“If you have a woman who wears a hijab (head scarf) or niqab (face veil) in her everyday life, if she’s pictured in revealing clothes, it is a violation for her and can cause major repercussions, but the law doesn’t recognise that,” said Safa Yousaf, from Amina MWRC.
“We had one case where a woman had pictures shared wearing a bikini, and the police officer said, what’s the big deal, you’re still wearing a swimming costume, and didn’t get why it’s problematic. It’s about decolonising the definition of intimate images as they don’t reflect BME women’s experiences,” said Yousaf.
This was the experience of Hania*, 31. She was getting ready to leave work when she got a call from a number she didn’t recognise. “I loved your photos. I wanna see you. You should definitely do Only Fans,” a rasping voice said.
“I just thought it was some random pervert, so I just blocked the number. But then I got another call from a guy saying he had a fantasy about a Muslim woman swearing at him and was willing to pay. I was like, what the hell. I yelled at him where did you get my number from?”
To her horror, she discovered a Facebook page had been created without her knowledge, featuring numerous pictures of her in bikinis and glamorous outfits from nights out, along with her name and phone number.
“I recognised the photos straight away from holidays and nights out with my ex-husband. While I am not ashamed of the photos in themselves, they were private pictures from private moments and having it out there and portrayed in a sleazy way was awful.”
Hania went to the police. “Because I am older and don’t take any sh*t anyway, I didn’t have the same qualms about reporting it that a lot of women from my background would have.”
When she went to the police, she was told there was nothing they could do as legally, they didn’t meet the legal definition of intimate image abuse.
“To be fair, the police were sympathetic, but I could tell they didn’t really get it. He said because I wasn’t naked or anything, it didn’t count as revenge porn, but because of the way our community is, I may as well have been naked, the way everyone reacted.”
Hania had to tell her employers about it and change her numbers. She also faced a backlash from her family and friends.
“My mum was furious and said I brought shame on the family. The thing is, the community is very judgemental. Nobody judged my ex, but because I am a woman, I was the one who got slut-shamed.”
The Revenge Porn Helpline said they frequently receive calls from desperate Muslim women and that the law needs to encompass a “diverse cultural understanding of intimacy” to protect women and recognises what intimate image abuse looks like to them rather than through a Western lens.
“The legal definition of ‘intimate images’ does not often align with cultural perspectives. For instance, public displays of affection or culturally inappropriate dress wear could be perceived as private and sexual to them, prompting individuals to seek assistance from the Revenge Porn Helpline. Unfortunately, our hands are tied by existing legislation, restricting our ability to help support these cases.”