Arabic Sexual Assault Game Taharrush – Hidden Danger in the Streets of Europe

Taharrush is Arabic for harassment, and it is an Arabic mass sexual assault game in which a mob of men sexually assault a woman in a crowded public place. 

This brutal assault game caught public attention worldwide for the first time when Lara Logan, a female journalist for the American network CBS was assaulted in 2011 in Cairo’s Tahrir Square by hundreds of men while covering the Egyptian revolution. Later many such cases were reported from cities across Europe, predominantly Germany in which many women were mass molested by North African men, mostly refugees, on 2016 New year’s eve and other public gatherings.

359 women had filed sexual assault complaints in Cologne, Germany, the maximum from any city. Other cities from which cases were filed are Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Stuttgart in Germany; Salzburg in Austria; Helsinki in Finland; Kalmar and Malmö in Sweden; and Zurich in Switzerland. Similar cases were reported from a music festival  ‘We Are Sthlm’ organised in Stockholm in 2014 and 2015.

Taharrush is a term used to describe a form of sexual harassment and assault that typically occurs in large crowds, such as at public events or gatherings. The term is used primarily in the Arab world, and the phenomenon has received increased attention in recent years due to several high-profile incidents that have taken place in Egypt and Europe.

Taharrush typically involves groups of men surrounding and harassing women in public spaces, using physical contact and intimidation to intimidate and overpower their victims. This behavior can range from verbal harassment and catcalling to unwanted physical contact, such as groping and fondling and can sometimes escalate to more serious forms of assault like rape.

First Documented Case of Taharrush

The brutal sexual assault game is said to have been documented for the first time when Egyptian security agents assaulted women protestors who had assembled for a political demonstration in Tahrir Square, Cairo, in 2005. Since then the technique has been employed in Egypt to deter women from joining protests.

Taharrush spread across Egypt and later many cases of mass assault by groups of young men were reported.

In incidents of taharrush, a group of men would encircle a woman, with outer rings of men discouraging potential rescuers. The attackers often pretended to be there to help the woman, causing confusion and making it difficult for her to escape.

Reports indicate that women have been subjected to a range of horrific and violent acts, including being groped, stripped, beaten, bitten, penetrated with fingers, and raped.

The situation was described as a “circle of hell” and highlights the deeply ingrained misogyny in Egyptian society, where women are blamed for simply being in public and subjected to sexual violence as a means of control and shame. This disturbing trend has also been seen in the use of sexual assault as a weapon against female protesters in Egypt in 2005 and in recent years.

During the 2006 Eid al-Fitr holiday, a group of men who had been denied entry into a movie hall engaged in hours-long assault of women in Talaat Harb Street in Cairo and police did not intervene at all.

Later such incidents became a prominent feature of festivals all across Egypt.

Amnesty International reported about a series of attacks on many women protestors near Tahrir Square in 2013 in which women aged 7 to 70 were assaulted.

Socio-Cultural Reaons

Taharrush is a product of a toxic patriarchal society in which men have grown up under oppressive military regimes. These societies are highly misogynistic in nature and do not see women’s participation in the public sphere as a healthy development. Sexually deprived and unemployed poor men, frustrated at the hands of oppressive regimes in African and Arab countries sexually assault women to vent out their frustration and fulfill sexual gratification. Inaction and tacit support for such mass sexual assaults by Egyptian security agencies have only emboldened the practice. Instead of punishing the culprits the victims are shamed and have to suffer the stigma lifelong.

Taharrush is used as a tool to deter women from stepping outside the homes and participating in public activities.

The impact of taharrush on its victims can be profound and long-lasting. Women who experience taharrush often feel violated, humiliated, and traumatized, and may struggle with feelings of shame, fear, and anxiety. The incident can also have a lasting impact on a woman’s relationships, self-esteem, and ability to participate in public life.