In light of recent reports on prostitution in the region involving not just foreign imports from Russia, but also local Arab women, Brett takes his pen to the issue of prostitution and comes out with his own spin on attitudes towards the world's oldest profession.
Various Middle Eastern news outlets have recently exposed the very real presence of prostitution in the entire Levant region. So often people want to blame the womenfolk for these problems, when it’s really their own sexual desires. “If ladies wouldn’t dress so scantily, we would not have these troubles!” What ensues then is a series of double standards and humiliating rules such as banning bikinis from Sharm el Shiekh or not allowing females to sell cucumbers because of their phallic shape.
Men who have no control over their sexual appetite don’t need visual stimulations; they just need a victim. An interview done at a strip club/escort service in Lebanon revealed the most of the clientele are married, religious fathers and leaders in the community.
An article from JO magazine quickly disproves the excuse of woman’s outfits causing uncontrolled urges by stating that ‘prostitution is alive and active in the city’, and many of the working mademoiselles are clad in full hijabs! Talk about sacrilegious! Prostitution is as wrong as the sky is blue and kanafay is sweet, but to then dress the girl in clothes that represent religious modesty? This should be just as controversial as an errant tweet.
The cause and eradication of prostitution is a massive topic, but can we as humans at least agree on a few basic principles? First, sexuality is real, is excellent and is not from the devil. We are made to love and connect with our mates in the most amazing of all natural, physical ceremonies. So, to deny sex from people through the demonization, oppression or exploitation of sexuality is a universal wrong.
But secondly, can we also agree that sexual gratification is not something to be claimed over fidelity, justice or just plain integrity? One man’s inability to control his passions does not necessitate locking females in their homes or justify cheating on one’s wife.
Wherever prostitution exists, there is a demand for this distortion of intimacy. And that distortion is not because a girl wears a skirt showing her ankles. It’s because men think their needs for ‘action’ trump any other moral or civil law.
It is disturbing and sad to hear of the proliferation of such a filthy industry in these Arab countries where dignity, honor and modesty still hold high importance. Will the problems that cause prostitution go away from anywhere if we expel the prostitutes?
Sadly, this is not at all true. The brothels or street girls are not the problem-- they are the symptoms. There can be no more casting blame. Husbands, love your wives and be faithful to them. As for the young men, stop giving money for sex and save up for that wedding party!
By Brett Weer
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Bawaba's editorial policy.
