Across the Middle East, Islamist militias have harassed, arrested, raped, and tortured women pro-democracy activists. The model of Iran’s Islamic Revolution in 1979, which imposed second-class citizenship on women, is frequently cited as a threat in Arab countries now ruled by Islamist parties.
类似地，在埃及，女性示威者面临着比男性更严格的审查。在反穆巴拉克起义期间被捕的女性需要接受贞洁测试，以此作为恐吓手段。在整个中东，伊斯兰军队骚扰、逮捕、强奸和虐待女性民主活动者。1979年伊朗伊斯兰革命的模式——将妇女视为二等公民——被频繁视为如今由伊斯兰党派执政的阿拉伯国家的一大威胁。