Australia Caves On Niqab Segregation In Parliament

Looks like Australia caved on a plan to segregate visiting Muslim women- donning burqas and niqabs- at Parliament House. It was proposed, citing obvious security concerns, but too many people balked, and so, boom, it's gone.  They were to be seated in glassed enclosures where rambunctious school kids usually sit during parliament visits.

One would think the women would be happy to be separated from potential contact with males, after all, they are segregated in their mosques, why should they care. This really isn't very different from the segregation they already encounter, but human rights and race discrimination activists thought differently.

Race discrimination commissioner Tim Soutphommasane told Fairfax Media the original ruling meant Muslim women were being treated differently to non-Muslim women.

"No-one should be treated like a second-class citizen, not least in the parliament,” he said.

“I have yet to see any expert opinion or analysis to date which indicates that the burqa or the niqab represents an additional or special security threat.”

What?  They want to be treated differently than non-Muslim women, that's why they wear burqas and niqabs in a Western society in the first place. And if they're wearing burqas, they're already being treated as second-class citizens, so what's the difference.  And burqas and niqabs are most definitely a security threat. Lot's of space under that garb to hide any manner of explosives or weapons.

But it wasn't just activists who were opposed.

..Labor opposition frontbencher Tony Burke welcomed the backdown but said the initial decision should never have been made.

“What possessed them to think that segregation was a good idea?” he said.

“Segregation was previously introduced, apparently, with no security advice attached to it and no security reason attached to it.”

Apparently, they have now changed the rules.

The Department of Parliamentary Services said in a statement that the rules had been changed and all visitors must now “temporarily remove any coverings” that prevent the recognition of facial features.

“This will enable security staff to identify anyone who may have been banned from entering the building or who may be known to be a security risk,” it said.

“Once this process has taken place visitors are free to move about the public spaces of the building, including all chamber galleries, with facial coverings in place”.

Fools.

Source: Al Arabiya

Fiji Says No Hijabs For Photo ID

Whether they like it or not, Muslim women in the Fiji Islands will be forced to have their pictures taken sans their hijabs for their Fiji National Provident Fund and Fiji Revenue Customs Authority joint ID card. Fiji does not have the equivalent of a CAIR advocating for veiled women, so Fijian officials have no-one to cave in to.

Apparently, two women who were refused service at the FNPF because they would not remove their veils for their photo ID, are getting no help from one of the local Muslim organizations:

Fiji Muslim League general secretary Tabiz Akbar said despite the religious and cultural belief held by the Muslim women, if the government required Muslim women to take pictures for certain things especially dealing with matters of national interest, then there was nothing they could do.

One of the women, Roselyn Karim, believes it is blasphemy to take off her hijab, especially during Ramadan:

"I can't just take off my hijab in front of anyone, especially a man. That violates my religion and I feel that I would have shamed not only myself but my family.

"The Prime Minister has been saying that he will ensure that nobody's religion is violated."

According to Aisake Taito, the FNFP requires the removal of head scarves for safety measures :

"One of the key requirements for the Joint ID procedures is a face-check verification.

"This is to ensure that the applicant is indeed a bona fide member/ taxpayer.

"If staff are not able to see the member's full facial features required for identification purposes, then there is no assurance that the member is the same person that is on the IDs being presented to us."

"Bending this customer identification and face validation procedure can be a channel for identity theft; thus is high risk.

"We do appreciate that everyone has a right to their religious/cultural belief which dictates the way they dress.

"But for identification purposes, particularly in the issuance of new ID, it is important that procedures are followed.

"It must be noted that our procedures also allow our Muslim women member's privacy to have their hijab and burqa removed in the presence of a female staff, who will verify their identity."

So the mother and daughter will get their photos taken by women.

At least the Fijians didn't cave.

Source: Fiji Times

Iranian Men Post Bizarre Photos In Response To Women Posting Photos Without Hijab

It didn't take long for  Muslim males to respond to those brave Iranian women who have been posting photos of themselves hijab-free on the Facebook page My Stealthy Freedom.  With 374 thousand likes, the page was created by Masih Alinejad, an Iranian journalist living in London, to "give voice" to thousands of women in that country who have no choice in the matter.

Some media sites, including Al Arabiya and Telegraph UK, are claiming that there's been a conservative backlash, and that men have created their own Men's Stealthy Freedom Facebook page where they too are posting photos of themselves. In their case, many of the photos posted are of silly men wearing various makeshift head coverings.

Along with other truly bizarre pics including men picking their noses (who knows what that represents), and a man licking whipped cream off the face of another male. Uhuh. Doesn't look too conservative to me.

Whether it's a mockery of the women or not, and whether the men are conservative or not is difficult to determine, since the page is not in English.  Those pics have to be seen, though.

In protest, there have been several small rallies by those conservatives happy with the compulsory hijab laws.  And conservatives have created another Facebook page: Real Freedom of Iranian Women. Those enlightened souls have no problem demanding freedom to wear hijab, but condemn those who would like the choice not to.  They posted the following:

Members write that the hijab is freeing and women should not be given the right to choose whether to wear it. Others posting on the page say they should be compulsory to protect women's modesty.

In one post, the word rape has been written over the photos of three prominent Iranian journalist who work abroad and appear unveiled in their broadcasts. It was accompanied with a message warning that women who do not wear the hijab are more likely to get raped.

Charming.

UK Judge Tells Woman To Remove Burqa

Bravo to UK Judge Peter Murphy who told a burqa-clad woman that she must remove her burqa before submitting her plea. She was accused of intimidating a witness.

The judge said:

“While I obviously respect the right to dress in any way she wishes, certainly while outside the court, the interests of justice are paramount.

“I can’t, as a circuit judge, accept a plea from a person whose identity I am unable to ascertain."

“There is the principle of open justice and it can’t be subject to the religion of the defendant whether the principle is observed or not.” 

“I am not saying this because of the particular form of dress by this defendant I apply that to any form of dress that had the same issues.”

More details on Al Arabiya.

Sharia Sisters Behind False Accusations of Child Rape At Kindergarten in Belgium

Esther from Islam in Europe temporarily resurrected her blog for the following post: Sharia Sisters, an off-shoot of the radical Sharia4Belgium, is allegedly behind false accusations against a 23-year-old teacher at a kindergarten school in Antwerp. She was accused of raping a 4-year-old boy.  Esther has no English source for the allegations, but plenty of Dutch ones.

The story started when a teacher was accused of sexually abusing kindergarten kids in the Antwerp school De Blokkendoos, this past June. For days parents protested outside the school, and finally the school was forced to close a week ahead of the summer vacation. The teacher and administration of the school also received death threats and had to go into hiding. The case has not been officially closed, but the Mayor of Antwerp Bart De Wever recently announced that the teacher had been wrongly accused.

And this is where it gets interesting.

It turns out that the mother who first complained is Najat Mejdoubi, who said the teacher had raped and abused her 4-year old son. Majdoubi is a member of Sharia Sisters, a sister organization of Sharia4Belgium. Dozens of parents joined in the accusations, three turned to the police.

It's not clear whether the hysteria that followed was orchestrated by any organization, but according to a court source, the case fits well with the Sharia4Belgium strategy. "We saw the same phenomenon with the niqab incident in Molenbeek last year. A number of extremists tried to use the De Blokkendoos story to incite the community against everything non-Muslim." The source continued, that though there were protests at the school, the inciters hadn't managed to inflame the rest of the Muslim community, which is to the merit of the Muslim community itself.

The rest here.

Niqab-Clad Aussie Muslim Teen Files Complaint Over Refusal Of Service

There is no reason why a Muslim teenage girl, born and living in Australia, should be wearing a full face-veil (niqab). But Hafsah Negussie has chosen to do so and is now claiming that she was traumatized and that her rights were violated when a BP gas station attendant locked her up in the gas station and refused her service. This happened back in December, the girl is only now filing a complaint. BP has (foolishly) apologized  for the lack of service, but denies that she was locked up. I know who I would believe.

A Muslim teenager in Australia’s second-largest state of Queensland is complaining of being denied service and locked at a service station because of her face-veil (niqab).

“It's so horrific,” teenager Hafsah Negussie told Courier Mail on Monday, April 29.

"I'm Australian, I was born and raised here, I know my rights.”

The case goes back to December last year when Negussie, who dons Islamic face-veil, tried to pay for her goods at a Brisbane service station after a worker refused to serve her.

She also complained that the doors were locked by the attendant when she attempted to leave.

The incident was reported to police but no official report was filed until the Muslim teenager came forward again in April.

A company spokesman for BP service stations said the business required customers to remove helmets, hoodies or large hats before approaching the counter.

He, however, said that the policy did not extend to religious headwear, admitting that the attendant involved had misunderstood business requirements.

"This was regrettable and we wish to apologize most sincerely for this lapse,” he said.

"We are also reminding all our service station staff of our company's approach to religious headgear.”

The rest of the story here.

A Canadian "Salafi Feminist" Explains All

So this Canadian Muslima, Zainab Bint Younus, claims she's a "Salafi Feminist." What an oxymoron.

She doesn't just wear the hijab, she wears the drastic niqab (only eyes showing), so Younus wrote the following (for the website Muslima) to set the record straight on what constitutes being a Salafi Feminist.

Back Story…
Salafi: A Salafi (Arabic: سلفي‎) is a Muslim who emphasises the Salaf ("predecessors" or "ancestors"), the earliest Muslims, as model examples of Islamic practice. (Wikipedia)

Salafi (Media Definition): Muslim men who wear short thawbs and have big beards, Muslim women who wear hijab/ abayah/ niqaab; Muslims who despise the West, have dreams of world domination and The Khilaafah (TM), and are determined to practice Islam openly. *Shudder*

Salafi (North America): A bunch of guys with short thawbs, long beards, and way too much time on their hands, which they spend writing PDFs declaring everyone else to be Off The Manhaj (TM).

Feminist: An advocate for social, political, legal, and economic rights for women equal to those of men. (Dictionary.com)

Feminist (Popular Opinion): Hairy, man-hating women determined to prove themselves superior to men and take over all male jobs.

Feminist (Muslim Popular Opinion): Hairy, man-hating women who are going to destroy the natural order of this world by claiming to be equal to men. Muslim Feminist/ Feminism: A form of feminism concerned with the role of women in Islam. It aims for the full equality of all Muslims, regardless of gender, in public and private life. (Wikipedia)

Muslim Feminist (Muslim Popular Opinion): Man-hating, self-hating women who try to use Islam as an excuse to destroy the Muslim Ummah from within; those who attempt to destroy the natural order of this world by claiming to be equal to men, or at least slightly more equal than many Muslims prefer to believe. Alternatively, Muslim women who have been brainwashed by the West into thinking that the role of a wife and mother isn't enough for her, and is now just a pitiable tool of the Decadent West (TM) who must be warned against, because there is absolutely no hope for her, especially when she starts trying to quote ayaat and ahadeeth to justify her clearly warped and corrupted views.

The Salafi Feminist: Someone who just likes to see everyone get their knickers in a knot when they see the words 'Salafi' and 'feminist' put together, and love to say things like, "in salafi-feminism you have combined two of the most disastrous movements in modern history!" (True story.)

Okay, so maybe I'm deliberately being a tease. It's hard to resist, though, seeing as how everyone wants to shove me and my views into an annoyingly narrow box, because unless you fit into a pre-constructed box, you don't count! Anyway. I am a niqaabi who hates those "Da'wah pictures" which say women are either pretty covered-up lollipops or trashed unwrapped candies being bombarded with flies. I am a happy wife and mother, and I loathe those people who try to tell me that I should only be happy in my role as a wife and mother. I believe in pursuing knowledge, Islamic and otherwise (and in fields other than gynecology or teaching kindergarten), and would really like to flip the bird at those twits still debating "women's education in Islam." I frown upon mingling between the sexes and pre-marital relationships, but I will never belittle another woman's value and worth as a human being based upon her sexual history or rumours about her reputation. I rage against the injustices of Western governments, but I refuse to turn a blind eye to the tragedies that Muslims inflict upon each other. Drone strikes, illegal wars, and the occupation of Palestine are right up there with domestic violence, sexual abuse, and racism within Muslim communities. I believe that men and women both have control over their actions and desires, and that a woman looking at a male speaker is not going to send her into a frenzy of lust, or that any man is incapable of keeping it in his pants when he sees a woman whose body is not covered from head to toe in black. I respect the scholars of Islam and will defend them to anyone who tries badmouthing them, but that doesn't mean I'll stay silent when some of their words are harmful to the Muslim women of this Ummah. I believe that homosexuality is a great and terrible sin, but I also believe that shirk is worse. No one should allow their sins to stop them from reaching out to Allah, the Merciful, the Forgiving, the One True God. I uphold that modesty and chastity is for both men and women; that women should wear hijab, men should lower their gaze, and that both parties assist each other in making their societies purer in every way. I believe that "The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, and establish prayer and give zakah and obey Allah and His Messenger. Those - Allah will have mercy upon them. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise." (Qur'an 9: 71)

She'd like to think of herself as a feminist, but I think they'd disagree.

Breathable Nail Polish For Devout Muslimahs

Someone has come up with a 'breathable' nail polish that is thrilling Muslim women because now the devout, conservative ones can color their nails. Apparently, they're not supposed to wear nail varnish because it messes with the whole idea behind pre-prayer wudhu (ritual ablution) whereby every part of the body (hands, arms and face) must be washed, and ordinary nail polish covers the nails. Not a good thing. I'm wondering, however, why devout muslimahs would even want to polish their nails.   It seems a tad hypocritical that these women, who probably wear the hijab or possibly even the niqab, would even want to call attention to their hands. Isn't that the point of dressing modestly- I'm here, but don't look at me.  But, it seems, they're itching to paint those nails, and before this innovative new nail polish came onto the scene it was a major pain in the butt.

Muslim professor Mustafa Umar explained on his blog The Evolution of Ideas that there is 'nothing intrinsically wrong with wearing nail polish,' the real issue is that this substance forms an impermeable barrier over the nails preventing water from getting underneath.

For years, women have been required to either remove and reapply polish for prayers every day, or wait to wear it during the week they have their period - when they're not allowed to pray.

But, Mr Umar said, 'this usually indicates to another person that a sister is undergoing her period, which can be very embarrassing for others to know.'

The urge to wear nail polish on a regular basis has become so strong, however, that some women have taken to to wearing stick-on nail polish that can be easily peeled off.

Remove the polish 5 times a day? Wow, that's dedication. And  stick-on nail polish?  Who knew.

So, step in Polish Inglot Cosmetics with their new permeable, breathable O2M to save the day. Apparently, you can even find it at Macy's here in the U.S.

The O2M polish uses a polymer used in some contact lenses, which allows oxygen and moisture to penetrate to the nail.

A student of Mr Umar's actually tested the product's validity by painting one swatch of regular polish and another of O2M's enamel onto a coffee filter, placing a clean coffee filter underneath.

When the polish dried, she squeezed drops of water onto each swatch, and waited ten seconds.

The filter beneath the standard polish was dry, as was the backside of the filter it was painted on. But it easily soaked beneath the O2M polish, and even wet the second filter - proving it is in fact, breathable.

That's pretty darn ingenious, actually. But I still want to know why a niqab-clad woman would want that attention.

Egyptian Teacher Punishes Girls Who Refused To Wear Hijab

Two young girls in the Luxor province of Egypt had their hair chopped off by a teacher because they refused to cover their heads. I'm not sure if the 12-year-olds were Christians or whether they were Muslims who just chose to not wear the hijab, but either way it's outrageous. Of course, what do you expect from a country that now has the Muslim Brotherhood in control.

In the village of Qurna in Luxor province, 300 miles south of Cairo, father Berbesh Khairi el-Rawi said the teacher forced the two girls to stand with their hands above their heads for two hours and then cut their hair in their school.

He said he filed a complaint after the incident with the prosecutor's office in Luxor.

The prosecutor's office declined to comment on the case.  Provincial governor Ezzat Saad confirmed the teacher had been transferred for a "shameful" act but did not otherwise comment.

The teacher told the Egyptian semi-official newspaper al-Ahram that the amount of hair she cut off of the girls' heads "did not exceed two centimetres".

Abu Bakar was quoted as saying she only resorted to cutting her students' hair after warning them repeatedly to cover their heads. After these repeated warnings, a student handed her scissors from his bag, and that he and other students asked her to "implement" her threats. Ziad Abdel Tawab of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights said the incident was alarming but not surprising.

"Whether in schools or outside schools, the general sentiment is that any abusive action, if it is justified as protection of Islam, is tolerable," he said

What next, are they going to start chopping off the heads of women and young girls who don't comply?

And why wasn't the teacher fired instead of being transferred to another school where she can bully more kids.

Aussie Kid With "Behead" Sign Deemed Safe With Mum, After Mum Talks To Police

The stupid mum who thought it would be cool to take a photo of her young son with a "Behead all those who insult the prophet" placard at the recent anti-Islam film riots in Sydney, decided to pay a little visit to the authorities after there was a call to track down the idiot. Apparently, children's services deemed the kids were safe with a mother who obviously has no common sense.

A spokesman for Family and Community Services Minister Pru Goward told smh.com.au the woman had presented herself to police overnight.

"She did come forward and police have checked the children and they're safe'"

"There's been no other reports to our helpline in regards to these children."

He said there were no plans to remove the children from their family.

According to Goward,

"She apparently said the child had been brought [to the protest] because they didn't expect it to become violent, which you might disagree with, but that was her account."

"The police then went back to the house and assessed the children and assessed that they were safe. So that is where they remain.

"But I think there is unfinished business in ensuring that the messages about mutual respect and non-violence are applied to all of us and that all our communities understand that that's what we certainly particularly expect from children.

"Parents do crazy things; she might just well have thought it was a giggle to get him to hold the sign, a cute little photograph.

"But it is just unacceptable to the rest of us.

"This family are now on the radar. We've had a full history done and there have been no other reports. But she knows ... that there is now a report and there will be follow-up and it's something that she will need to be conscious of."

Didn't expect it to get violent?  Who takes a child, along with a baby in a stroller, to a protest by a group of people who have very short fuses and almost always turn to violence.  And a giggle? A giggle is posing your kid with Mickey or Minnie Mouse at Disneyland. Posing your son with a major incitement to violence is child abuse.  To have no compunction about having your offspring hold an outrageous sign while casually taking his photo is an indication of  where her true feelings lie. No innocent here. Calling to behead those who insult Islam is about as radical as you can get.

At least there have been members of the Muslim community who condemned her for actions.

Lebanese Muslim Association president Samier Dandan says while he welcomes the mother’s decision to go to police, he disapproves of the behaviour.
‘‘That’s something that we don’t encourage within our community, it’s something we condemn,’’ he told reporters at Lakemba mosque in Sydney’s west today.
Mr Dandan said he would try to talk to the mother, but added he had been told the boy may have found the sign on the street and was ‘‘caught up in the hype’’ during the demonstrations. ‘‘Does a child really understand what’s written on that placard?’’ he said.

No, the child may not know, but mummy certainly does. And as curious as children are, you don't think he asked mummy what the sign meant?

George Christensen, MP wasn't so understanding:

"Using a toddler to peddle an incitement to violent killing is disgusting and I think the Australian public would expect the authorities to take up the matter with the parents," Mr Christensen said in a statement yesterday.

"If the parents are exposing their children to religious hatred and encouraging violence then perhaps those children should be put in the care of better people."

He's right. I guess mummy can go back to training her cute little wonder for jihad.

Camel Hump Hijab Is a No-No in Islam- Joke of the day

From the Islam Will Dominate The World Facebook page comes the "Camel Hump Hijab" fatwa.  Who knew that Camel Hump hijabs were a no-no in Islam.

Repent ye, evil camel hump hijab wearers, or ye will go straight to hell. Ha.

This is a post to all my dear sisters who prefer this fashion by making a big “bun” on their heads specially while wearing the hijab. This is a fashion now considered by the modern day Arabs and it was already predicted by our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)!

Please read on what are the rulings on this. Some sisters, on the other hand just make a bun because they’re hair is long but please if any happens to be your case.

Prophet Muhammed [PBUH] said:There are two types of the people of hell that I've not seen yet; men with whips like the tails of cattle with which they strike people, and women who are clothed yet naked walking with an enticing gait with something on their heads that looks like the humps of the camels, leaning to one side. They will never enter paradise or even smell its fragrance, although its fragrance can be detected from such and such a distance.[Reported by Muslim and Ahmad]

The Hadith is very clear and scarily also true, there are many Muslimah’s today that wear Hijab who have really huge scarves around their head wrapped around to make a huge hump above their heads. To them this is a style which attracts people to look at them more. This defeats the whole purpose of the Hijab.

When a sister makes a decision to wear the Hijab Allah (swt) is most pleased with her, for someone giving up their desires and submitting to Allah (swt), to become a righteous person is an amazing transformation. But then you cannot make a compromise on that decision by giving in to the Dunya and following others in becoming cursed. Because that is exactly what you will be. Read the following:Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) said:There will be in the last of my Ummah (nation of believers), scantily dressed women, and the hair on the top of their heads like a camel’s hump. Curse them, for verily they are cursed. In another version he said: …scantily dressed women, who go astray and make others go astray (Away from the correct path or direction); they will not enter Paradise nor smell its fragrance, although it can be smelled from afar.[Reported by At-Tabarani and Sahih Muslim]

“Scantily dressed women” are those who wear clothing which reveals more than it conceals, thereby increasing her attractiveness while opening the path to a host of evils.

If you have been doing the camel hump Hijab style, Stop it immediately and repent. Allah SWT is the most merciful and most forgiving and he loves those who seek forgiveness and repent.

There are many other ways to style Hijab and if you have long hair like me and want to keep it up then do so, without creating a hump imitating a camel’s hump. You can tie your hair in a bun really low but above your neck ensuring that your long hair does not come out of your scarf.

They actually have a point- trying to look fashionable in a hijab is terribly hypocritical.

Egyptian TV Broadcasts First Veiled Newscaster

Under Hosni Mubarak's secular and somewhat modern- albeit dictatorial- rule, female news broadcasters on Egyptian state television were banned from wearing the veil. With the Arab Spring came majority Islamist rule and now the first female anchor Fatma Nabil has appeared on the news wearing her hijab.

Nabil is happy as a clam, it seems, telling the Muslim Brotherhood's daily rag:

“Finally the revolution has reached” Egyptian media,

Mohammed Fathi- a TV official- believes this will pave the way for others  to start wearing their veils as well.  At least four have already received permission on various channels, including Channel 1 and Nile News. 

Why would a woman who is so into 'modesty'- that she feels compelled to cover her head- even want to appear on television?  And do they really think that covering their hair is going to stop Muslim men from lusting after them? Which is the whole point of wearing a hijab to begin with.  Why not just don a niqab (full face veil) and run on over to the all female Egyptian TV Channel Marya? I'm sure they'd be happy to add a few more hijabis onto their roster.

Egypt seems to be taking major steps backwards. Sad for a country that has such a rich pre-Islamic history. 

UK Dads Banned From Day Care Center So As Not To Offend Muslim Women

Fathers are in an uproar in Birmingham, England after a children's play center banned all males so as not to offend Muslim mums. Kids Go Wild is located in Sparkhill, a mainly Asian/Muslim area of Birmingham, and up until the recent decision was a co-ed play center.

But it's not just dads that are being turned away, they're not even allowing males over nine. No wonder they're all so screwed up. If kids can't learn to deal with the opposite sex in a safe, supervised environment, they'll grow up maladjusted.

And it's not just non-Muslims who are more than pissed off at the decision, it has also infuriated some in the Muslim community. As a result, a large group of dads took their complaint to the Equality and Human Rights commission which intends to investigate the situation.

One dad called it "sexist" and "disgusting". One mum, Ruksana Ayub, said:

“I understand why women would want a place like this where there are no men. They won’t feel they have to cover up so they might feel more able to relax and to socialise. But I’m quite modern in my outlook, so I also find it quite shocking that men aren’t allowed in. It’s a shame for kids who don’t have a mum.”

Local Muslims are equally concerned:

The move was branded a “worrying situation” by local councillor Habib Rehman, a Muslim and father-of-four. He said: “There’s something wrong here when a dad can’t take his kids to a play centre.”

Father-of-three Tariq Mahmood, of nearby Hall Green, said: “In the Muslim community men and women being separate is normal at religious events and social functions. But a play centre isn’t a religious or function thing. It’s somewhere for children to play. A ban on men gives the wrong impression about men.”

Tory MP Patrick Mercer said: “It is clear there are common sense voices as you would expect from the Muslim community. I would hope that the play group would listen to people of every faith and respect the role of fathers within the family.”

Kids Go Wild has defended its decision:

The manageress of the centre, who refused to give her name, said she was catering for the “predominantly Asian community”.

She said: “It’s a cultural thing. It’s not that men are an issue, ladies are more comfortable around women. They’ve been asking for it for a long time.”

And this is how it starts, folks. Gender segregation will eventually become the norm in those communities, and then they will start demanding it elsewhere. But I blame Muslim males, in general, for forcing women to withdraw under their abayas, burqas and veils by burdening them with keeping the man's lust in check.

Shariah Tourism In Egypt!

Cairo-based travel agency Shouq Travel, is making travel in Egypt shariah compliant.  Yes, bring your kids, and drag along the wife all decked out in her niqab for a jaunt on a jet ski. Maybe you'll get lucky enough to have her hijab get sucked into the propeller and she'll drown.  At least they let them drive.
Or if the ocean isn't your thing, and you like sand flying into your nostrils (though a burqa might be a good thing in that case), how about some fun on an ATV in the Sinai?  Maybe wife's hijab will get stuck in the wheels and she'll make an exit like Isadora Duncan.



Shouq will also arrange all the hotels for you, separate swimming pools (why not just leave the wife at home), halal food and all:

Family Tourism

It is known also with Halal Tourism, we organize family trips that agrees with our traditions , our Egyptian culture and our El-Sharia teachings. We are dealing with a large number of hotels that provides Halal Meat (Animal slaughtered according to our Islamic teaches), and doesn’t present alcoholic beverages on board, or pork. We also provide other alternatives for women like covered swimming pools or other places reserved only for women. And since Egypt has a lot of touristic sites we in Shouq Travel are so keen to organize trips that cover different sites of Egypt. We also present through our trips entertaining activities for children and cultural and religious seminars for adults.

The women get to sweat under their swathes of black cloth, no less- while the males get to dress comfortably-note the bare arms. What's wrong with a burqini?

And that black blob on the back of the jet ski?  Oh yes, it's the wife.

Thanks to those Muslim Brotherhood types who are now the leaders of Egypt, there will probably be a proliferation of travel agencies popping up to cater to the Shariah lovers around the world who want to travel to the land of the Pyramids.

According to Al Arabiya Muslim travel is a booming business:

From halal spas to prayer rooms at airport terminals, the global tourism industry is gearing up for a projected boom in Muslim travel over the next decade, experts say.

Spending by Muslim tourists is growing faster than the global rate and is forecast to reach $192 billion a year by 2020, up from $126 billion in 2011, according to a study conducted in 47 countries by Singapore-based halal travel specialist Crescentrating, along with DinarStandard, a U.S.-based firm that tracks the Muslim lifestyle market.

Everyone deserves to travel, but why does religion have to factor into it?!  Halal spas?  And special Muslim prayer rooms?  What's wrong with a non-denominational chapel? 

Wow.  Just, wow! 

Oddities in Saudi Arabia: Body Piercing and an All Women's Village

There's always something bizarre and surprising going on in Saudi Arabia, one of the most repressive, oppressive countries in the world. At least for women. But in spite of women having most of their freedoms restricted in the Kingdom, they do find ways of rebelling- like the women who are now getting body piercings. We're not talking about holes in the ears for those dangles or gold studs, we're talking lip, tongue, naval piercing and who knows what else. The trend is on an upswing, though there are differing views as to its attractiveness. I was actually rather surprised to read about this, since piercings are a mostly Western fancy. I'm sure it will eventually be banned for being un-Islamic.

Then there's that Saudi village that just banned women who  dress "indecently" (read- tart) and manly women (read- probably gay) from entering the Women's Village in Sakakah.   The women-only villagers want to make sure their hamlet remains normal (like an all-female village is normal.) They want women to dress like women and conservatively, to boot.  Though if there are no men around, why the need to dress modestly?  The abaya and hijab/niqab (veils) are supposedly worn to prevent men from lusting after them, because Muslim men have no control over their passions.  If there are no men there, what's the point? 

But the village administration wants to make sure that all Western, "alien" phenomena is curtailed, so the banning statement was texted to everyone's cell phone (isn't that a Western phenomenon?)  The ban came after some girls were discovered doing bad things at women-only parties, like dressing like men (probably wearing jeans), or dressing provocatively (maybe a little cleavage), and the worst part- engaging in some "provocative" dancing.

“Those phenomena are alien to our society and do not reflect its conservative character. That is why they need to combated and have their causes uprooted,” said the statement.

Earlier, there was a fatwa against bringing cell phones with cameras and noisy partying. And they have their own security force to ensure all the strict rules and regulations are adhered to.

Not sure what's with an all-female village, but it's pretty bizarre.

According to Al Arabiya, targeting masculine women and feminine looking/acting men (and those pesky 'punks') isn't anything new.  They've been banned from public schools and universities.

CAIR Files Complaint On Behalf Of Muslim Woman Barred From Skating Rink For Wearing A Head Scarf

Rules are rules, but many conservative Muslims feel that certain rules shouldn't apply to them because, well, they are special and should be exempt, given all the various strict religious requirements they adhere to. By choice, mind you. And regardless of whether those rules state absolutely 'no exceptions' are to be made, they feel they should be excluded, and if not, they automatically run to CAIR (Council on America Islamic Relations) crying 'discrimination'. There have been several women who, in spite of knowing full well Disney's strict dress code have filed suit against the Mickey Mouse franchise because the company initially balked at their request to wear their hijabs (veils). Sadly, Disney eventually caved after CAIR stepped in and won concessions for the women.

So much for rules.

Now an Hispanic Muslim woman, 40-year-old Marisol Rodriguez-Colon, has solicited CAIR to intervene on her behalf because a roller-skating rink (Ron-A-Roll rink) refused to let her skate with her hijab.

Their rules are very specific, with a sign at the entrance that plainly states:

"No Hats. No Headwear. No Exceptions."

The rule was not instituted to discriminate against Muslims, it's for safety reasons, but Colon decided that this was plainly a case of discrimination when she and another Muslimah relative were not allowed to enter the premises of Ron-A-Roll rink for a birthday party for her niece. They were given the option to wear a helmet over their hijabs, which they both flatly refused.

"I wear this with pride," Colon said. "I was mortified -- by asking someone to wear a helmet you are actually ostracizing us.

"You are singling us out and showing everyone there is an issue -- that something is wrong with these two women."

"You are not allowed -- you are not welcome here. That is what that says to me," Colon said of the statement.

She said she was insulted that the rink would deny entrance to people "because of what they believe and what they are wearing because of those beliefs."

Management insists upon the rules because of safety issues, and we know very well that if they were to be harmed in any way, these women would be the first to sue the establishment, big time, for any injuries incurred.

So instead of removing their hijabs, or using the helmets, the women left and immediately contacted CAIR, which filed its obligatory complaint with Connecticut's Human Rights Commission, because of course not being allowed to skate in a hijab is a major human rights violation.

And apparently, this isn't the first complaint regarding skating rinks and hijabs, but in the following case, the venue caved.

Several years ago, University of Albany student Zahra Shah was barred from wearing her headscarf at an upstate New York roller rink.

That arena, citing insurance reasons, also banned headwear.

An employee at the time told Shah that other skaters could trip and get hurt if the hijab fell off.

When Shah explained that she wore the scarf for religious reasons, one rink employee told her it was like a cowboy "religiously" wearing a cowboy hat.

After a barrage of phone calls from activist groups and others, the rink management apologized and said Shah could skate with her headscarf.

Perhaps these kinds of places should have contracts that people like Colon would have to sign that would prevent them for suing if they were injured. Maybe that would shut them up.

Source: NY Post