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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Spousal violence against women is a controversial issue in Pakistan. Some religious leaders argue that “mild wife-beating” is permissible in exceptional circumstances </span><span style="line-height: 20px;">to discipline the wife and protect the institution of the family. Some conservative religious leaders also argue that the husband has a superior and </span><span style="line-height: 20px;">authoritative position in marital relations. This highly contested and sensitive issue acquires religious overtones and the scientific community seems reluctant </span><span style="line-height: 20px;">to investigate it. Based on fourteen in-depth interviews, this article documents the views and opinions of religious leaders in Lahore, Pakistan, concerning </span><span style="line-height: 20px;">spousal violence within the context of marital inequality. Rather than debating the position of Islam on spousal violence, the paper explores the minds of religious </span><span style="line-height: 20px;">leaders who greatly influence the views of the general public.</span></p></p>