Flour Girl: Video of Mother Beating Her Child for Making a Mess in the Kitchen Prompts Outrage

A video of a little girl smearing herself in flour while playing in the kitchen, before her mother shows up and mercilessly hits her because of it, went viral on social media.

The video sparked outrage among social media users because of the mother’s reaction. Activists say that parents must be held accountable for how they treat their children, reminding them kids behave innocently and cannot be punished in excessive fashion for it. 

Translation: “Don't we have authorities that can punish these kinds of creatures? If we had more awareness about reproduction and had strict laws against child abuse, these kind of parents wouldn't have the chance to treat children that way.”

Under the hashtag #طفله_الطحين (#Flour_Girl), many users argued that parents should accept the behavior of their children and not react violently to them no matter what they do. Meanwhile, others launched hashtag #قوه_الضربه (#The_Strong_Hit) to condemn the force of the mother's strike, that was strong enough to shake the flour off the child.

Translation: “You can even see her soul leaving her body…”

Some people suggested that the mother could be Arab based on her reaction, adding that Westerners would accept such childish behavior and even document it as a charming moment.

Translation: “Same incident and same crime, but the reaction from the first mother was to hit her kid while the second one threatened hers jokingly.”

Meanwhile, others thought that the mother’s behavior was normal and not violent, and that it is a reaction that many mothers experience regularly, particularly where in countries where it's more culturally accepted including the Middle East.

Translation: Tweet #1: "What a horrible scene, may God be with all mothers who have children like this little girl." 

Tweet #2: "This comment is so true, may God be with all mothers. I've been through incidents like this with my children, may God keep me strong and patient with them."