Shocking footage shows male mob attacking girl, 17, for dressing 'immodestly' at Iraqi motorcycle show
4 January 2023, 17:42 | Updated: 4 January 2023, 18:07
A shocking video has emerged showing a 17-year-old girl being harassed, chased and attacked by hundreds of men for dressing 'immodestly' at motorcycle show in Iraq.
Showing the teenage girl being kicked with force into the side of a vehicle, she can then be seen grasping a tissue to her face as she attempts to flee from the mob.
The attack occurred in the city of Sulaymaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan, and reported took place after the teenager arrived at a motorcycle event where women were excluded.
Drawing widespread condemnation from across the internet, Iraqi police have now arrested 16 men in relation to the incident.
ئێرە سلێمانییە، جاران پێی ئەوترا پایتەختی رۆشنبیری، بەس ئێستا هەموو ئازادییەکان نامۆن پێی. لە سلێمانی سەما قەدەغەیە، چوونە دەرەوەی کچ قەدەغەیە، هەموو ئازادییەکان هێدی هێدی بەرەو قەدەغە بوون ئەچن. بەداخەوە.
— Dilan Sirwan (@DeelanSirwan) December 30, 2022
pic.twitter.com/WkSdpifHom
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A video which has now amassed over 8.2 million views on TikTok alone, the footage shows the distraught girl being heckled by bystanders, before the mob, consisting of hundreds of men, chase her away.
The event, which took place on December 30, saw men demand that women be excluded, according to Kurdistan's Draw Media.
Uploaded to social media by multiple users, the incident has even drawn comment from senior politicians in the country.
Described as a “senseless assault”, Rewaz Faeq, speaker of the Kurdistan Parliament, said attack was the result of a "barbaric narrative used systematically against our women" in a Twitter post.
Despite the implementation of domestic violence laws in the Kurdistan Region, gender-based violence remains a huge problem.
The Kurdistan Regional Government also spoke out following the footage surfacing.
In a statement, the government condemned what they described as a “disgraceful” attack and said it followed another assault in Sulaymaniyah province earlier in the week.
Government spokesman, Jotiar Adil, added: “These incidents are unacceptable.”
The senseless assault by these male predators on the girl who like any ordinary person merely wished to watch a race, is the result of a barbaric narrative used systematically against our women. A society or authority not awakened by this barbarism, should await a rapid death. pic.twitter.com/Od3W51FRaA
— Dr.Rewaz Faeq (@Rewaz_faiaq) December 30, 2022
