The year of dressing dangerously

Over the years there were probably many isolated incidences around the world where a person’s dress, appearance and style of living attracted unwanted attention from a few loons, mostly from one type of religious persuasion or the other. But in 2013, these incidences started making the news.

In January, the same religious extremists who had earlier banned women from wearing jeans and tight trousers, inspired the mayor of Aceh, Indonesia, to propose a ban on women straddling bicycles and motorcycles when riding pillion. Then in February a Saudi cleric raged about forcing babies and young woman to wear burkas, which he claimed would prevent rape.

In March Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood opposed a UN Declaration on Woman’s Rights saying that granting them any basic rights would destroy society. They  proposed among other more absurd things that woman should not be allowed to travel freely, work, use contraception and control the household finances.

Earlier this month Hamas, the ultra-conservative government of Gaza passed an education bill mandating separate classrooms for boys and girls. This week in another act of pure madness Hamas lap-dogs who pass for Policemen were reported pulling young men off the streets, loading them into jeeps, insulting them and then cutting off or shaving their long or gel-styled spiky hair.

Now lest you think I’m singling out a particular religion by exposing this insanity, let me assure you that I’m not. If an adherent of [place your religion or political organization of choice here] compels me to dress or behave in a certain way, or inhibits me from exercising certain basic human rights, because it infringes some stupid law from their archaic religious texts, then I’m most certainly going to tell them to kiss my ass.

It’s not so much the religion that concerns me, as the jackasses that try to impose their understanding of it.

No religionist (or political organization) will ever prescribe to me how to dress, what to eat, how to live or what to believe.

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This just in…

Seems the madness has spread to Uganda too. Simon Lokodo an ex-Catholic priest, a misogynist and homophobe who is now masquerading as the Ethics Minister [fancy that?] is proposing legislation that will govern what women wear in public, including on television.

This same government-appointed keeper of the public’s morals was at the forefront of persecution and discriminatory laws against Uganda’s homosexual community not so long ago.

Just because it would make me feel better: Rant Alert #01

A couple of incidents that caught my attention over the last few days which I’d like to get off my chest:

Paranoia is a particularly nasty characteristic of human behaviour. It normally results in harmful actions being perpetrated against fellow human beings, and atrocities being committed in extreme cases. When governments are the perpetrators of violent reactions to perceived dangers it can get really ugly. The American government reaction to the 9/11 incident is a case in point.

The Israeli raid on the Gaza-bound humanitarian aid vessels which resulted in the loss of several lives, is the most recent incident of government paranoia. This dastardly act must be condemned in the strongest possible terms, and Israel made to make reparations.

Civilized governments are elected to lead, and demonstrate restraint when dealing with emotional matters. They are not elected to take the lead in demonstrating crass and violent behaviour. Off course, this rules out all those who govern un-elected or by force; crass behaviour is to be expected from them as despots can never be true leaders.

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I read with utter amusement today that the ANC is considering disciplinary action against trade union leader, Zwelinzima Vavi (whose union happens to be an ally of the ruling party), for revealing that senior ANC members exploit their political connections to enrich themselves, and are further involved in other acts of corruption.

Eh! excuse me but this revelation is not news to us; it’s no big secret at all, but a well-known fact. You’re just peeved that one of your own is confirming it. It’s not strange though, because the bastards who are involved in corruption, always seem to be in the dark about their own illegal behaviour.

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The North Korean soccer team arrived in the country today for the FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup, with apparently very little fanfare. It’s to be expected though, as they are one of the lesser fancied teams in this tournament. They must be expecting to enjoy a little more freedom while over here; only if allowed by the Korean government chaperones that undoubtedly accompanied them.

While South Africa is by far a more  progressive and liberal country than North Korea, it may come as a bit of a shock to them to find out that we have a certain cabal in government, and a so-called leader of a certain youth organization, who are hell-bent on turning South Africa into a repressive shit-hole, just like North Korea.