Muslim women just never seem to catch a break. If it's not >Islamophobes attacking them for practicing their faith, it's the >self-proclaimed halal police who believe they have the right to patrol each and every aspect of a woman's life.
Pakistani journalist and commentator, Ansar Abbasi, seems to be a member of the halal police squad and his latest sexist tweet to his 440k fans is proof of that.
"Women should follow Islamic principles to save themselves from men's exploitation and abuse," he tweeted, suggesting - >yet again - that women bring different forms of abuse onto themselves.
When a woman is subject to >sexual harassment - whether on the street, when riding public transportation, while driving - the blame is often placed on a woman's choice of attire, most of the time. Except >harassment knows no dress code, really.
When it comes to domestic abuse, people wrongfully blame the woman for either being too silent, too vocal, or too human. It's a basic human right to be your very own person. It's also a basic human right to not be harmed for your personal choices.
Some men (aka the halal police) don't see it that way. They feel obligated somehow (by whom? We have yet to unravel the mystery) to tell women how to live their lives - through verbal abuse or physical abuse.
Perhaps, instead of shifting the blame onto women at every turn, men should consider following - not Islamic principles, as Abbasi suggests - but basic human decency and leave women alone.
Following his tweet, which shamefully received over 300 retweets, many took to Twitter to respond to his sexist advice.
Because if we were to take Abbasi's logic into consideration, shouldn't men follow Islamic principles ... and not commit abuse and exploit women?
Or does the responsibility all fall on us, women, Mr. Abbasi?