MosqueMeToo
{{Short description|Muslim women's movement}}
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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, experienced on the Hajj, the Islamic pilgrimage to one of Islam's holiest places, Mecca, Saudi Arabia.{{Cite magazine|first=Laignee|last=Barron |date=February 15, 2018|url=https://time.com/5159888/mosquemetoo-muslim-women-speaking-out-about-abuse/|title=Muslim Women Are Speaking Out About Abuse|magazine=Time|language=en|access-date=February 23, 2018}}{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/mosquemetoo-women-share-experiences-of-sexual-harassment-inside-religious-places/articleshow/62885605.cms|title=#MosqueMeToo: Women share experiences of sexual harassment inside religious places|work=The Times of India|date=February 12, 2018|access-date=February 23, 2018}} 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.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thequint.com/neon/social-buzz/mosquemetoo-sexual-harassment-during-hajj-holy-places|title=#MosqueMeToo: Women Call Out Sexual Harassment at Holy Places|work=The Quint|access-date=February 23, 2018|language=en}} 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.{{cite book | last1=Murtza | first1=Ayesha | last2=Murtaza | first2=Atiya | title=The Other #MeToos | chapter=#MosqueMeToo and Muslim Cultures | publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York | date=2023-06-21 | isbn=978-0-19-761987-2 | doi=10.1093/oso/9780197619872.003.0012 | pages=220–231}} The post was subsequently deleted, but not before it had been seen by enough people to inspire more women to share their experiences.{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/global-opinions/wp/2018/02/15/mosquemetoo-what-happened-when-i-was-sexually-assaulted-during-the-hajj/|title=Opinion {{!}} #MosqueMeToo: What happened when I was sexually assaulted during the hajj|last=Eltahawy|first=Mona|date=February 15, 2018|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=2018-02-23|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}
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.{{Cite news|url=http://www.womensmediacenter.com/news-features/mosquemetoo|title=Controversy over #MosqueMeToo sheds light on sexualized violence and xenophobia - Women's Media Center|access-date=2018-02-23|language=en}} The first experience occurred when Eltahawy was 15 years old.{{Cite web |last=Gharib |first=Malaka |date=February 26, 2018 |title=#MosqueMeToo Gives Muslim Women A Voice About Sexual Misconduct At Mecca |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2018/02/26/588855132/-mosquemetoo-gives-muslim-women-a-voice-about-sexual-misconduct-at-mecca |website=NPR}} Her tweet was shared more than 2,000 within a 24-hour period. 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."{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2018/02/26/588855132/-mosquemetoo-gives-muslim-women-a-voice-about-sexual-misconduct-at-mecca|title=#MosqueMeToo Gives Muslim Women A Voice About Sexual Misconduct At Mecca|last=Gharib|first=Malaka|date=February 26, 2018|website=NPR|access-date=}} Many other women came to the social media using the hashtag #MosqueMeToo to also share their experiences of sexual abuse on this religious pilgrimage.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-43006952|title=Muslim women rally round #MosqueMeToo|last=Amidi|first=Faranak|date=2018-02-09|work=BBC News|access-date=2018-02-23|language=en-GB}}{{Cite news|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/trending/trending-globally/muslim-women-sharing-their-sexual-harassment-incidents-at-hajj-has-shaken-up-netizens-metoo-5058222/|title=Muslim women share sexual harassment incidents during Hajj with #MosqueMeToo|date=2018-02-10|work=The Indian Express|access-date=2018-02-23|language=en-US}}
As of August 2018, hundreds of women had shared stories of sexual assault at the Hajj.{{Cite web |last=Farrag |first=Hebah |date=2018-08-20 |title=Sexual Assault During Hajj: Will #MosqueMeToo Lead to Reforms in Mecca? |url=https://crcc.usc.edu/sexual-assault-during-hajj-will-mosquemetoo-lead-to-reforms-in-mecca/ |access-date=2024-12-20 |website=crcc.usc.edu |language=en-US}} According to stories collected by CNN, most assaults occurred during the Tawaf ritual at the Kaaba.{{Cite web |last=Mezzofiore |first=Gianluca |title='I never told anyone': 5 women's stories of sexual abuse at the Hajj |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/08/middleeast/hajj-sexual-abuse-asequals-iwd-intl/index.html |access-date=2024-12-20 |website=CNN}}
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.
See also
References
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{{Hajj incidents|state=expanded}}
{{Weinstein effect}}
Category:Internet-based activism
Category:Feminism in the Middle East
Category:Women's rights in the Middle East
Category:Sexual misconduct allegations
Category:Violence against women in Asia