Saudi Gazette report AL-KHOBAR — Judges have deemed winking as a form of sexual harassment that can lead to imprisonment, Makkah daily reported. Lawyer and former judge Ahmad Al-Jaliti said the act is “highly unethical”. “When a man winks at a woman in a public place or vice versa, they mean to initiate an interaction that will lead to an unlawful relationship,” said Al-Jaliti. He added since winking is such a trivial action, it is only considered sexual harassment when the person winking does it persistently to emphasize his intent. “If a man winks at a woman persistently he may undergo disciplinary action, be issued a warning, face imprisonment and be obliged to do community service. “This applies to both men and women.” He added in his view men should face a bigger punishment than women as their harassment usually reaps bigger consequences. Family consultant and psychologist Salman Al-Habib said winking is a way of beckoning to the other sex and is the first step in an unlawful relationship. He said: “There shouldn't be a difference between men and women's harassment. I think women's harassment reaps bigger consequences because men are quicker to respond. “Winking is mainly spread among teenagers in our society.” He added that people should be aware of not turning platonic interaction between men and women into a social taboo.
