Last September, Egypt was named the worst country out of 22 Arab countries in which to be a woman. During the Arab Spring and subsequently, many women were sexually assaulted or raped. However, some Egyptian women have claimed that this statement is unfair to women in Syria, whose sexual assault is an extension of the conflict that grips the country. It was also suggested that the finding overlooks women in Saudi Arabia that cannot leave their house without male permission. What is difficult is determining the grounds on which you determine the ‘worst’. Mariam Kirollos, co-founder of Operation Anti-Sexual Harassment/Assault, stated the following to The Huffington Post: “You can’t compare rape in a public square to women being banned from driving a car.” Isn’t it heartbreaking when a crucial discussion focuses on which is worse: not going anywhere without consent from a male relative or being raped amidst thousands of people? As a journalist I’m always searching for objectivity. About half a year ago I started to do research on women in Islam and the Arab world. As a Western feminist and atheist, but chiefly an idealist, I was looking for…
