I am neither a criminal nor a terrorist. Yes sir, I’ll admit it: I founded a women’s organization, and I wish to be judged severely for my actions. I want, once and for all, to hang the dirty laundry for all to see and be tried in a court of law.

I recently came across a speech given by Sheikh Kamal Khatib, the secretary-general of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement, in which he blames a young girl who was taken advantage of on social media. “You crazy idiot, you are superficial and hollow,” he tells her, before continuing with his scaremongering over what can happen to young “idiot” women like her on social media.

Until this point I was not surprised by his remarks. What worried me, and what requires an immediate response, is the portion of his speech in which he starts blaming women’s organizations, “the criminals and the terrorists, those who receive dubious dollars from Western countries in order to destroy our society.”

And just like that our fate was sealed.