[cont.] The eye witness states:

'I could not blame the young men. In my opinion, sexual repression and depression and cowardice (I do not excuse the perpetrators for what they did, I just cannot understand the motives of over a thousand people who moved as one body towards a single target, I can’t understand) led them to not even distinguish between a veiled girl and an unveiled girl, or even a munaqaba girl (face veiled). Repression and a severe sexual frenzy made them unable to make any distinctions. One of the chants that they repeated when they headed towards a prey was Yay, we get to fxck! Yay, we get to fxck! and another after they were done with a girl and headed towards another, Another one, another.'

She cannot blame them? The fact that these men, who grew up in Islamic culture and are well aware of the fate of rape victims, attacked ordinary young women like wild beasts. Why are Muslim women not protesting about this, rather than supporting the man whose hateful sermons liken them to catsmeat. Guess it was all the fault of those slutty girls for daring to be out in public.

Christians had to become more secular to escape the yoke of priests. Takes guts and determination but Muslims have to do the same to liberate themselves.

What I really cannot understand is why so many Left leaning feminists, especially Australian feminist academics, lionize Islam. The root of the 'problem' is not 'men', it is the abuse of power by the few who profit from it. It is more about politics than religion, but then the Catholic Church was more about politics too.

Shakira Hussein,

I'd like to ask you about comments you made:

"Islam did not inspire his behaviour but his particular understanding of Islam provided him with justification."

"......young men crave status and that some young men who are denied this will turn toxic; that those of us who are Muslim and Western must build an Islam enriched by ancestral cultures but not enclosed by them..."

May you indicate whether you will respond online?

You can only admire the Muslim women who speak out as this author does, but one wonders how safe they are when the spotlight has been turned off. Are they ostricised and left unprotected?
As for the 'toxic' young men, they could get involved in sport,volunteer work,anything that will get them involved and away from poisonous imams who will only do them harm. Which young men in Australia are 'empowered' by what?
I always thought that protest marches needed a permit to proceed. The way the Islamics take over the streets for their protest marches makes me wonder if this is so or do they think they are above the law?

I have been interested in this debate about how women seem to invite rape or other adverse sexual attention. Yet few have mentioned men - what is it with men? A woman shows flesh and their rational mind flies out the window, they can no longer tell right from wrong, they can no longer behave within the bounds of social civility. Let's face it, every cat I have known has demonstrated more restraint when faced with the uncovered food dish! I am getting fed up with men from any tradition claiming, on one hand, the authority over women as protectors and on the other, that the protection is necessary because (other) men can't restain themselves when looking at female arms of legs. Conservative Muslim men are not alone in this claim.

But is this rush to protect women from other men about sex or is it about power? Yes, Shakira's half brother tried to exercise power over her in the name of family and religion - I have known young Christian men who did the same to their sisters. It was about power, about controlling her activities. Strikes me as a protection racket - men claim they need power and authority over women because (other?) men will be unable to behave well. Does each group of men exhibit bad behaviour sometimes so that the other groups can justify the controlling behaviour? Are certain men tapped for the role of 'being dangerous'? Sounds unlikely and yet... Women have been controlled by the threat of male violence or sexual attack for centuries by men of many different faiths and cultures. How about some of you men readers sharing your tips for exercising physical restraint so women can exercise the same access to public places that the vast majority of men take for granted? White Ribbon Day is coming up - get involved men - actually take action to help all men be as restrained as you are.

Dear Peony

Sometimes men want to protect women from other men because they know how men think :)
It might be about 'power' in some cases, but in others simple concern.
The important thing in my humble view is to send the right messages by what we wear. This applies equally to blokes and girls.

I don't think I'm alone in saying that the sight of a relatively unclad female who happens to have a nice look, indeed has an effect on a bloke.

What I'd like is that the 'effect' is to draw out a mans deeper sense of love and genuine affection, rather than shallow sexual attraction.
More cleavage or more leg or more midrif... just does not convey that message, but.. the general attitude of the girl is what completes the message, and it can often be refreshingly innocent.

The problem seems partly that some girls do indeed dress for maximum sexual attractiveness, but its aimed at 'Mr suitable' rather than all blokes. The message is clear, but if mr unsuitable reads it and makes a move, aah.. she might tell him to 'get a life you pervert' or something. He's not mis-reading, just mis-speaking :)

Restraint though, is something we all have to have. 'Messages' are NEVER 'come molest me' ..they might be "have a go, you might get lucky" but never asking for assault or rape.

The most that can be said about girls (to address the topic) being at "fault" in modesty issues, is that they if they dress sexually, they will simply bruise a lot of egos in blokes they don't find attractive.

One 'value' we could do well to re-capture is that of true beauty being the whole person, not just the fleshy lumpy curvey bits.