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#MosqueMeToo is predominantly a Muslim women's movement where female pilgrims speak up about sexual abuse, such as being groped, inappropriately touched or having someone rub against them in the crowd,[1] experienced on the Hajj, the Islamic pilgrimage to one of Islam's holiest places, Mecca, Saudi Arabia.[2][3] The movement spread to Muslim women sharing sexual abuse experiences at other Muslim religious centers and holy places across the world such as at Jama Masjid, New Delhi, India.[4] The usage of the 'Me Too' in the movement stems from the Me Too movement, which gained worldwide prominence in October 2017, and is similar to the #ChurchToo campaign in Evangelicalism.
Background
In February 2018, a Pakistani Muslim woman shared her experiences on Facebook of sexual abuse at the Hajj.[5] The post was subsequently deleted, but not before it had been seen by enough people to inspire more women to share their experiences.[6][2]
Mona Eltahawy, an Egyptian American journalist, shared her experiences of sexual abuse on Hajj in a book in 1982, which were retweeted in February using the hashtag #MosqueMeToo.[7] The first experience occurred when Eltahawy was 15 years old.[8] Her tweet was shared more than 2,000 within a 24-hour period.[2] At the time of the event she remembered thinking, "Who wants to talk about sexual assault at a holy place? No one would believe it."[9] Many other women came to the social media using the hashtag #MosqueMeToo to also share their experiences of sexual abuse on this religious pilgrimage.[1][10]
As of August 2018, hundreds of women had shared stories of sexual assault at the Hajj.[11] According to stories collected by CNN, most assaults occurred during the Tawaf ritual at the Kaaba.[12]
Critiques
On social media some people reacted to this movement critically, by saying that it is a tool of Islamophobia or Western propaganda. Supporters countered that victims should not stay silent just to avoid negative impressions of Muslims.[2]
See also
References
- ^ a b Amidi, Faranak (2018-02-09). "Muslim women rally round #MosqueMeToo". BBC News. Retrieved 2018-02-23.
- ^ a b c d Barron, Laignee (February 15, 2018). "Muslim Women Are Speaking Out About Abuse". Time. Archived from the original on September 29, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
- ^ "#MosqueMeToo: Women share experiences of sexual harassment inside religious places". The Times of India. February 12, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
- ^ "#MosqueMeToo: Women Call Out Sexual Harassment at Holy Places". The Quint. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
- ^ Murtza, Ayesha; Murtaza, Atiya (2023-06-21). "#MosqueMeToo and Muslim Cultures". The Other #MeToos. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 220–231. doi:10.1093/oso/9780197619872.003.0012. ISBN 978-0-19-761987-2.
- ^ Eltahawy, Mona (February 15, 2018). "Opinion | #MosqueMeToo: What happened when I was sexually assaulted during the hajj". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2018-02-23.
- ^ "Controversy over #MosqueMeToo sheds light on sexualized violence and xenophobia - Women's Media Center". Retrieved 2018-02-23.
- ^ Gharib, Malaka (February 26, 2018). "#MosqueMeToo Gives Muslim Women A Voice About Sexual Misconduct At Mecca". NPR.
- ^ Gharib, Malaka (February 26, 2018). "#MosqueMeToo Gives Muslim Women A Voice About Sexual Misconduct At Mecca". NPR.
- ^ "Muslim women share sexual harassment incidents during Hajj with #MosqueMeToo". The Indian Express. 2018-02-10. Retrieved 2018-02-23.
- ^ Farrag, Hebah (2018-08-20). "Sexual Assault During Hajj: Will #MosqueMeToo Lead to Reforms in Mecca?". crcc.usc.edu. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
- ^ Mezzofiore, Gianluca. "'I never told anyone': 5 women's stories of sexual abuse at the Hajj". CNN. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
