Saudi Arabia: Govt Punishes Spreading 'Rumors' After Alleged Sexual Harassment
Saudi officials have warned that anyone spreading "baseless" rumors on social media could face up to five years in prison and a hefty fine.
The warning came after a concert in Riyadh was canceled. Online reports after the concert said the women were sexually harassed as they were returning home.
Some women told, they were afraid to post what happened after the concert on social media.
The head of the Saudi Entertainment Authority has been seen mocking his claims in several tweets.
This is the latest development in the cultural and social conflict in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has been a very conservative society and now it is trying to make it a society that hosts a lot of entertainment.
The much-awaited K-Pop and Stray Kids concert was canceled at the last minute on the evening of January 14 due to strong winds. Fans, frustrated by the crowds, struggled to find their way home from the venue on the outskirts of the Saudi capital.
After that, there were reports on social media that the girls had gone missing from the concert and there were also reports of sexual harassment. At least on the internet, there was panic. After that, hashtags started appearing which increased the feeling of fear.
The truth is not yet clear.
Many who claimed to be present said that no such incident had taken place and that the organizers had managed well even in difficult circumstances.
His words are probably reinforced by the fact that as the evening wore on, pictures of some men harassing women began to be posted. But some of these photos were taken randomly from social media accounts or they were taken from celebrity accounts. This trolling undermined the claim of many women that such incidents had taken place.
The head of the Saudi Entertainment Authority, Turki al-Sheikh, later mocked reports of harassment in several tweets, saying they were fabrications.
Many online accounts are rapidly becoming memes, mocking reports of harassment or missing girls, and those who make such allegations and those who post them are called 'liars' and 'defame Saudi Arabia'. Wale 'was said.
But many women who have previously spoken, about their concerns about harassment of women in entertainment programs in the country insisted that some of what was reported was true. ۔
She acknowledges that it is difficult to prove this because no videos or photos have been released to substantiate the claims. However, their concern goes even further.
He says some of those who posted such reports on social media or hosted online discussions have received threats and have closed their accounts.
He believes the government's response is aimed at silencing those who, according to officials, could affect Saudi Arabia's new reputation in the region as an open and welcoming entertainment hub.
She fears that in the future, women will be reluctant to go to public places for fear of sexual harassment, which they say is already limited due to the country's traditional social norms.
The latest uproar over entertainment comes just weeks after the four-day MDL Best Music Festival in Riyadh. The festival not only attracted millions of people, but was also disliked by conservative elements in Saudi Arabia.
The organizers of the event issued a code of conduct stating that harassment of any kind would not be tolerated.
How serious the Saudi authorities are about this is further strengthened by a recent harassment case. Recently, for the first time in the history of the country, the name of a person who has been found guilty of sexual harassment has been published in the local media.
But the women who expressed concern about January 14 fear that their freedom of speech has been further restricted.