A controversial Saudi preacher has sparked outrage after he blamed women for rapes and harassment in a tweet. Ahmed Bin Saad Al Qarni shared a video on the social media platform that said women are the cause of harassment and adultery.
Al Qarni also said that women instigate men to rape and assault them. The preacher, who is said to be a member of Amnesty International, made these comments along with a video.
"Yes, women are the cause of adultery and sexual harassment. Look at the woman in this video; she made the men go mad. Don't blame men," he said in the video.
"If he rapes her, she'll come home crying over her dignity. I swear to God, women are the cause of harassment and adultery. Look at the woman in this video, she's the one who stopped the man driving the vehicle, and she's the one who got into the car with him," he tweeted, according to StepFeed.com.
"A woman who leaves her house wearing make-up and perfume is an adulteress. A good woman who's wearing a kitchen apron will never leave her house looking like that. Don't blame men."
Al Qarni's comments created outrage on social media with many netizens slamming him over his derogatory remarks. A women's rights activist, Sarah, responded to the tweets and told the publication that people who believe in Al Qarni's statements should change for good.
"For anything to change, we must stand up to people who share statements similar to Al Qarni's, we can't be silent in the face of this offensive ideology. This rhetoric must end now," she added.
This controversy erupted just after the Saudi General Entertainment Authority (GEA) cancelled the concert of Egyptian singer Sherine for a fundraising event. The GEA said that the organisers failed to apply for the permit for the concert.
After a two-decade-long ban, Saudi Arabia recently loosened the reins on entertainment and allowed musical concerts to take place, but it was only for male singers.
Last month, King Salman in a historic decision lifted the ban on women driving in the kingdom.
