Writer: Ahmed Ashry
Translator: Sarah Mandor
Editor: Nada Elnady
I am asking you, fellow males, to put yourselves in a situation where you are not raped, but objectified, where you are not considered as a person, but as an object. You are degraded to the status of a mere object. In other words, you are sexualized. Something many men do daily and act like it is nothing. However, it is shameful to even THINK about that. Now, in that situation, are you comfortable? I don’t think so. But now, I will ask you to imagine being in a more terrifying situation: rape. Imagine being eleven in that situation. Imagine the tears on your cheeks as you’re pleading for mercy, and after this experience is finally over, you want to talk to anyone about it, but you’re afraid that you will not be believed. Imagine the trauma that would get into you. Are you still impartial after this HYPOTHETICAL scenario? Will you be okay with it happening to anybody? I don’t think so.
My fellow females, I believe what you went through was a lot, but I will never fully perceive what it feels like to be in such an experience. I understand that sexual harassment is quite common. I understand that there is no reason or explanation that could alleviate that crime. I understand that what you wear is not a reason for sexual harassment. I now understand that I have a privilege of being a male in this society. I now see that men sometimes would do terrible things to women and get away with it because of that given privilege. I know that there is no equality in this society, but this time, I will not stand still and do nothing to change that; no, not now, not ever. This time, I demand equality and I demand it now. I demand justice. I demand that my privilege, which shouldn’t even exist, be taken away. I demand that we should be treated as equals, because we are equals. I am a man and I stand with you. I am a man and I support you no matter what. Even if you are not my mother or sister, you are my fellow human being. I stand with you today, and every day, because we are stronger together. I stand with you because we are, now more than ever, in this together.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️