“We have to go to the stand against sexual harassment to pressurize the government into changing the harassment laws,” said a couple of my friends over coffee last Tuesday.

“No, it’s not a matter of changing legislation at all, it’s about implementing the existent law and spreading awareness to change the culture,” I said.

The conversation went on as I argued how the law should rather be implemented first before speaking of changing it and that the priority is spreading a culture that condemns harassment as it much as it condemns other crimes so that the bystanders and the policemen themselves fight harassment.

And then it happened, activist Alaa Abdel Fattah and others were sentenced for 15 years and a fine of LE100,000 for protesting without prior notifications. Seriously?

A group of savages attack a lady in the street, cause her not only physical harm but a psychological trauma that will affect her, her daughter and her whole family for the rest of their lives and spread fear and panic among women all over this country—not to mention simply sabotage Egypt’s image worldwide—and the maximum penalty those arrested can get is five years and LE50,000. 

A group of young activists stand peacefully on the pavements to say no to military trials, harm nobody and do no damage except maybe block traffic a little bit as cars slow down to look at the protests, and get sentenced to 15 years in prison and a fine of LE100,000.

Interesting. Mind you, I might not be a supporter of the Shoura Council protests that took place last November, but I sure as hell do not understand how on earth any judge or lawmaker saw it fit to sentence a protestor for 15 years and at the very same month the harassment law was amended to stipulate a maximum of only five years. Maybe the problem is really  the law itself as much as it is its implementation and the culture. After all, what sort of message is the law sending by punishing an activist three times harder than it is punishing savage, criminal and downright inhumane harasser?

The penalty for sexual harassment is six months to one year and LE3,000 to LE5,000, according to the law former President Adly Mansour amended before he handed over authority. The sentence goes up to a minimum one year and LE5,000 to LE10,000 if the harasser follows or pursues the victim and the sentence and fine are doubled if the harasser repeats his crime.  The law also stipulated a sentence of one  year minimum and LE10,000 to LE20,000 if the harasser was after a sexual benefit from the victim. If the harasser has any kind of authority over the victim or the victim was harassed by two or more people with one of them holding an arm, the punishment goes up to two to five years and the penalty to LE20,000 to LE50,000.

In short, a mild case of harassment that we are subjected to daily will be punished by six months and LE3,000 to one year and LE20,000. The Tahrir victim? Her harassers—at least those arrested among them since bystanders didn’t bother help her or arrest the harassers—can get away with two yeas in prison and a LE20,000 fine. At the very most, they would get five years in jail and a LE50,000 fine.

So a woman’s honor, self-respect and basic freedom of existing in a public space without incurring massive bodily and psychological harm is worth LE50,000 and five years in prison at most while occupying a pavement for an hour or two to voice one’s voice without notifying the state first is worth 15 years in prison and LE100,000.

A protestor gets THREE times the jail sentence a person who tore an innocent women’s clothes, unrightfully touched and grabbed her body and caused her sever burns, humiliation and a trauma that will last her a lifetime. A protestor gets TWO times the fine a harasser who terrorized women all over the country and men fearing their daughters, sisters, cousins, wives and friends will be subjected to one of the worst things a woman can be subjected to and robbed of her right to choose who can and who cannot touch her.

We are teaching younger generations that to speak up your voice and demand rights is three times worse than grabbing and groping a woman in the street and forcing her naked and leading her to feel disgusted, dishonored, and broken. It’s not okay to harass, son, but it’s far, far worse to protest without getting the right approvals first.

What a mess our priorities are.