Sexual Harassment and Preserving Human Dignity
A Round Table Organized by the Middle East Council of Churches
The Secretary General Professor Michel Abs: Between harassment and slavery...awareness and rebellion
Silence prevails in this jungle called sexual harassment
You can find some photos at the end of the text.
As part of its monthly seminar series, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) held a round table entitled “Sexual Harassment and Preserving Human Dignity,” on Thursday 30 May 2024, at the offices of the MECC General Secretariat in Beirut. This symposium emphasizes the importance of raising awareness about the issue of sexual harassment and the need for ongoing work to reduce this dangerous phenomenon in societies.
The round table included two sessions in which researchers and specialists from various fields and Middle Eastern countries spoke. The first session revolved around the title “The Dangers of Sexual Harassment for Victims of Assault.” The second session was entitled “Mechanisms for Confronting Sexual Harassment.”
Attendees were specialists and interested people in the topic who participated at in the offices of the MECC General Secretariat or online via the “Zoom” platform. Noting that the symposium was broadcasted live on the MECC YouTube channel (first session - second session).
The symposium began with an opening speech by Dr. Chawki Attieh, who moderated the first session, and condemned the phenomenon of harassment that affects society at the core of its ethics, stressing that the lesson remains in implementing international agreements and laws that protect members of society and victims and preserve their rights and dignity.
Then, the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs delivered a speech entitled “Between Harassment and Slavery... Awareness and Rebellion.” He said, “Silence prevails in this jungle called sexual harassment, and hiding it is the result of a stupid family solidarity hitting the weakest among them, who rather deserves protection, all this in avoidance of a scandal. How many processes of persecution, repression, violence and sexual exploitation came to light after years, and even decades, during which the victims remained silent for fear of anything, until the swelling was opened and the ugliness brought out to the public.
He added, "Any disease that spreads in society with deadly silence kills its vulnerable people, who may not be sure at first what is happening to them, due to their age or ignorance, or who have their mouths shut when they realize their situation and wanted to speak out. Harassment exists everywhere, at home, school, university, work, and in the street, its scope is expanding, and awareness against it is expanding, but it is still hidden and present among us. What is the reason? We are not aware enough and not daring enough, either for fear of retaliatory consequences or to avoid a scandal.”
Afterwards, the first session began, during which Dr. Suleiman Kasouha, Professor of Communication Psychology at the University of Damascus, spoke about “Enhancing the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse through Cultural Understanding, a Participatory Call to Action and Empowering Local Communities.” Professor Mouzaffar Saber Sharif Zoukan, Director of the Palestinian Prisoners Society in Nablus Governorate, also touched on “the Conditions of Palestinian Female Prisoners After October 7 in the Prisons of the [Israeli] occupation.”
In addition, Professor Dr. Jamal Chehata Habib, Professor of Education at Helwan University, shed light on “the Causes that Lead to Harassment and Methods of Prevention.” Dr. Jacqueline Ayoub, Professor and Former Director of the Faculty of Arts, Branch III, at the Lebanese University, presented an explanation about “The Psychological Effects of Sexual Harassment and Its Repercussions on Children.” In her turn, Attorney Professor Ghada Jumblatt, member of the Executive Office of the National Commission for Lebanese Women (NCLW), talked about the “Law Criminalizing Sexual Harassment and Rehabilitating Its Victims.”
Following the break, the second session began and was moderated by Dr. Lubna Tarabey. In this session, Mrs. Racha Khaled Haloul, a Consultant and Researcher Specialized in Women’s Rights, explained “The Impact of Harassment on Women in Iraq - A Legal Perspective.” Captain Engineer Elias Dagher, Representing the Lebanese Internal Security Forces, Cybercrime Office, and Cybersecurity, also presented an overview about “the Role of the Lebanese Internal Security Forces in Fighting Cybercrimes.”
As well as, Professor Amira Sukkar, President of the Union for the Protection of Juveniles in Lebanon, spoke about “Sexual Harassment and Protection Mechanisms in Lebanon.” For her part, Ms. Denise Houneini, General Coordinator of the Child Protection Program at the Ministry of Social Affairs in Lebanon, highlighted “the Role of the Ministry of Social Affairs in Protecting Children from All Forms of Violence.”
In the closing session, which was moderated by Dr. Laure Abi Khalil, the participants put their recommendations, stressing that the phenomenon of sexual harassment is a violation of human rights.
