The Blame Game

I, like most of you, was shocked, sickened and saddened by the news of the sexual assault against CBS correspondent Lara Logan. 


A native of South Africa who has covered war zones for 18 years, Logan was in Cairo to cover the aftermath of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarek’s resignation. According to reports,  Logan, her crew, and security team found themselves surrounded by a hysterical mob of more than 200 people. Soon the journalist lost her crew in the frenzy and was then attacked by the crowd. She suffered a brutal beating and was sexually assaulted before being rescued by about 20 soldiers and a group of heroic women. 


I was then further disgusted by the response from people like conservative blogger Debbie Schlussel:

So sad, too bad, Lara. No one told her to go there. She knew the risks. And she should have known what Islam is all about. Now she knows. Or so we’d hope. But in the case of the media vis-a-vis Islam, that’s a hope that’s generally unanswered.
This never happened to her or any other mainstream media reporter when Mubarak was allowed to treat his country of savages in the only way they can be controlled.
Now that’s all gone. How fitting that Lara Logan was “liberated” by Muslims in Liberation Square while she was gushing over the other part of the “liberation.”
Hope you’re enjoying the revolution, Lara! Alhamdilllullah [praise allah].

So a woman is raped while doing her job, while trying to report history in the making, and instead of rallying to support her in any way we can, we use this as an opportunity to not only blame the victim, but to attack Islam as well. Good job, Debbie.


If thoughts such as “She was stupid to be over there” or “Well, that’s how those Muslim men are” have crossed your mind while reading of Logan’s assault, please check yourself. No one completely understands why rapists rape, but I doubt it’s because Islam told them to. Furthermore, one in six women and one in 33 men will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime. Most, if not all, of those victims will have to endure being interrogated and sometimes even accused of lying, making that assault even harder to cope with. Instead of blaming the victim and saying ridiculous things like “She shouldn’t have been there in the first place,” how about we celebrate Logan’s dedication to her work and the courage of the men and women who helped rescue her.