Netherlands: CFWIJ condemns the violence faced by women journalists in the Middle East

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March 26, 2021— Reem Abdellatif, an editor and writer at Skift, recently spoke about the threats and hate she faces online. Reem, a celebrated journalist, was targeted with hate and discrimination after she published her first column in the Israeli daily newspaper, Haaretz. She recounted that the online accounts bombarded her with hateful comments, and a few ex-colleagues criticized her choice of platform to publish her work. Online trolls threatened Reem and warned her to stay away from Saudi Arabia. The journalist was subjected to sexual advances and accused of manipulation against Muslim brethren. CFWIJ reiterates its condemnation of online attacks against Reem. We demand the executives of social media platforms to acknowledge the dangers of such online attacks for their potential to present physical attacks. 


Reem Abdellatif shared the trauma she suffered in a recent interview with CPJ. The journalist said her writing for an Israeli daily was not the sole reason to oppose her work. She believes being a woman journalist coming from Egyptian-African descent gave her trolls another reason to target her. After Reem’s work was published in an Israeli news outlet, critics took the opportunity to discredit her articles. There was no constructive dialogue on the narratives she was presenting on issues like sexual harassment and assault. After publishing her second article urging the Arab world to address these issues, the journalist was threatened with an email that reads, “Die with anger and expect strong retaliation soon”.

Reem said her critics could not digest the fact that she chose a platform they disapprove of. She reveals that the actual issue was her stance on reclaiming the narrative and establishing a space for women. A woman questioning the policies and societal structure of the country was difficult for Saudi authorities to accept. Reem was attacked with racial slurs and threatening emails. The fear she experienced while present in Saudia Arabia has morphed into online abuse. Reem believes women must find their voices to challenge the obstructions keeping them from speaking for themselves. Their stories must be told to empower future generations of women and for a better understanding of their issues. Reem shared on Twitter, "waking up to harassment and threats should not be our new normal.”

The Coalition For Women In Journalism, once again, emphasizes that Reem should have an online platform free from pervasive harassment. The journalist should not be targeted for asking questions that confront the status quo. We hope that Reem remains safe and the people responsible for intimidating her online be identified. We support Reem and demand social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook take action to curb the trends of online trolling against women journalists.