First off, I'd like to start this post by affirming my belief in the fact that sexual assault is completely UNACCEPTABLE. There is NO EXCUSE for a crime of this nature, NONE WHATSOEVER.
That being said, I'd like to express my sincere sympathy towards what happened to Lara Logan here in Cairo on Friday, February 11th, 2011. I really feel for her and for any other woman around the world that has ever endured a similar plight.
In such times of great distress, there are always those who amaze us with their, shall we say, not-so-logical-or-fair opinions, but as freedom of expression is a validated right for all us citizens of the world, we let them ramble on and then proceed to reply to them. The following represents some of the annoying ideas put forward by some people following this event.
-The "blame the victim" attitude: Unfortunately, this often occurs in many cases of sexual harassment. Some people think it is not only the man's fault if the woman happens to be dressed somewhat indecently or even if she is simply pretty. We hear phrases like "men have raging hormones", "they can't control themselves", "he couldn't help it", etc etc. I ask you, if someone stole something from your house, would you say that they couldn't help it because your house attracted them? Would that lessen their crime in your eyes? No, it would not. Same thing here, even if a woman is dressed revealingly, that does not give any man the right to trespass on her privacy, personal space and safety by committing such a sickening act.
-The Islamophobic ideology: Some sickening racists are using this act to twist facts and make it seem like Islam to blame. I have nothing to say to these people as it is an insult to this religion to connect it to the cause of something so vile. Their painful ignorance is no excuse for their disgusting displays of racism, and that just like they took the time to come up with their racist rationalizations, they should also make time to learn what Islam is all about.
-The "country of savages" theory: Yet another group of people immediately focused on the fact that this event took place in Egypt and played the, "Well, what else did we expect? They're only just a bunch of savages! It was Logan's fault in the first place for going to such a third-world country" tape. I won't deny that sexual harassment is indeed a problem in Egypt due to a great deal of factors (none of which include Islam), but doesn't sexual harassment occur all over the world even in the "first-world" West? Can anyone actually say that there is no sexual harassment whatsoever in Europe or the USA? No, because it is not just an "Egypt problem" or a "third-world savage situation", it is a universal dilemma which we need to eliminate for the safety and security of women worldwide.
The protests in Tahrir Square were noted for the remarkable absence of sexual harassment or assault despite the large female turnout. I don't know what happened that day but I guess it would be safe to say that the people who did that to Logan were wayward thugs slipping in to join the celebrations without really caring for what was going on. No matter who they are, they should be severely punished as should the perpetrators of any similar crime to any woman, anywhere, anytime.
I know exactly how your feel. I hate when people try to blame the girl/victim for being harassed. No means no, no matter the circumstances. Blaming someone's religion or location is also really dumb. These events happen all over the world, and a lot more often than we think.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I like your writing style and you're amazing! Keep blogging!
Thank you so much! :)
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