Asena Melisa Saglem: Man Slaps Woman For Wearing Shorts During Islamic Holiday Ramadan
According to Hurriyet Daily News, a man slapped a woman on a bus for wearing shorts during Islamic holiday Ramadan. CCTV footage captured the man slapping the university student, Asena Melisa Saglem, as he left the bus in Istanbul, Turkey. However, she retaliated by hitting him back but he overpowered her and pushed her away.
Asena Melisa Saglem, 21, later disclosed that the suspect who has been identified as Ercan Kiziltas, had been harassing her for the whole bus journey. She said:
“From the moment I sat down he was making these remarks: “You dress like this during Ramadan? You should feel ashamed to be dressed like that.”
Yaşam tarzımıza yönelik saldırılarda cezasızlığa izin vermeyeceğiz. #MelisaSağlamYalnızDeğildir #Hayatınİçindeyiz pic.twitter.com/TPRxuhELRM
— Kadın Cinayetlerini Durduracağız Platformu (@KadinCinayeti) June 21, 2017
Ms Saglam disclosed that when the man slapped her, it was so hard that her face struck the window. She added to the Turkish daily:
“‘I do not want him to walk around freely because I cannot anymore.”
The suspect was arrested but eventually released after saying he was ‘provoked’.He said:
“I just made a comment with good intentions. It is the month of Ramadan, and as it is the blessed month, I told her to dress appropriately.
“She was wearing mini shorts. She told me then not to look. Then on my way out I lightly hit out at her face with the back of my hand.
“The incident occurred in an instant and I am sorry for it. Before smacking her, she insulted me, and that offended me.
“I did not step in first, but then that hurt my pride, and I hit her lightly with the back of my hand.”
However, pressure from women’s rights groups have made the police want to detain him again. Infact, some reports have it that the suspect was jailed for three years and seven months on June 22 for a separate “tax offence.”
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