Here’s an interesting piece from Saudi Gazette on the recent rash (or reported rash) of the blackmailing of women in Saudi Arabia. The writer offers some ideas about how the phenomenon might be handled—including new laws and social efforts to inform women that they are only human and thus liable to error. I’d suggest, too, that Saudi Arabia work to take women off the unattainable pedestal of perfection. If Saudi society treated women similarly to men, most of the blackmail would just go away. As it is, so much meaning and meta-meaning is put on women’s shoulders that they become excessively vulnerable. Restrictive Saudi society makes so many things ‘off limits’ that it’s incredibly easy to fall victim to blackmail.

This is exacerbated by the ‘shame/honor’ nature of Saudi culture. If you do something wrong, it’s not only your name you need be concerned about, but the name of your father, your brothers, your uncles, your tribe. That’s a lot of social pressure being put on one to toe the impossible line of human behavior.

Ridding our society of blackmailing
Fahad Al-Abri

One of the phenomena abhorrent and inconsistent with the general nature of Saudi society, which imposed itself on our social life is the phenomenon of blackmailing women (the use of threats or unfair manipulation in an attempt to influence women). This may be perpetrated to force the victims to make concessions to the criminal blackmailers. Concessions could range from paying money to having a sexual relationship with the blackmailer.

Looking at the reasons behind this act, one may mention several causes. In some cases, for instance, we find such behavior motivated by a desire for revenge, whether directed at the girl herself (the victim) or her family. Sometimes, the need of making money is the sole reason that leads the blackmailer to commit this crime. Others do this just for fun. One may say, they find pleasure in forcing other people, not just women, to do what they want. But the main question that should be asked is: Why can’t Saudi women resist the blackmailing?
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