Egyptian lawyer: Women who wear ripped jeans ‘deserved to be raped’

Women who wear ripped jeans deserve to be “sexually harassed and raped”, according to an Egyptian lawyer.

Nabih Al-Wahsh revealed his controversial thoughts during a heated debate on the Infirad show aired on Al-Assema where the draft law in fighting “sexual deviance, debauchery” and prostitution was discussed.

Al-Wahsh argued that it was “a national duty” to rape girls who wear torn trousers because doing so invites people to sexually harass them.

“Girls must respect themselves so others respect them. Protecting morals is more important than protecting borders,” Al-Wahsh said, according to Al Arabiya.

Head of the National Council for Women Rights (NCWR), Maya Mursi, blasted Al-Wahsh’s comments and argued it was a “flagrant call” for rape and violates everything in the Egyptian constitution.

The bill proposed by parliament member, Shadia Thabet, who also featured in the television debate, was drafted after two young men raised the LGBTQ flag at a concert of the Lebanese group Mashrou’ Leila.

Read: 82% of women are harassed on public transport in Egypt

“Do homosexuals want this gesture to extract recognition from Egyptian society? It is impossible, Egypt is the country of good morals and of authentic religion,” Thabet explained.

Following the concert incident, Egyptian authorities launched a crackdown on homosexuals where dozens were arrested and forced to undergo anal examinations.

Despite the backlash, Al-Wahsh defended his comments in a statement to local news site Al-Watan, in which he argued that “his daughter would also deserve that [rape, sexual harassment] if she decided to wear jeans that are ripped from the back,” according to Daily News Egypt.

Egyptian lawyer says raping women who wear ripped jeans is national duty. Brave female guests outraged. https://t.co/cbChyywgd0 @akhbar pic.twitter.com/gJAvhX15ZW

— Jenan Moussa (@jenanmoussa) October 30, 2017

According to statistics released by the UN, 99 per cent of Egyptian women have experienced some form of sexual harassment in their lives which ranges from derogatory comments to physical assault.

According to a 2017 report by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the Egyptian capital is the most dangerous city in the world for women to travel to alone.