Posted on 10/26/2003 9:09:04 PM PST by Stultis
"Naked" Miss Afghanistan slammed "We condemn Vida Samadzai, she is not representing Afghanistan's women, and this is not women's freedom." Surabi said according to Afghan culture women should not demonstrate their worth using their "beauty or bodies" but by their skills and knowledge. "In the name of women's freedom, what this Afghan girl has done is not freedom but is lascivious," the minister said. The 25-year-old Afghan contestant, who lives in the United States, is the first Afghan woman in 30 years to participate in the Miss World international beauty contest being held in the Philippines capital this week. The dark-haired, black-eyed Samadzai, apparently from a Pashtun tribe, was born and raised in Afghanistan but left for the United States in 1996 to escape the extremist Taliban regime which forced women to cover themselves from head to toe. Under the harsh regime women were not allowed to work outside their homes or go out without a close relative beside them. After the fall of the militia in 2001, an increasing number of women left the burqa, or veil, at home and some took jobs. The only other Miss Afghanistan was Zohra Daoud, who joined the Miss Universe contest in 1972.
AFP
27oct03
PRESIDENT Hamid Karzai's minister for women's affairs yesterday condemned Miss Afghanistan, as Vida Samadzai became the country's first woman in the post-Taliban era to appear in a bikini during a beauty contest in Manila.
"Appearing naked before a camera or television is not women's freedom but in my opinion is to entertain men," Minister Habiba Surabi said.
Puritans felt the need to execute alleged "witches". Radical Islam feels the need to murder those not Muslim....or, their brand of Islam. It's rather safe to stay bundled up in late civilization standards of 'modesty'. Insecurity with ones own sexuality and physical appearance; a desire to adhere to rigid standards of apparent morality as defined by religious(?) authority; the subconscious affectation for submission to a controlling body of clerics and morals police. Which is it?
Islam may well be the foretold "Anti-Christ", in the form of not a man, but of a movement. From it's inception, Islam has been a force that demands total submission of all that humans do, think, feel, believe and aspire to. Defense of Islam, in any way, is foreign to liberty and civilization. Islam has proven to be evil incarnate. From its founder through to its present form. Just as Jim Jones twisted the word of God to suit his purposes, Islam twists God to suit its purposes. Far from just overthrowing the Taliban, the goal should have been to stamp out the pseudo-"religion" of Islam. As long as Islam exists, no Jew or Gentile can breathe safe. For Islam's stated goal is to destroy all other beliefs and force the world to follow one mans 'vision' of God. The cult of Muhammed is what threatens us all.
Who said we are proud? I'm just a bit over 40. I've pissed off more than one female friend by asking why they let their teenage daughters dress like sluts. Of course I know why. I know what's on MTV (even though I can't stand watching that crap myself).
What I AM proud of, however, is living in a free society where people can make these choices, and I can tell them those choices are stupid, and even sick, and they can tell me to take my opinion and shove it.
I DON'T want to live in a society were the popular culture is inhibited, other than by free speech and free association. As ugly as it (often) is, it is also a source and manifestation of both our freedom and our cultural creativity.
Yeah, I know, many will say that the popular culture is not only invidious, but useless and trivial as well. This is a very short sighted view, which fails to take into account how many of the important advances of our civilization ultimately stem from such "trivia". This is pointed out in Virginia Postrel's book The Future And It's Enemies (pgs 182-83, citing research by historian of science and technology Cyril Stanely Smith): The whole of our modern, industrial chemical industry began with the manufacture of synthetic dyes, at a time when colorful clothing was widely denounced as frivilous and decadent. Glass was first blown to make decorative beads, long before it was employed for any utilitarian purpose. Metallurgy began with molding statues, welding with joining parts of statues together, and alloys were first created in the interest of the pleasing colors and textures they lent to decorative items.
In a free society lots of people are going to do things you don't like, say things you don't like, and wear things you don't like. Deal with it. Yes, you can (and even should) deal with it, in part, by speaking or demonstrating against the elements you find most offensive, but you should not forget that these negative things are only among the consequences of a much greater good; that of freedom.
Gotcha.
You can be as offended as you want, and complain as much as you want. As soon as you start saying it is provocation, you are starting to condone the Molsem reaction. If it anything other than words of protest, it is too much. Your word choice calling it a "provocation" is what seems to make many question your loyalties...is it freedom of the individual to practice religion or freedom for religious groups to force adherence to their principles that you seek to defend.
If you are saying Moslems have the right to be offended, I would agree. If you are saying they have the right to feel provoked - you are dead wrong.
But you didn't merely do that. You expressed the opinion that our cultural tolerance of immodesty is damaging to our perception in the muslim world, and implied that we should give a flip.
As if bin-Laden/Taliban/Arab inhabitants of Eretz Israel need any additional reasons to hate the West and Christians and Jews. Kowtowing to the sensitivities of those whose core beliefs include crushing your religions and civilizations is akin to Chamberlain kneeling at the feet of Der Fuhrer and sacrificing millions of innocents in a vain attempt at self preservation.
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