That was very well put – I do agree that “values” are not an automatic green light for violence, but safety is still each person’s responsibility. Female genital mutilation is cultural, female genital multilation is always wrong. Period. So is rape (which has been shown over and over again to have NOTHING to do with sex. It’s about power. You’re an unemployed young Arab man and the girl in your building happens to be making a little bit of cash working at a jewellery worshop that employs only women, if you have little control over your animal impulses, then you might just convince yourself that raping her might make up for your feelings of uselessness. It’s no different from the folks who throw acid on women’s faces who dare to turn their marriage proposals down.)

That being said, values (and yes, I believe that only animals rape – that’s my value and I’m sticking to it) aren’t going to protect you from so-called animals at the end of the day, and as is evident by this blog and everything we see in the news, it does in fact take years (hopefully not centuries though!) for cultures to change and learn tolerance (and they never do 100%, but perfection is not of this world, is it?).

I’m looking at Iranians with a lot of admiration now, and I’m allowing myself to hope that a little bit of well-placed female vanity, increased female earning-power, and the speed of communications will force that cultural change faster than some people might like, and that in my lifetime, a woman can walk down the main streets of any Arab country in skimpy clothing and all anyone can do about it is mutter “sharmouta” quietly under their breath if they don’t like it.

While I do not believe rape is the victim’s fault, it is all of our responsibility, female & male to not create an environment that invites unwanted attention that may lead to crimes like rape.

Should a woman be able to wear what she wants, yes. But if the culture is structured in a way that wearing too revealing clothing invites rape, then she should do what she can to limit this.

It takes years, centuries, to change a culture, just because you can walk down LA in skimpy clothing does not mean you should do so in the middle of Beirut.

Be modest for yourself because you can control how you dress & act, not how others do.

Have a nice evening, and give it a rest. I can feel that your body is aching and your heart rate is rising over a stupid post. My blog is not worth it. So have a nice day.

Your point of view is reprehensible and damaging. How you aren’t able to understand that is beyond me.

But you’re right, this conversation is over. Perhaps your thoughts will change once you’re personally affected by the violent crime that affects a quarter of all women. Then again, you’ll probably just justify it as being the victim’s fault anyway.

I find it funny that people think the rebellious idea for me is to go outside my cultural values and religion. It is in the header, “open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.” That’s what I believe in.

I can understand why from a woman’s perspective covering up might be a good thing (yes I know how Arab men stare, and it’s not just Arab men) but then take topless beaches for example. I went to one in Spain, and I have to say, *I* probably stared more at some shockingly good looking women’s boobs that the men around me did. I went to a topless beach in Miami, and while the men there were certainly not rude to the women who went topless (they were trying not to gawk), you could tell that they noticed beacause American men are less used to that than Europeans.

I don’t know about you, but that tells me that you can actually condition men – like little kids – by pointing out boundaries of what’s acceptable and what’s not acceptable to believe in, and that’s acting on the notion that rape is no different than say armed theft or perhaps murder is wrong and punishable. Its not sexual, no one asks for it, it’s something a perp who can’t control his/her emotions does.

Interesting how in Christian religious legend, sex is viewed as a necessary evil, and it’s assumed that women don’t like sex anyway, so they are the guardians of chastiy. In Muslim legend, sex is not intrinsically bad, but out-of wedlock sex is a huge, horrific sin, and since men apparantly are only just slightly more evolved than chimpanzees and can’t control their impulses, it also falls on the woman’s shoulders to be the guardian of chastity.

Different convoluted arguments, same silly result – one that makes women feel guilty for liking sex, and treats men like unevolved apes who if they see a half-naked woman, are not held responsible for raping her.

In ain’t so in countries where men are expected to act human, and not chimp-like.

Never mind that women are just as likely to be molested and raped if they dress conservatively, right? That women are most likely to be raped by their husbands and boyfriends, right? Only women who deserve it get raped in your little world! Serves them right for being outside!

You completely exhausted your argument now. Are you done? I think you are. Have a nice day.

Your blog is inappropriately titled. Blaming women for crimes against their bodies is not rebellious thinking in the least.