Marrakech- When will some Moroccan men stop looking at women as objects of sexual satisfaction? Why do some Moroccan men, including the so-called Sheikh Sar, think that the way a woman dresses can constitute sexual harassment? What is the real reason behind harassment in Moroccan streets?
Throughout the history of the Arab and Islamic countries, women have always been under men’s custody. Allegedly, it is always men who should think on behalf of women, and show them the way they should live their lives. It’s believed that men know what is good for women and what is bad for them. Additionally, women have been considered only tools used to give birth to children, and machines to use at home.
It’s time in our country for women to be appreciated for being women, as their counterparts in Western countries. Women in Morocco should not be obligated to dress according to a man’s mentalities. They are free to wear what they want and what they are comfortable in. They are not responsible for the way men perceive them.
Do people who blame women for the harassment they are exposed to in our Moroccan streets forget that the teachings of Islam enjoin them to refrain from starring and stalking at women? If one wants to use the religion, he has to use it to both, not apply it selectively to women and forget his responsibility in the equation.
Feeling harassed by the way women dress is the result of a mentality built on social education, a misunderstanding of culture, and even some Quran’s texts. Some so-called Islamic advocates think that women exist for men’s pleasure. They even think that men who are good believers, will be rewarded in paradise with girls.
If some men could genuinely change the way they think about women, they would not feel that they are being harassed by what women wear. Harassment is not related to appearance. It is related to the principles of minds and mentalities of those who are controlled by their desires, but those controlled by moral commitments will not even notice what a girl or a man wears.
Men who seek love and are loyal to their girlfriends or wives will not pay attention to other women they come across. It’s only by promoting the true meaning of love between a men and a woman will society get rid of such behavior. But as long as love is related to sexual intercourse, harassment will remain a ghost in our streets where everybody seeks to satisfy his instinct.
“Verily Allah will never change the condition of a people until they change themselves" Surat Ar-Ra`d 11 (Translation of the Meaning of the Quran). Change comes from within, not from appearances. Even some Islamic countries, where women are totally veiled, have a large number of harassment and prostitution cases.
The problem does not lie in the way women dress, but rather with a large category of men who still perceive women as sexual object to satisfy their needs. Therefore, what is acutely needed in our society is not a change in the way women dress, but a radical change in the way we deal with them in public space and of our perception of them. As long as we don’t learn how to respect the choices and freedom of others, our society will still be faced with the plague of street harassment.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Morocco World News’ editorial policy
© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed.