Polls are a fun way of engaging your community or asking your friends if the dress is white and gold or blue and black. Most polls, are harmless and sometimes even rather pointless.
Just look at the mindless polls.
However, there is a certain line you should not cross when it comes to polls creation.
Unfortunately, this user went too far when he decided to create the currently infamous and offensive online poll that degrades women and religious leaders.
Offensive Online Poll on Female Religious Teachers Have Been Removed
The online poll sexualising female religious teachers have been removed from MeWe, the social media platform.
Mr David Westreich, marketing director of MeWe, stated that the user who created the poll also deleted his or her account and all of the contents as well.
It was not stated when the user deleted the account.
What Offensive Online Poll Ranking Female Islamic Teachers?
In case you’ve been avoiding the news like the plague, here’s a quick backstory on the infamous online poll.
A few days ago, an offensive online poll surfaced on MeWe, a social media platform. It only came to light after Ustaz Muhammad Zahid Mohd Zin posted it in an Instagram post on 26 May.
View this post on Instagram
The poll asked people to rank at least 12 female asatizah according to their sexual attractiveness. According to The Straits Times, there were about 20 to 30 asatizah being ranked in the poll. At the time of the poll coming to light, there had been 1,005 people participating in the poll.
A police report has since been lodged and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) issued an order on Friday (28 May) for the poll to be removed from all social media platforms.
The poll has been concluded to constitute prohibited content under Singapore’s Internet Code of Practice.
IMDA also contacted other social media platforms to ensure that the post does not surface on them.
Many religious leaders, numerous MPs and even President Halimah Yacob, have spoken out on this issue online.
In her Facebook post, the President said that she was “deeply perturbed” about the poll which “degrade and defile women”. Stating that those who conducted or participated in the poll “deserve our strongest condemnation”, she called for authorities to “punish those found guilty.”
Read the full backstory here.
Helping the Victims
A group of female lawyers, counsellors and community leaders held a closed-door women-only virtual dialogue for those who have been sexually harassed or defamed. Participating in the dialogue are the victims of the MeWe Poll.
The dialogue explained legal options to the participants and walked them through the steps after they become a victim of such crimes. This includes what happened during criminal court proceedings, and how to take civil action against someone.
Featured Image: Facebook (MeWe), Instagram (irwan_hadiseeker)
