Why does it always happen to women? Two young women were out for a stroll on the Jeddah Corniche, a stretch of pathways along the Red Sea littered with cafes and street vendors during the previous Eid holidays when they found themselves quickly surrounded and hounded by a crowd of harassing youths. The terrified ordeal the girls went through to scramble to a point of safety surrounded by the relentless horde was captured on many of the mobile phone cameras and the visuals went viral locally as soon as they were uploaded on social media.
The unruly crowd pushing and taunting the girls could be described as nothing less than a pack of wolves trying to corner and ensnare its victims. Judging from the terrified expressions on the girls’ faces on the video clips, it was obvious that they were indeed innocent victims who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and nothing else.
The authorities, when alerted, reacted positively and swiftly. Following the outcry from the public, who came to know of this transgression, the governor of the province ordered an immediate investigation into the matter and to bring the culprits to book. Soon after, it was reported that many of those guilty of chasing and harassing the girls had been rounded up and arrested.
But what made this particular event interesting is the reaction of some readers who commented on the story when it first broke out in the local press. One of them questioned why the two girls were walking alone and therefore inviting “unwanted attention?” He added that “they should have known better”.
Another male wondered if they were asking for it! He elaborated that “females, alone or in a small group, in any country should use their common sense and stay away from a place where there are huge crowds of males”.
An expat male wanted to know why these girls were out alone and without a male companion. He concluded that they were seeking attention and were setting themselves up for the unwanted advances. A reader calling herself Umm Mamoun was more direct. She wrote that “females of all ages should know that there are always men ready to harass them, whether they are dressed modestly or not. That said, they should make every effort to protect themselves ... [If] I were one of those ladies, I’d blame myself and those men because this [is] the reality of the world we live in. We must police ourselves”.
Judging from the opinion of such people, it would be easy to conclude that the girls were at fault, plain and simple. To live and breathe and walk freely by the beach is a crime if one happens to be a female. Because a segment of this ‘special’ yet twisted society says so. In fact, to be a woman itself is a crime unless she is shrouded and stored away. Why? Because such people will charge that women incite men to evil deeds. It is always women’s fault.
These disgusting views hide a sickness in our society that needs to be addressed. To excuse our own weaknesses and shortcomings by blaming and cloaking women away from public eye is not one of them. What is needed is clear and defined anti-harassment laws that are publicly posted everywhere and that define the measure of punishment for harassment of females. Closed-circuit television cameras, as used widely in other countries, must be installed in public places in Saudi Arabia also and monitored by security authorities. This should help prevent future incidents or track down offenders much more easily. Harsh jail sentences should be handed down to those found guilty of harassment. It is time to stop women from being blamed for simply being women.
Many of the extreme-minded teachers and other fundamentalists who promote the concept that women are a source of evil should be brought to task. It is no use pretending that such people do not exist. Their public messages of alarm, radio talk shows or social media communications can be a contributing cause to the deviant behaviour of the youth.
No woman should be denied the right to walk down a path without the fear of being accosted or harassed. It is not her fault for wanting to exercise that freedom. This is what civilised behaviour is all about.
Tariq A. Al Maeena is a Saudi socio-political commentator. He lives in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. You can follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/@talmaeena.
