Authorities in Istanbul briefly detained a man who attacked a female university student for “wearing shorts” during the ongoing Islamic holy month of Ramadan, claiming he had been “provoked” by the woman.
The incident, which took place in broad daylight while people stood by, was captured on a video that has gone viral.
According to the Indian Express, the woman reportedly fought back, prompting the man to grab her and push her to the back of the bus before he ran out of the vehicle.
The Indian news outlet reports:
Targeting woman for their attire and way of living in the name of religion is nothing new. But instilling fear and shaming people is a different thing and physically attacking a lady for her clothes make it a much serious concern.”
Recently, a female student in Turkey was assaulted by a man, her supposed crime — she was wearing shorts during [Ramadan]!
The victim has been identified as university student Asena Melisa Saglam. The incident took place in Istanbul.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports:
Saglam said that throughout the journey the man had been verbally harassing her by saying she should not be wearing shorts during Ramadan.
The man was detained but following questioning — in which he reportedly said he had been “provoked” — he was set free, causing a new outcry.
In the video, people are shown watching the attack unfold without taking any action to stop the man. One man later appears to ask the woman, now sitting on the floor, if she is okay.
The majority of Muslims follow the tradition of abstaining from eating, drinking, smoking, having sex, and other physical needs each day, starting from before the break of dawn until sunset, during Ramadan.
However, many extremists perceive Ramadan as a time of violence when martyrdom and jihad are especially rewarded in paradise.
The Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) urged jihadists to carry out more violent attacks on Ramadan’s “Night of Power,” Islam’s holiest day, reports Fox News.
“Law enforcement officials around the world are on high alert this week as ISIS calls for a surge of civilian attacks during Islam’s ‘Night of Power,’ the holiest day on the Islamic calendar, which this year begins Wednesday evening,” notes the news outlet.
“Known in Arabic as “Laylat al-Qadr,” it marks the night during the holy month of Ramadan that Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad received the first revelations of the Quran,” it adds.
The holy month is expected to end on Saturday. At least 1,470 people have been killed and 1,435 others wounded so far in more than 20 predominantly Muslim countries.
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