In a recent viral video, Mariam Shawky, a young woman from Cairo, shared a disturbing clip of a man who attempted to sexually assault and rob her on public transport. Instead of de-escalating the situation, the man only continued to increase the tension by throwing insults at Mariam, criticizing her clothing and overall appearance, and calling her “irreligious”. The other passengers, instead of defusing matters, appear to try calming the suspect down and stand by his immoral actions even as he aims at Mariam towards the end of the footage.
Shortly after, Mariam shared another video claiming the man had been stalking her a week before the incident. She had even taken the decision to quit her job in fear of becoming a victim to sexual assault, asserting that no woman should ever live like that. A while later, the suspect denied Mariam’s allegations, and accused her of deceiving the public despite the footage captured.
What happened to Mariam is a clear example of injustice and unfair judgement. No woman should carry the fear of potential exposure to sexual offenders or get scrutinized by bystanders who witnessed the entire incident before their eyes. Every woman has the right and privilege to defend herself.
