Taharrush, which literally translates which to “collective harassment”, is a type of sexual harassment and assault of women by groups of men on the street that may involve rape, beating and name-calling, groping, sexual invitations and robbery. The barbaric ‘game’, predominant in Egypt and parts of the Arabic world, is coming to be known as ‘the gangrape game’.
The assault usually takes place under the protective cover provided by large gatherings or crowds, typically mass events, including protests, rallies, concerts, or public festivals.
Till 2006, the term ‘El taarrush’ mainly referred to the molestation of minors and young people.
Here are the rules of the game:
- There is an inner core circle whose job is to manhandle the woman.
- Surrounding the core circle is a mob, which serves as a human shield for those present to carry out their job without any obstruction.
- There are one or two players who are placed outside the mob and serve as the protective shield to the core. Their job is to get to the woman in an attempt to save her from the mob.
In some cases, victims also get robbed by these men during the ordeal. These attacks on women frequently go unpunished as it becomes difficult to trace the culprits.
Taharrush’s appearance in the West
The sexual attacks on women in Cologne, Germany on New Year’s eve, is being compared Taharrush where women in large numbers were sexually abused by several groups of men, most of them being asylum seekers.
The Taharrush gangrape phenomenon first came to light in the Western world when a South African reporter, Lara Logan, was sexually assaulted by men while she was reporting on the celebrations in Tahrir Square in Egypt in 2011.
Lara Logan has been back to the Middle East to report on Islamic State since her ordeal. (Photo: YouTube screengrab)
CBS News correspondent Lara Logan was a victim of sexual attack and beating while she was reporting on the tumultuous events in Cairo. Logan was in the city's Tahrir Square after Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak stepped down when she, her team and their security were surrounded by a dangerous element amidst the celebration.
The network described a mob of more than 200 people "whipped into a frenzy." Separated from her crew in the crush of the violent pack, she suffered what CBS called "a brutal and sustained sexual assault and beating." She was saved by a group of women and an estimated 20 Egyptian soldiers, the network said.
