18-Year-Old Ain Threatened With Rape For A Couple Of Selfies She Posted On Her Instagram
Ain Husniza shared a screenshot of a tweet in which a person is threatening her with rape until she dies, telling her to stop "playing the victim" when she "dresses like a kafir".
Over the week, Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam, a student who spoke up against the normalisation of rape culture in Malaysian schools, took to her Instagram to post a set of four photos of herself looking pretty
The 18-year-old had also shared the photos on her Twitter
On the micro-blogging site, where people — who think Ain's activism against the rape culture in schools is just an attention-seeking act — often issue threats, throw jibes, and consider her "too westernised" for being vocal about sexual harassment, a cautious Ain asked people to "please be kind" under the tweet.
While many on Instagram and Twitter reacted positively to the photos, appreciating how good she looked in the dress, it wasn't long before someone wished rape and death on Ain for "dressing like a kafir"
According to multiple Instagram Stories posted by Ain, she received multiple rape threats and that a Lowyat forum was created to discuss her "just from posting a picture".
In the first Story, she included a screenshot of a tweet in which the person is threatening Ain with rape until she dies and then chopped into pieces while she was alive and sold like a pig on a black market.
The person in the tweet tells Ain to stop "playing the victim" when she dresses like an infidel.
In her next Stories, Ain shared that she has gone through a lot of things since she first spoke up about her former teacher Khairul Nizam Sanuddin making rape jokes during class.
"I don't know how many rape threats towards me I've even read up to this point," she says while remarking on the society's normalisation of the rape culture where little girls take them as given.
"I'm not sure whether it's commendable or terrifying the fact I have taken it as a given. I'm not sure whether it's commendable or terrifying that all girls have taken it as a given. We have been groomed into avoiding danger ever since we were such little girls — can't do that, can't do this, dangerous that, dangerous this."
Image via @ainhsaifulnizam (Instagram)
Ain has previously emphasised how her attire doesn't affect her stance and that we as a society need to stop judging girls for what they choose to wear — whether to cover themselves or not — as the focus should be on making schools a safe place and not moral policing
If you or someone you know may be at risk or has experienced sexual abuse or assault, please reach out to these Malaysian organisations:
1. WOMEN'S AID ORGANISATION (WAO)
Operating hours: 24-hour
Contact: +603-30008858
SMS/WhatsApp: +6018-9888058
Website | Facebook | Twitter
2. ALL WOMEN'S ACTION SOCIETY (AWAM)
Operating hours: Monday to Friday (9.30am - 5.30pm)
Contact: +603-78770224
WhatsApp/Telegram: +6016-2284221 | +6016-2374221
Email: telenita@awam.org.my
Website | Facebook | Twitter
3. WOMEN'S CENTRE FOR CHANGE PENANG (WCC PENANG)
Operating hours: Monday to Friday (9am - 5pm)
Contact: +604-2280342 | +604-3988340
WhatsApp: +6011-31084001 | +6016-4180342
Email: wcc@wccpenang.org
Website | Facebook | Twitter
4. SARAWAK WOMEN FOR WOMEN SOCIETY (SWWS)
Operating hours: Monday (7pm - 9pm),Tuesday to Thursday (9.30am - 11.30am), Saturday (2pm - 4pm)
Contact: +6082-368853
SMS/WhatsApp: +6016-5822660 | +6013-8044285
Email: sarswws@gmail.com
Website | Facebook | Twitter
5. SABAH WOMEN'S ACTION-RESOURCE GROUP (SAWO)
Operating hours: Monday to Friday (9am - 5pm)
Contact: +6088-280200 | +6011-27908020
Email: sawo.women@yahoo.com
Website | Facebook | Twitter
6. PROTECT AND SAVE THE CHILDREN (PS THE CHILDREN)
Operating hours: Monday to Friday (3pm - 12am)
WhatsApp: +6016-7213065
Email: protect@psthechildren.org.my
Website | Facebook | Twitter
7. INTERNET WATCH FOUNDATION (IWF)
Anonymously and confidentially report child sexual abuse content and non-photographic child sexual abuse images with IWF's Reporting Portal.
Read more about her fight to #MakeSchoolASaferPlace:
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