Don't get me wrong, I was overjoyed to hear news of Hana Alhajri's resignation. Even so, it's not a real, long-term solution to the issue of abuse in Kuwait. It's not even an adequate response to Mariam Aldeehani's horrific experiences at the so-called shelter in Kuwait. Alhajri's resignation is a step in the right direction, but there's still a long way to go to ensure justice and safety for all.
Hana Alhajri was the director of a "shelter" for abuse survivors, owned and run by the Kuwaiti government. This shelter had not been publicly announced, and was running in secret for a few weeks. Mariam Aldeehani was one of the victims transferred to the shelter following severe abuse by her family.
After being transferred, Mariam and the other victims suffer from further abuse and trauma at the hands of Hana Alhajri and the rest of the employees at the shelter. The victims were deprived of food and starved for days. Mariam describes having to eat ice cubes to curb her hunger. This is torture. When Mariam called someone, while crying, to send her food, she was reprimanded by Hana Alhajri. Mariam got into trouble for daring to eat while she was being starved at shelter that was supposed to protect her.
In addition to the starvation, Mariam recalls being blamed for the abuse that she suffered from at the hands of her family. She was told that she must have done something to deserve the abuse. The abuse she suffered from was so severe that she was found bleeding and covered in bruises. There is absolutely NO justification for that. How on Earth can Alhajri excuse the violence that victims suffer from? Only abusers should be blamed for the abuse they force others to suffer from. Any person that holds victim blaming attitudes should not be trusted to work with vulnerable people, such as abuse survivors.
An abuse apologist is someone who makes excuses for abuse or justifies the behaviour of an abuser. Victim blaming attitudes shame victims unjustly and it also makes victims feel guilty for what they have been forced to endure. This prevents victims from sharing their stories and thus the cycle of abuse and violence continues. Hana Alhajri is clearly an abuse apologist. The perpetuation of such notions is highly dangerous, as it contributes to an environment in which abuse is normalised, and this allows abusers to act with impunity and without being held accountable for their actions.
In addition to all of this, Hana Alhajri had also repeatedly threatened to return Mariam Aldeehani to abusive family. No actions were taken to ensure that it would be safe for Mariam to return to her abusers, or that she would not be at risk of further abuse should she return to them. This means that the "shelter" were willing to risk Mariam's life rather than to support her and prioritise her safety. Hana Alhajri told Mariam that she cannot live without her abusive family because she would not be able to get married. The priority should always be a victim's safety and wellbeing, not society's misogynistic ideas about the value of a woman's life.
Hana Alhajri's resignation is necessary because she clearly cannot be trusted with the responsibility of working with vulnerable people, but more needs to be done. Alhajri has still not issued a public apology to Mariam and the other victims that she has failed. In light of this, Alhajri's resignation seems like another way for her to escape accountability for her horrific actions. Her resignation is not enough to persuade us that that the shelter's conditions will be improved, or that the person replacing her as the director of the shelter will be suited to the role. What actions will be taken from the Kuwaiti government to ensure that a non-abusive person will be responsible for running this shelter following Alhajri's resignation?
Additionally, Kuwait's Ministry of Interiors has not issued an announcement to investigate the conditions of the shelter and to address the systemic flaws that allowed this to happen. The MOI have not even issued a statement with long-term solutions ensure that such injustices will not reoccur, despite the fact that they have seen my posts about the issue.
We cannot find comfort in Hana Alhajri's resignation without the government providing meaningful changes to ensure that this never happens again.
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