One of the phenomena abhorrent and inconsistent with the general nature of Saudi society, which imposed itself on our social life is the phenomenon of blackmailing women (the use of threats or unfair manipulation in an attempt to influence women). This may be perpetrated to force the victims to make concessions to the criminal blackmailers. Concessions could range from paying money to having a sexual relationship with the blackmailer. Looking at the reasons behind this act, one may mention several causes. In some cases, for instance, we find such behavior motivated by a desire for revenge, whether directed at the girl herself (the victim) or her family. Sometimes, the need of making money is the sole reason that leads the blackmailer to commit this crime. Others do this just for fun. One may say, they find pleasure in forcing other people, not just women, to do what they want. But the main question that should be asked is: Why can't Saudi women resist the blackmailing? What is important is repentance from sin, not abstinence from the beginning itself. Did not the Prophet (peace be upon him) say: “All children of Adam commit mistakes, and the best of those who commit mistakes are those who repent”? The Prophet did not distinguish between men and women. This does not mean I'm justifying the faults of women, far from it, I only want to say that both sexes can and do commit mistakes. If we acknowledge this, we will hit two birds with one stone. The first is removing a lot of psychological pressure from the shoulders of women. The second is that we pull the rug from under the feet of blackmailers. Because if the criminal knows his victim will not shy away from reporting him to the authorities, he will not blackmail anymore. Additionally, if the blackmailer acknowledges the humanity of women, he will not submit to this shameful act. Because the act of the blackmailing itself is incompatible with the principle of recognizing the humanity and dignity of the victim. It is a usurpation of the right of the victim and placing her in a position lower than that of animals. In the past, women were ready to bow down to the demands of blackmailers, whatever the demands may have been. The reason behind such a passive position was the fear of scandal. They knew nobody would tolerate their mistakes because of the social mentality of men. This led some women to prefer death to life for salvation from the nightmare of the dreaded extortion. But now with increased awareness and better understanding of women who are blackmailed, victims have the courage and confidence to call up relevant authorities. This has led to, thanks to God, the saving of many lives. In order to strengthen this courage we must do the following: u Reassure women who fall into mistakes that they are not the only guilty ones in this process. u Develop clear rules and laws against this phenomenon and advertise it in public. u Force the offender to pay the blackmailer financial compensation for psychological damages. The offender should also be punished in one way or the other. u Establish call centers so it becomes easier for women to report in any case of urgency, God forbid. It would be better if those receiving the calls are women because victims will feel more comfortable in detailing out their situation. u Urge girls to report harassment immediately. They should not to be fooled into thinking that ignoring the harassment will be sufficient. Many studies show that this may be true with only 29% of cases. In 61% of cases, ignorance led to extortion later. So reporting to the authorities as soon as possible is particularly important. – SG The writer can be reached at [email protected] __
