Recently elected Tunisian MP, Zouheir Makhlouf and human rights advocate found himself at the centre of a #MeToo storm.
.... after a photo was taken of him with his trousers pulled down, ointment or cream on one hand, in a car outside a girls high school.
The pictures were posted on-line, where he was accused of public masturbation. Not unnaturally he denied this, and he says he was about to urinate into a bottle, as he is a diabetic (his wife Saïda Ounissi, Mejda Makhlouf has backed his diabetic toilet bottle claims). Presumably public toilets are not readily available in Tunisia .... although why he chose to do so outside a school he has not explained.
The MP represents Nabeul, a coastal town about 60 kilometres from the country's capital Tunis, and the photos were taken in October 2019, by a 19 year old female student who also alleged that the politician had been harassing her. In 2017, Tunisian lawmakers introduced a landmark law to protect women against all forms of violence, but having a law and changing the mindset of Arab males, especially in patriarchal societies, is another matter. The Indian sub-continent is struggling with much the same issues as the Arab world.
The protests in Tunisia are being shared under the hashtag #EnaZeda, which means "#MeToo" in Tunisian Arabic. However, technically Zouheir Makhlouf enjoys parliamentary immunity and therefore can't be prosecuted, but nevertheless, such was the level of protest that a judge is examining the case for "sexual harassment and moral injury" .... however it looks as though it won't go further.
In theory, the Tunisian law ensures that once an harassment complaint is officially lodged, even if the victim then changes her mind, the legal procedure continues ... this protects complainants of sexual assault or harassment, from being forced by their own or their attackers families into retracting the allegations, as many women retract, even before the police, often reluctantly, bother take a report.
This story has unleashed a blizzard of social media stories from women (and some men) of rape, marital rape and sexual harassment. Accusations have been made against people in the military, the police, universities, schools, the media and relatives ... many, many stories about assault or harassment from uncles, brothers, neighbours, even about the neighbourhood corner store clerks.
Sexual harassment or rape charges have been laid against many prominent Arab men in recent times, but none have been jailed.
Tunisia is the most successful of the attempted Arab Springs ..... but like elsewhere, the changes are still having a hard time sticking.
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| Explaining It To The Wife, May Not Have Been Easy .... |
.... after a photo was taken of him with his trousers pulled down, ointment or cream on one hand, in a car outside a girls high school.
The pictures were posted on-line, where he was accused of public masturbation. Not unnaturally he denied this, and he says he was about to urinate into a bottle, as he is a diabetic (his wife Saïda Ounissi, Mejda Makhlouf has backed his diabetic toilet bottle claims). Presumably public toilets are not readily available in Tunisia .... although why he chose to do so outside a school he has not explained.
 |
| Dirty Old MP or Trumped Up Charges? |
The MP represents Nabeul, a coastal town about 60 kilometres from the country's capital Tunis, and the photos were taken in October 2019, by a 19 year old female student who also alleged that the politician had been harassing her. In 2017, Tunisian lawmakers introduced a landmark law to protect women against all forms of violence, but having a law and changing the mindset of Arab males, especially in patriarchal societies, is another matter. The Indian sub-continent is struggling with much the same issues as the Arab world.
The protests in Tunisia are being shared under the hashtag #EnaZeda, which means "#MeToo" in Tunisian Arabic. However, technically Zouheir Makhlouf enjoys parliamentary immunity and therefore can't be prosecuted, but nevertheless, such was the level of protest that a judge is examining the case for "sexual harassment and moral injury" .... however it looks as though it won't go further.
In theory, the Tunisian law ensures that once an harassment complaint is officially lodged, even if the victim then changes her mind, the legal procedure continues ... this protects complainants of sexual assault or harassment, from being forced by their own or their attackers families into retracting the allegations, as many women retract, even before the police, often reluctantly, bother take a report.
This story has unleashed a blizzard of social media stories from women (and some men) of rape, marital rape and sexual harassment. Accusations have been made against people in the military, the police, universities, schools, the media and relatives ... many, many stories about assault or harassment from uncles, brothers, neighbours, even about the neighbourhood corner store clerks.
Sexual harassment or rape charges have been laid against many prominent Arab men in recent times, but none have been jailed.
- Prominent Egyptian footballer Amr Warda, has had numerous complaints about his treatment and harassment of women on-line, but his national team mates pressured for him to be reinstated to the team.
- Moroccan singer Saad Lamjarred, has been accused of rape in three separate cases, two filed in France and one in the U.S. but not a problem with his career in Arab countries.
Tunisia is the most successful of the attempted Arab Springs ..... but like elsewhere, the changes are still having a hard time sticking.
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