After outrage, earlier this week regarding the poster of a female Shell worker being used by men on social media in inappropriate poses, the company decided that instead of chastising and educating the offenders, they would instead pull the ad completely. Not really solving the problem in the long-term, but does have an immediate effect.
Free Malaysia Today reports that the Malaysian Muslim Solidarity (Isma) told them that companies should learn from Shell’s mistake, and stop using women to model their products and services.
The woman in the image was 25-year-old Nor Shafila Khairusalleh, who felt that some of the more innocent poses such as hand holding were not offensive; however, felt “molested” after social media captured men groping her breasts and kissing her. This is why we can’t have nice things.
Isma president Abdullah Zaik Abdul Rahman told FMT that: “using women to improve sales of goods and services is an exploitation of women which strays far from the value of purity accorded to Muslim women. Let this act as a lesson to other companies in the future.”
He then shied blame away from the perpetrating men, who he said were not entirely to blame by being aroused by a completely covered, hijab-wearing, gas station advertisement. You hot yet? Yeah, me neither.
While men “should lower their gaze,” he said that companies should stop exploiting our women.
And there you have it folks: we now live in a world where an image of a woman that is completely, modestly dressed and standing next to a gas pump is something to get titillated over.
Please, don’t tell these guys about the pretty girl advertising Baskin-Robbins. They can’t be trusted around cut-outs.
