Hajj
Muslim pilgrims circle the Kaaba at the Grand mosque in Mecca [Representational Image]Reuters

Several women from across the globe have been sharing their stories of how they were sexually abused or assaulted while on the Muslim pilgrimage of Hajj in Mecca.

The hashtag #MosqueMeToo flooded Twitter as angered women condemned the sexual assault of a woman during Hajj last week poured in. 

The woman, hailing from a South Asian country, was allegedly groped during the Hajj, DailyMail reported.

The victim woman took the brave decision to write about her experience on social media, following the #MeToo campaign that made headlines last year.

Women from all communities reacted to the incident and said even the "holiest of places aren't safe for women."

The 'MosqueMeToo' drive

#MosqueMeToo has been trending on Twitter ever since Egyptian-American feminist author Mona Eltahawy shared her story of sexual assault during Hajj in the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. She was only 15 when it happened.

Eltahawy thought of starting a drive back in 2013 by speaking out against the sexual assault she experienced in 1982. Here's a tweet by her which shows she shared her story on a TV show in 2013, when she launched the #MosqueMeToo drive on Twitter.

The Egyptian-American feminist author has been conversing with women who have faced assault inside the holy Islamic pilgrimage site. Referring to the mass criticism she witnessed after she shared the incident with her, Eltahawy tweeted:

Groped during Hajj

In the latest case, the victim was on Hajj for her third tawaf (Islamic ritual) a few days ago when she was allegedly groped multiple times until she grabbed the hand touching her and put it away.

After she shared her ordeal on social media, she wasted no time in sharing the details of the assault on social media with the hashtag #MeToo.

grope black and white
[Representational Image]Wikimedia Commons

According to a report by Indian Express, the victim, before sharing details of the assault, wrote in the post: "I was afraid to share this because it might hurt your religious sentiments".

Here are some excerpts of the post, which is now deleted,

—While performing my tawaaf around the Kaaba after isha prayer, something really weird happened. It was my 3rd tawaf, and I felt a hand on my waist. I thought it was just an innocent mistake. I completely ignored. Then... I felt it again. It made me feel very uncomfortable. I kept moving. During my 6th tawaf I suddenly felt something aggressively poking my butt, I froze, unsure of whether it was intentional. I ignored and just kept moving slowly because the crowd was huge. I even tried to turn around but woefully couldn't.—

The post further read:

—When I reached the Yemeni corner, someone tried to grab and pinch my butt. I decided to stop there. Grabbed his hand and threw it off me *couldn't move or turn around* I was literally petrified. Couldn't even escape, so I stood, and turned around as much as I could, to see what's happening, I turned around but... couldn't see who it was.—

—I believe it's totally okay and important to be open about harassment. Don't know how many of you had a similar experience there but this incident has unfortunately left me feeling upset.—

Thousands of women along with Eltahawy empathised with the victim, sharing their experiences of sexual assault during Here are some of the tweets: