Egypt's highest religious authority says 'all sexual harassment forbidden'

"Justifying sexual harassment with the behavior or clothing of the woman is a misunderstanding"

On Monday, in a series of tweets, Al-Azhar Institute - Egypt's highest Sunni Muslim authority - stated that there can be no justification for sexual harassment.

In a statement on the matter, Al-Azhar said that all forms of harassment are "a forbidden act" and constitute to "deviant behavior" and added that "the one who carries it out is a sinner".

"Criminalising sexual harassment must be absolute and free from any condition or context. Justifying sexual harassment with the behavior or clothing of the woman is a misunderstanding, for sexual harassment is an assault on the woman and her freedom and dignity," the statement read.

The statement comes following a series of recent sexual harassment incidents in Egypt, a country where people often blame women themselves for the widespread problems they face on a daily basis.

Last week, a video capturing the moment tens of men sexually harassed three Egyptian women in one of the country's streets went viral on Twitter. 

In the footage, the women, who all wore the hijab, could be heard screaming for help while the men cornered, pushed, and shoved them around. No passersby were seen approaching the scene or trying to help the women out of the horrific situation.

As usual, a few misguided individuals on social media tried to justify the men's actions by accusing the victims of the assault of "enticing" their harassers.

Sexual harassment is a major issue in Egypt

According to a 2013 report, released by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, 99.3 percent of Egyptian women have experienced some form of sexual harassment.

A recent study conducted by UN Women in collaboration with Promundo, a Brazilian organization campaigning for gender equality, also revealed that around 43 percent of men in Egypt actually believe that women enjoy getting attention and have no problem with being harassed. 

In addition, according to the same study, three-quarters of men and 84 percent of women polled said that "women who dress provocatively deserve to be harassed".

Egypt considers sexual harassment a crime punishable by law

If a woman takes her harasser to court and he is convicted, he can face a minimum of six months in prison. If a harasser is found to be a repeat offender, he could potentially face up to five years in prison.

The issue isn't only widespread in Egypt though, it's also prevalent in other Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Bahrain.

These are the countries travelers in the Middle East visit the most

Travelers in the MENA region most frequently visit Egypt, India, and Saudi Arabia.

Wego - the largest online travel marketplace in the MENA region - recently revealed the top destinations for travelers in the Middle East ... and Egypt took the No.1 spot in the ranking.

According to the report - which is based on users' flight and hotel search activity on Wego during the second quarter of 2018 - travelers in the Middle East and North Africa most frequently visit Egypt, India, and Saudi Arabia.

"Egypt maintains its position as the undisputed #1 most popular destination of Q2, thanks to the continued patronage of both leisure and business travelers from the region," the report stated.

"Visitors cannot seem to stay away from this enigmatic country - popular for its historical sites, stunning river cruises, bustling markets, and all-round value for money," it added.

Egypt ranked No.1 ... though the country's tourism sector has been suffering

Alexandria, Egypt Source: Pixabay

Political instabilities and several other internal issues have affected Egypt's tourism sector in recent years.

In 2017, 8.3 million tourists visited Egypt, compared to the 5.4 million in 2016, according to the Oxford Business Group. That year, Egypt invited Salma Hayek for a visit in a bid to boost the country's tourism sector.

Saudi Arabia ranked No.3 on the list

As for Saudi Arabia, "it remains a popular destination in Q2 among domestic and international visitors who travel for business, leisure, and Umrah purposes," the report stated.

Saudi Arabia aims to increase the number of Muslims visiting the kingdom to perform Umrah from 6.8 million visitors to 15 million visitors by 2020, according to Financial Times.

Earlier this year, the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP) organized the Hajj Hackathon to promote the use of technology to boost the Hajj experience.

The event asked participants to propose ideas that would modernize the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca and enhance the experience through technology and innovation.

These are the top 20 destinations for MENA-based travelers

  1. Egypt   
  2. India   
  3. Saudi Arabia   
  4. Turkey    
  5. United Arab Emirates    
  6. Indonesia    
  7. Jordan
  8. Philippines    
  9. Pakistan    
  10. Morocco
  11. Lebanon
  12. Sudan
  13. Thailand
  14. United Kingdom
  15. Malaysia
  16. Germany
  17. Azerbaijan
  18. United States
  19. Georgia
  20. Bosnia and Herzegovina