In response to several recent sexual assaults at York University in Toronto, Canada, Al-Haashim Kamena Atangana, a 33-year-old Islamic convert and street cleric, says the answer is to legislate women’s clothes.
Via the Toronto Sun:
“You should take your example from the way Muslim women dress,” he wrote. “Why does (sic) Muslim women who wear long dress and covers her head aren’t targeted for sex attacks?…If (women) want to prevent being sexually assaulted, they should cover themselves,” said Atangana, adding that while he doesn’t expect Western women to dress as Muslim women do, they should have a “dress code” and take note of the burka the head scarf and face veil some Muslim females wear.”
He suggests that “Toronto (become) the first city in North America to introduce laws that would make it illegal for women to dress provocatively.”
Thankfully, the Toronto Sun quotes intelligent people who poke holes right through his assertions and suggestions.
Readers of this blog know the drill: street harassment and sexual assault doesn’t happen because of what we wear, they happen because the perpetrators are abusing their power and acting disrespectfully. I just visited Egypt and I saw first-hand that it’s not about what women wear. In public places in Egypt, most women are veiled and every woman is very modestly dressed (I got to wear pants and long sleeve shirts in 110 degree weather), yet every single woman has a harassment story.
After reading this story, yet another one about a man in Toronto blaming women for men’s harassment and assault, I’ve got to ask, what is up with men in Toronto?
* In January 2011, a representative of the Toronto Police stated, “women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized.” This led to Slutwalk Toronto and countless SlutWalks around the world.
* In October 2011, after school officials reported a man who was harassing girls on the way to school, police advised them to tell their female students to only change into their school uniform once they arrived at school.
* In February 2012, a woman reported harassers in her neighborhood and the police told her to grow a thicker skin.
* In March 2012, the Toronto Globe & Mail newspaper published a horrid piece by an older man who wrote on and on about how great and acceptable it is to leer and objectify young women in public places.
