Say, folks, it’s true: Islam is totally a feminist religion. Why, just look at what Hamas is going to do in Gaza!
Hamas authorities on Thursday asked several educational institutions in southern Gaza Strip to segregate males and females in compliance with Islamic norms.
The call appeared on a notification signed by Police General-Directorate in Rafah town, ordering private social and educational centers to sign a form demanding their commitment of Islamic and Palestinian traditions and preventing smoking.
The police threatened to impose about 1,300 U.S. dollars in fine to those who do not commit to “inform the police about suspected students or infracting decency.”
It’s okay, they’re only going to fine violaters. There won’t be any floggings.
Yet.
Previous decision included forcing lawyers and high school female students to wear long, loose uniforms with head covers and preventing women from riding behind men on motorcycles.
Gee, I really can’t argue with those Muslims who tell me how liberating Islam is for women.
No, no, no, Meryl. You are showing a regrettable lack of cultural sensitivity. More than one western feminist has pointed out that for women, true freedom is behind the veil and under the burqa. They aren’t then bombarded by the pressure of patriarchal society to be sexy and forward and can find their true selves.
One writer compared the burqa on the one hand to western women “forced” to wear bikinis. Whoever is imposing bikinis seems not to have hit Michigan yet, because when I went to the beach last summer most of the women were not wearing bikinis, and a good thing, too. (And yes, for the same reason I wasn’t wearing a Speedo.)
Besides, who are we to impose our values on other cultures? Admittedly a lot of Muslims are trying, sometimes with depressing success, to impose their values on our culture, but that’s entirely different. I’m not sure why, but it is.
“demanding their commitment of Islamic and Palestinian traditions and preventing smoking.”
And here we see the beginning of the end for Hamas.
You can take their money. You can beat them and insult them and make women wear burkas. But you try to stop an Arab from smoking? You’re in for a world of hurt.
That was Aziz Poonawalla, and the debate was here, Alex. He is also the person who insisted that by posting about Israeli efforts to obtain a “genetic bomb” that would target Arabs and leave Jews untouched, he was not spreading anti-Semitic blood libel. And he is the direct cause of my receiving the title “Master of Juvenile Scorn” from Tacitus (Red State’s Josh Trevino’s nom de blog back then). Aziz has always been a dishonest debater. When I pointed out that women aren’t required by law to wear bikinis, he insisted that they were forced to wear them anyway. What-EVER. I haven’t worn one in decades. I must be breaking the law.
I’m not much of a beach person and perhaps things are more polie out here in the Midwest, but the couple of times I went to the beach I noticed a lot of women not wearing bikinis and I didn’t see anyone coercing them or stoning them in order to get them to wear bikinis.
Now, Meryl, if I were crude–but I’ve been commenting here long enough that you know my suavity and sophistication–I might say there were a few women I saw not wearing bikinis that I wish had, and a few wearing them that I wish hadn’t, but that would not be in accordance with my Fred Astaire-type elegance.
The sad thing is I would bet Poonawalla actualkt thinks Israel is searching for a genetic bomb. Sorry, pal, but if there ever could be such a thing the Israelis wouldn’t be searing for it because their research scientists are trying to find cures for cancer.
It would be fair to mention the medical and other scientific advances from Arab universities, but I don’t think there have been any. The Arab contribution to modern society seems to be developing new and increasingly grotesque forms of murder. I’m no great fan of the Irgun but I don’t think it would have even occurred to them to, say, bomb airliners, massacre Olympic athletes, or sent Jews strapped with explosives into Arab restaurants and synagogues.