Women at Doha airport were removed from flights and forced to undergo invasive internal inspection in an ambulance on the tarmac

[ReplacementPlasticUterus]

I can't quite believe this.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-54682565

Women taken off the plane to a basement without being told what was happening. Female doctor required them to strip and examined them for signs of being post partum, according to AU doctor on plane who spoke with some of the visibly distressed women when they were returned to the plane.

Anyone have any concern for the baby that a mother discarded?

Anyone who cares about the welfare of children knows that an environment where women are treated as less than human is no good for children either.

I can't see a problem with this, personally.

Because every time there's a rape at an airport all the men are rounded up and physically examined to try and establish if they may have been responsible, right?

Have a word with yourself George.

Women have been treated in a barbarian way.

The AU Govt, not renowned for its feminism, calls the treatment of these women 'grossly inappropriate'. So I think we can assume it was at least this, if not more.

Grossly inappropriate treatment of women is not justified by concern for an infant.

Let’s make no mistake- finding the mother was in no way shape or form about concern for the infant.

Of course not! Nor was it likely motivated by altruistic concern for the mother's health.

@DandyMandy

Interesting how they knew exactly who the women were and how they identified. Disgusting and a total violation. This world just keeps getting worse for women.

Yeah. I thought nobody can tell your genitals from outside so all people below menopausal age should have been examined.

And yes, this is a terrible violation of human rights and of women's boundaries. But for various and complicated reasons having to do with the hierarchy of oppressed groups few western feminist organisations are going to say much about this.

That is horrific

Those poor women. If they really gave a shit about the mother the thought that she could be the victim of something even more horrific and the last thing she'd need is violating further

At that point surely no one knew anything so to do that....

Disgusting hope the baby is OK

And I hope the mother is safe and sound right now too

@LouHotel

As appalling as the act itself is it doesn't make me shocked and horrified because its doha, we all know what the state of play is for women there and seemingly as a world we have decompartilised that particular human rights horror as acceptable or 'concerning'.

What we as individuals should be concerned about it's the Australian government's luke warm response. If this was men that were subjected on masses to a medical exam they would shut the air corridor.

The horror of what women combat in the middle east is spreading west. We've ignored the plight of women globally at our own peril. Patriarchy is a cancer that will always spread.

This is a brilliant post.

I mentally substituted "men" into the OP, and you are bang-on. I really think Australia and other countries would be so much angrier.

The Foreign Minister is pretty angry.
I'm no fan of the AU government, but it's not true that they've shrugged their shoulders on this one.

I’m not a fan of our current govt in Australia but do know that this is currently the lead article in my local press:

www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/some-were-upset-angry-one-was-crying-significant-concerns-over-invasive-doha-searches-20201026-p568lk.html

The fact this shocked even Barnaby Joyce? He’s known to have just about the worst approach to women’s rights in Australia and even he seems pretty angry about this.

@BrassicaRabbit

Anyone have any concern for the baby that a mother discarded?

Anyone who cares about the welfare of children knows that an environment where women are treated as less than human is no good for children either.

Agreed. The poor woman may have been forced to take this action to save her own life in such a shitty, backward country

If she wasn't married, had been raped or the authorities could possibly believe the premature labour was the result of abortion attempt then her life could easily be in danger.

@rorosemary

Is the baby ok?

I never understand why they want to find the mothers of abandoned babies. Either the mothers abandon them because they'd be in mortal danger for having said baby or they really don't want it so for gods sake don't give it back. Just let them be and find some sweet adoptive parents,

Child abandonment is a crime and very often they find dead newborns so something has to be done to discourage this. Absolutely anyone who abandons a newborn should be prosecuted. Only a total scumbag would do it.

This story is horrific, why couldn’t they just do blood tests like a civilized country?

Prosecuting abandoning mothers is not acceptable.

Anyone interested in infant welfare ought to be advocating for options that protect these poor babies, like safe, anonymous drop off points.

Girls/women in these situations are not scumbags - they are often utterly traumatised.

@BlackWaveComing

Prosecuting abandoning mothers is not acceptable.

Anyone interested in infant welfare ought to be advocating for options that protect these poor babies, like safe, anonymous drop off points.

Girls/women in these situations are not scumbags - they are often utterly traumatised.

Going to have to disagree. Anyone who leaves an infant to die alone is a scumbag.

Trauma is not an excuse.

Sorry folks- I have no idea how I managed to accidentally post those images

I’ll report and ask hq to remove.

@IheartJKR
I can hide that post if you want - I presume you only wanted to post the first image?
You can try again...

@NiteWotcha yes please- thank you!

Ok will do - hold on a tick

hidden now

didn't know about pedophastry (sp?), btw, interesting...

so do post that photo again - I would say its relevant here

@NiteWotcha yes please - thank you!

I’d also like to say that I’m horrified that anyone - let alone on FWR would refer to a woman who abandoned their baby in a place such as Doha as ‘scum’.
I am as afraid for the birth mother as I am for the baby and I’d happily bet my life on the fact that the authorities were not looking for the birth mother to reunite her with her baby or check if she needed medical attention ...

Iheart
Just to clarify, I have only been able to hide the whole post - you can wait until HQ comes on duty to remove the other two attached photos or you can repost the relevant one in a new post