#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.
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] 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."[8] 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][9]
Critiques
On social media some people reacted to this movement critically, by saying that it is a tool of Islamophobia or Western propaganda.[10]
See also
References
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