I certainly hope the prosecution/penalties are based on whether the girls were receptive and flirting back or not. I wouldn't have any problem with the prosecution of harassing behavior.

I am preeeety sure that Pres lame duck bush ratted them out. I sawl him do it.

He better watch out that Angela Merkel doesn't turn around and rat him out for the shoulder massage then

Ya Jude, I think there must be something lost in translation here, I have been to Egypt for a vacation and I was AMAZED by what I saw - it was not at all how I expected a Middle Eastern country to be, girls and guys hung out together at McDonald's, Pizza Hut, H & M, and walking around the mediterranean coast as late as 2-3am - and I'm talking young kids here (15-18) listening to music, eating ice cream and yes, flirting. And this was VERY VERY common, not just some random group or in one city - it was everywhere we went. In fact we went to a mall called City Star where the cafeteria area was FILLED, like no seats available filled with teenagers, both guys and girls sitting around acting a lot like American teens - sure we did not see in your face making out but a lot of teeny stuff for sure.

I think this is more about young teenagers harassing young girls with unwanted attention that isn't bad enough to be called harassment or isn't annoying enough for the girls to complain - but it is the type of behavior that will develop into groping/rape/physical harassment - and they are trying to get them before they grow into it.

My only complaint is that I think they need something other than punishment - this may even backfire and turn into the "cool" thing to get caught for - what they need is different ideologies, different social norms being preached in television, movies, government laws (fines), and in education. They need to understand "flirting" when the other side doesn't want to flirt is not acceptable.

I think you're right, zeze.

And on that note, I would like the same lesson (that unwanted "flirting" is just annoying and harassing) to men here.

*taught to men here, I mean.

I was all pissed off through half of the article about to comment on how oppressive that is, then I get to the sexual harassment part and have to rethink my position.

Haha me too GS. If women are going to be burdened with the responsibility of being chaste, then men should have to respect that and leave women alone.

I approve of this.

~zeze: in fact, you will see such behavior in a much more pronounced fashion than here at home because teens in such countries feel extra pressure to prove to their peers how 'modern and western and cool' they are whereas in America or in other Western countries, that's just the way you are. I sadly feel that a lot of teens and young people in countries in the Middle East, but also the Far East and South Asia, are in a sad state of identity crisis where the own culture is referred to as 'ethnic' by the natives themselves!

Exactly austerity, for example, fashion was so important over there to the people who could afford it. Even the guys, no one who can afford not walks around in average jeans and a t-shirt, the guys wore long pants even in 110 degree weather and accessorised beyond belief, matching belt, shoes, watch, all to a shade in their t-shirt (it would either be seen as "flamboyant" or weird here) and the girls I was really amazed at, the ones who wore head scarves had layers upon layers on in that heat!!! to create patterns that matched their clothes, the purse, shoes were something so matched that they probably can't be worn with anything else, and TONS of make up. The girls without the head scarves were even more surprising, as I saw most in jeans and teenie t-shirts with all the accessories, or some where even in knee length skirts or capris - I was amazed at this since it seemingly wasn't okay for guys to wear shorts.

One thing that I thought was really cool was at one point I was standing in a store with a woman in a tank top with her bra straps (yellow to match her shoes and jewelry) hanging out, and another woman in a full burqa - i thought it was kind of cool how both were so normal and so accepted. From what I saw, they were more tolerant than many parts of the US and that was something I was totally not expecting.

"Haha me too GS. If women are going to be burdened with the responsibility of being chaste, then men should have to respect that and leave women alone."

Well said. My first initial reaction was I was going to read about a bunch of girls being punished for "enticing" the guys (you know, by wearing a braclet or smiling or something ), but when I read it was guys being arrested I began to hope it was just rounding up younger dudes acting out of line.

I wish they would arrest men in America for flirting or at least flirting badly:

" Am I dead, Angel? Cause this must be heaven!"

"Hello, I'm a thief, and I'm here to steal your heart."

"Excuse me, but is that dress felt? Would you like it to be?"

All jailable offenses!

My all-time favorite *sshole classic is still "What kind of Asian are you? I love Asian women!" That should be a jailable offense, too.

OMG - Jude! I cannot believe anyone would say that to you!!!

There are some truly special and charming people in the world, Martini. So icky.