriate and inappropriate and so forth and so on. 

Allah, the Almighty stated in the Glorious Qur’an:

"O ye who believe! Save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is Men and Stones." (66:6) 

Allah’s Apostle, PBUH also said: "Every one of you (people) is a shepherd. And every one is responsible for whatever falls under his responsibility. A man is like a shepherd of his own family, and he is responsible for them." This Hadith is reported by both Bukhari and Muslim.

O, Parents! Must Thou Beat and Abuse Amanah from ALLAH?

Children, therefore are a trust given to the parents. Parents will be responsible for this trust on the Day of Judgement. Parents are essentially responsible for the moral, ethical and the basic and essential religious teachings of their children. 

If parents fulfill this responsibility, they will be free of the consequences on the Day of Judgement. 

The children will become better citizens and a pleasure to the eyes of their parents, first in this life, and in the hereafter. 

O, Parents! Must Thou Beat and Abuse the Pleasure of Thine Eyes?

The father has been instructed to provide for the maintenance of his infant children, whilst both parents have been instructed to provide education for their young children beginning first with the study of the Holy Quran. Of all the properties and which children inherit from their parents, the best is good manners. Parents have been instructed to spend for the well-being of their children. The Hadith states there is no better cause than to spend for the well-being of their children.
If in the case of the father's death, the mother spends her time bringing up the minor children till they attain maturity, instead of taking a second husband, that mother has been assured a place in Paradise next to the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).
There are Ahadith that state that parents should salute (make Salaams to) their children when entering the house; and parents should often express kindness and affection to their children by hugging and kissing them.