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

I am far more outraged about the treatment of unwed mothers and babies born out of wedlock than a mandatory vaginal inspection for what is a crime in that country.

But don't you see that treating women the way they did the travelling Aussies is a symptom of the same problem as the treatment of unwed mother, namely extreme misogyny?

Knowing what obvious signs there are generally are for women after giving birth (especially with no medical assistance), I’m amazed that they needed such an intrusive search.

It would be blindingly obvious from looking at the majority of women that they have not just given birth so they should have been eliminated from questioning straightaway - I know there is such thing as concealed pregnancy but afterwards I’m sure at most a chat in private would suffice, at a push a urine test as pp suggested.

One for the Aussies..

Any chance this horrific incident issue will put pressure on your Government to facilitate Qantas doing these repatriations?

QF were operating from Europe to Darwin, avoiding a Gulf airport transit, prior to their complete Long Haul shutdown.

" So any person who travels through the Middle East or to Australia has "signed up" to potentially being sexually assaulted, if their flight happens to be re-routed?

Or wait, not person. Any woman. ONLY women.

Men can fly and travel anywhere "

Exactly this. Why are airlines using these countries as hubs? Refuse to fly there.

@Ginger1982
Ultimately, if you go to a country with a different moral and judicial code, you accept that their rules are what you are subject to.
It's an awful experience for the travellers, but I can't get het up over it. Its their country, their rules.

I’m sure at most a chat in private would suffice

This is the ME, remember. This probably was their idea of a “chat in a private office”

"It's an awful experience for the travellers, but I can't get het up over it. Its their country, their rules."

Ok but why are airlines using these hubs? Why are they putting their passengers at risk? Are all the subsidies put into these airports to attract international travel by these oppressive regimes worth the risk to their female passengers?

@334bu

" So any person who travels through the Middle East or to Australia has "signed up" to potentially being sexually assaulted, if their flight happens to be re-routed?

Or wait, not person. Any woman. ONLY women.

Men can fly and travel anywhere "

Exactly this. Why are airlines using these countries as hubs? Refuse to fly there.

The airlines such as Qatar are their national airline so they will fly through ME

ME airlines have become much more common and built up a good reputation in last decade. Led by Emirates and Etihad. So many international travellers fly through these hubs.

You just change plages, generally enough time to get off and get back on

I can’t quite recognise any Aus traveller transferring doing this and think it would be someone who is scared of local laws and lives there but I don’t know why they decided to search all the women

Assault really search sounds a bit passive

[quote SoloMummy]@Ginger1982
Ultimately, if you go to a country with a different moral and judicial code, you accept that their rules are what you are subject to.
It's an awful experience for the travellers, but I can't get het up over it. Its their country, their rules.[/quote]
Yeah it's no problem really. The government can make us all drop our pants for a painful internal inspection simply because we're female and travelling on a plane. Fuck that.

Absolutely sickening. Stop using them as a hub. I don’t see why these violations against women and immigrant workers are swept under the carpet for sunny beaches, malls and use of their money.

If airlines like Emirates can't insure the safety of their female passengers in such hubs maybe there should be a campaign not to use them.

@334bu

If airlines like Emirates can't insure the safety of their female passengers in such hubs maybe there should be a campaign not to use them.

It may well damage their international reputation and people will go back to not booking with them. Qatar obviously will be damaged.

@334bu

If airlines like Emirates can't insure the safety of their female passengers in such hubs maybe there should be a campaign not to use them.

Absolutely

And I completely agree with froggy

Its the most ridiculous thing ive heard saying that ‘transit’ or rerouting through a country means that they have signed up to anything!

It may be a different argument if you are actually on holiday or living in that country...MAY

@notimagain as an Aussie, I imagine Qantas won’t do anything to help. They are motivated purely by profit and there is no profit in flying a plane with the minuscule numbers the govt insists on. I’m told the only reason some airlines are doing it are to maintain the route. Qantas won’t have that issue and the CEO is too concerned with his personal bonus to care. (I say this as a very high status Qantas FF)

Stop using them as a hub.

Sadly easier said than done ATM for any Australians trying to get home..hence my comment/question upthread about Qantas.

There are now stuff all airlines serving Australia direct from, example Europe. Qantas/BA and others have pulled the plug. I'm not sure what Singapore is doing now but in the Spring they were close to banning transit flights...so it appears Qatar have pretty much got a monopoly on getting people into Aus from Europe.

I certainly won't entertain ever touching down in the UAE

@334bu

"It's an awful experience for the travellers, but I can't get het up over it. Its their country, their rules."

Ok but why are airlines using these hubs? Why are they putting their passengers at risk? Are all the subsidies put into these airports to attract international travel by these oppressive regimes worth the risk to their female passengers?

As a flyer, you have the option of multiple locations for stopovers etc. They chose this route. If the routes weren't chosen, then the airlines wouldn't run these routes. The reality is many people opt for the ME for a stopover because of what it offers. And if you do so, be it for a trip or stopover, you accept by default the rule of the land.

@RufustheSniggeringReindeer
They have chosen to take a flight that lands in that country. Choice. That means they abide by their rules. Very simple. The same as men expecting to walk around the airport shirtless would be challenged. Their rules. Abide or fly via other routes.

@Expat2

As I expected then ..

..the CEO is too concerned with his personal bonus to care.

Ah yes, Airline CEO 101 - never mind the product/service, feel the bonus.

@SoloMummy normally yes. But not right now to Australia. There are tens of thousands trying to get something like one of the 500 spots a week and only 1-2 choices out of Europe so right now, if you have to get to Australia, there is no choice of transit hub.

I don't understand all the people on here swanning around saying "their country their rules". Why are you justifying it?

Can you imagine what the result would have been if it was a trans person being hauled out the ambulances with the women?

Being Qatar, not sure that would have ended well for them - especially if they had been able to be stealthy in appearance.

Dragging women off a plane for medical analysis is completely unacceptable. Why I dont fly through the mid east - I dont want to support repressive regimes. Feel sorry for the aussies with little choice though, as I understand Qantas, their national carrier has abandoned international flights (except a few government subsidised flights for those desperate), and they have little option but to travel this route.

[quote SoloMummy]@RufustheSniggeringReindeer
They have chosen to take a flight that lands in that country. Choice. That means they abide by their rules. Very simple. The same as men expecting to walk around the airport shirtless would be challenged. Their rules. Abide or fly via other routes.[/quote]
You can say it as much as you like

I still think it’s ridiculous...i always will

BUT as i say, leave the airport and absolutely game over

I'm surprised at the posters saying any women who fly through these centres have signed up to be digitally raped.

If so then really there needs to be information provided from the airlines outlining what exactly women have signed up for if they book that flight.