Witnessing two harassment incidents in two different cities of the Kingdom separated by a few days was very disturbing, but the opinions that followed the incidents deeming them rare and unique were more troubling. It just happened that these two incidents caught the public eye because of the videos that went viral. The bitter fact is that tens of such incidents take place on our streets and public places on a daily basis.
I know it is difficult for a conservative society like ours to admit it, but this issue is turning into a common phenomenon. It is hardly possible for any girl to walk alone on a street or a mall or a public place without being harassed once or twice. It might not be all as provocative as we have seen in the infamous videos, but a verbal harassment is still a form of abuse that needs to be contained.
The arguments that followed the incidents revolved around the anti-harassment law. It is not a new topic of discussion anyway, but sometimes that is how we deal with our most sensitive topics. We argue about them and finally end up forgetting the issue itself.
This topic went a bit further last year when it found its way to the Shoura Council agenda. After five months of discussions and debates the council decided to scrap it from its agenda.
The reasons presented to justify the decision were summarized in “We do not actually need it, harassment is not a common issue in the society and it is feared that legalizing such law would mean approving the free mingling between men and women in public places.” This, in itself, is another area of debate on a national level.
In my opinion, undue arguments and debates over such issues overshadow the root causes of the problems. It is not correct to say that an anti-harassment law, whether enacted or not, won’t solve the problem. Of course it is important to have such a law, at least it would instill a kind of fear in the hearts and minds of those shameless enough to engage in such practices. But if there is no law there is no deterrent. We are not totally without regulations against sexual harassment. If you have a law, once caught abusers would end up in a court of law and if indicted would receive a punishment corresponding to their offense.
But in our case the problem goes deeper than enacting a law. It is rooted in our culture; how we perceive women, their rights and roles in the society.
It is next to impossible to change the notion of someone who has been raised believing that women have been created for nothing but his pleasures; that their role in life does not go beyond the house and that he, as a man, is a hunter, and all women out there are potential preys. That is why when they see a woman walking down the street, they consider it a hunting opportunity.
The problem becomes more complicated when the issue of segregation between sexes crops up. There is always suspicion when there is any encounter between a man and a woman in our society even if it is a simple conversation or a professional discussion.
This whole culture of suspicion surrounding men and women interaction needs to be changed. It is a long journey, but should begin from home and schools and mosques, restoring the true role of women in the society as preached by Islam cleared of all the impurities. Maybe then, our streets and public places would be safe and friendly to women.
