Women Shouldn't Laugh In Public Claims Turkey's Deputy PM

Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç is encouraging women not to laugh in public because the man apparently considers it morally corrupt.  During an Eid al-Fitr speech he touched on several subjects, including immorality and consumerism.

“Chastity is so important. It is not only a name. It is an ornament for both women and men. [She] will have chasteness. Man will have it, too. He will not be a womanizer. He will be bound to his wife. He will love his children. [The woman] will know what is haram and not haram. She will not laugh in public. She will not be inviting in her attitudes and will protect her chasteness.” 

“Where are our girls, who slightly blush, lower their heads and turn their eyes away when we look at their face, becoming the symbol of chastity?” 

He also condemned the Turkish people for using too much gas, owning too many cars and cell phones, and singled out women for chatting about useless things on their phones.

“Women give each other meal recipes while speaking on the mobile phone. ‘What else is going on?’ ‘What happened to Ayşe’s daughter?’ ‘When is the wedding?’ Talk about this face to face."

Okay, so he has some valid points about consumerism, but laughing out loud is immoral?

Yes, these are the same people who want to join the E.U.

Source: Hurriyet Daily

Saudi Arabia To Unban Movie Theatres?

Saudis are banned from watching movies and have been for about three decades or so. I suppose viewing them is un-Islamic because, you know, movies existed back in Mohammad's day, and it explicitly states in the Quran: "Thou shalt not watch movies. They are very evil."  Actually, Saudis are allowed to rent films and watch television, though I would assume in an extremely censored manner.  It's movie theatres that the hardliners have a problem with. I mean, God forbid genders should mix.

But Saudis really love their movies, so even though it's banned in the Kingdom, Saudis will actually travel hundreds of miles to neighbouring Dubai, Bahrain and Kuwait to watch films there. They will even buy a plane ticket and fly there, spending around 1 billion per annum in Bahrain alone. How's that for idiocy or hypocrisy or whatever you want to call it. That's 1 billion that's not being spent in Saudi Arabia.

Apparently 85% of moviegoers in Bahrain are Saudis.

I remember reading an article several years ago (no longer online), that stated that some of those who were most fiercely opposed to opening cinemas in Saudi Arabia because it "contributes to the rise of violence, encourages promiscuity and moral depravity," could be found sitting in the front row of cinemas in Bahrain.  And according to that article by Al-Riyadh,  one of those bearded Saudi critics, that same conservative who complained about the negative influence of films, loves the violent ones. He was about to watch Saw VI, "..because there are many sequences of endless violence and blood!"

There is change in the wind, however. Saudis might not have to drive to another country to watch the latest film.  According to Al Arabiya:

An investor has officially requested a license from the Saudi General Commission of Audiovisual Media to establish cinemas in the country, a local business website reported Tuesday.

The commission did not object to the idea in principle, and asked the investor to submit a study of the planned project, Maaal reported. [snip]

If the commission thinks the investment is feasible, it could ask higher authorities to clear the way for movie theaters nationwide, sources reportedly said.

“The commission is communicating with the investor about this issue. It’s in itself a big step forward,” Mutlaq al-Buqami, editor-in-chief at Maaal, told Al Arabiya News.

Of course, it probably will take another three decades before it actually happens, but there is hope for the Saudi cinemaphiles.

MP Will Resign If Kuwaiti "Bikini Ban" Approved

Kuwait is looking to ban "nudity" in public places including beaches, swimming pools and hotels. Of course it only applies to women, but tourists and expats alike would be subject to a fine and up to one year in jail if caught. Now we all know when they refer to "nudity' they're not talking buck nekked, they're referring to any clothing deemed too revealing, which means no bikinis or clothing with cleavage for those slutty Western gals.

Not everyone, however, is thrilled about the proposed ban. One mighty brave progressive MP, Nabil al-Fadl, has said he will resign if the Ummah Council approves the ban.

The new proposal, which does not provide a clear definition for the term “nudity,” is an assault on personal freedom, al-Fadl said.

“If approved, I will deliver my resignation as I do not approve of this regression and out of respect for my electorates who voted for my ideas and thoughts,” he added.

The head of the Kuwaiti National Assembly committee who approved the move, MP Hamdan Al-Azemi, said the ban also applies to women at hotels, according to the Kuwait Times.

While the Islamist lawmaker did not provided a definition for the term “nudity,” a few days ago “he issued a statement strongly criticizing women dressed in bikinis at some swimming pools on beaches and in hotels. The term also includes revealing or improper dress,” according to the report.

They tried before to ban bikinis, back in 2011, but it was ruled unconstitutional.

Other Gulf countries are becoming even more conservative, if that's at all possible, including Bahrain which is planning on phasing out the sale of alcohol in that country.

I wonder if the tourism trade will plummet. I still have no clue what the attraction is for Western tourists.