is wife beating permitted in Islam?

A common thread running through most Muslims is their ignorance of their own religion. This is perhaps not surprising given the widespread lack of education amongst them and the fact that Arabic is a foreign language to most of them. Barring the scholars, even the educated Arabs are unaware of the contents of the Quran. Their beliefs about Islam reflect not the true precepts of Islam but the norms of the society in which they live. They would for example vehemently assert that there is equality of sexes in Islam. But is there such equality?
Some time back there was the case of an imam or cleric in France who was expelled from that country for saying that muslim men were allowed to beat their wives. The BBC took this up in its programme NEWSHOUR by interviewing two ‘educated’ Muslims who both strongly denied that the Quran sanctioned this, calling the imam ignorant. The BBC man, having obviously done his own research and not wanting to be impolite, quietly commented: "This man you call ignorant might in fact be very enlightened". The 'educated' Muslims failed to get the drift of this.
So what does the Quran say about wife beating? Here is the passage 4:34 for you to make up your own mind:
"Men have authority over women because God has made the one superior to the other, and because they spend their wealth to maintain them. Good women are obedient. They guard their unseen parts because God has guarded them. As for those from whom you fear disobedience, admonish them and send them to beds apart and beat them. Then if they obey you, take no further action against them. Surely God is high, supreme."
(For a better understanding of Islam, Muslims should read "Muhammad, a biography of the prophet of Islam" by Maxime Rodinson.)