Saudi cleric holds women responsible for rape and harassment

A Saudi cleric Ahmed Bin Saad Al Qarni has sparked rage on social media for calling women the cause of harassment and adultery. He also stated that a woman who leaves her house wearing makeup and perfume is an “adulteress”.

Saudi government gave women their legal right to drive in the country last month. Another legislation terming harassment a criminal offense will also get introduced soon. These amendments’ in Saudi law have instigated opposing reaction from male respondentsin Saudi Arabia including this cleric Al Qarni.

Cleric shared a video and claimed that it shows a woman provoking a man in it. “If he rapes her, she'll come home crying over her dignity”, he captioned.

“I swear to God, women are the cause of harassment and adultery. Look at the woman in this video, she's the one who stopped the man driving the vehicle, and she's the one who got into the car with him,” he added.

Saudi women have strongly reacted to cleric’s statements saying that women even on wearing hijab, abaya or niqab (fully covered) still get harassed every single day. Sexual harassment has nothing to do with the victim.