MosqueMeToo

The correct title of this article is #MosqueMeToo. The omission of the # is due to technical restrictions.

#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

• MeToo movement
• Incidents during the Hajj

References

1. Amidi, Faranak (2018-02-09). "Muslim women rally round #MosqueMeToo". BBC News. Retrieved 2018-02-23.
2. 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.
3. "#MosqueMeToo: Women share experiences of sexual harassment inside religious places". The Times of India . February 12, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
4. "#MosqueMeToo: Women Call Out Sexual Harassment at Holy Places". The Quint . Retrieved February 23, 2018.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. "Controversy over #MosqueMeToo sheds light on sexualized violence and xenophobia - Women's Media Center" . Retrieved 2018-02-23.
8. Gharib, Malaka (February 26, 2018). "#MosqueMeToo Gives Muslim Women A Voice About Sexual Misconduct At Mecca". NPR .
9. Gharib, Malaka (February 26, 2018). "#MosqueMeToo Gives Muslim Women A Voice About Sexual Misconduct At Mecca". NPR.
10. "Muslim women share sexual harassment incidents during Hajj with #MosqueMeToo". The Indian Express. 2018-02-10. Retrieved 2018-02-23.
11. Farrag, Hebah (2018-08-20). "Sexual Assault During Hajj: Will #MosqueMeToo Lead to Reforms in Mecca?". crcc.usc.edu. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
12. Mezzofiore, Gianluca. "'I never told anyone': 5 women's stories of sexual abuse at the Hajj". CNN. Retrieved 2024-12-20.