Skirts and scarves issue / О платочках и юбках

I should confess that I find the notion that women should cover their hair, legs or even faces extremely evil and perverse. It is nothing else but a remnant of the dark primitive times of total male domination.

Why did this domination happened to the human race in the first place? I guess just because on average males were physically stronger than average females.  It is interesting to try to imagine what would happened if the strength was equal or roles were reversed.

All the excuses like “women should cover up so they do not tempt men” are based on obvious inequality: men’s hair, proportional bodies and handsome faces could be just as attractive to women – yet men are not normally forced to cover themselves up!

Hopefully human race is growing out of the disgraceful dominance of the physically strong. I often feel the need to help this somehow. I even wanted to start a women’s movement against all this cover up business and to have members pledging never wear particular styles of scarves or skirts – as they are signs of oppression.

I really can never be a close friend to a person who willingly participate in this scarves, burkas, dresses and skirts masquerade. I don’t object people wearing whatever they want for the fun of it but I can’t accept a “moral” attitude to dress code and sickly fear of “divine” punishment for not keeping it. Neither can I feel any respect to the cultures which still enforce this ancient injustice not will I go as a tourist to countries where this is common. I boycott them and hope other self respecting individuals would do too.

We do have a dress code here in the so called West too but it is based on rational MUTUAL agreement do not display publicly any reproductive organs to avoid unnecessary distraction. As long as this is rational, doesn’t interfere with art and could be easily changed if people’s perception of each other changes in future, it’s Ok.

I don’t consider myself a feminist: this is a human rights issue.  By the contrast I am really surprised at ladies infuriated because somebody called them “flower”. Obviously the men who do this just want to please and if enough women will let them know they don’t enjoy being called “flower” nobody would do this in future.  It is also troubles me that western governments are trying to get same amount of men and women per every occupation. Having the same human rights doesn’t mean being the same. A number of women spend time doing something that men physically couldn’t: being pregnant and breastfeeding.  And good for them. Plus there are other physical and mental differences resulting in different lifestyle preferences. But nothing at all to hide on the head…

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Должна признаться, что нахожу точку зрения будто женщины обязаны покрывать головы, ноги или даже лица исключительно порочной. Такое мнение – пережиток темных времен патриархата.

Как человечество оказалось в такой ситуации? Я думаю, просто потому, что в среднем самцы были сильнее самок. Интересно представить, что бы было, если бы роли поменялись или были бы равными.

Оправдания типа “женщины должны покрываться тряпками, чтобы не смущать мужчин” базируются на вопиющем неравноправии. Симпатичные лица, фигуры и волосы мужчин могут быть так же привлекательны для женщин, однако никто обычно не требует от мужчин прятаться!

Надеюсь, что человечество в скором времени вырастет из пережитков эпохи власти физической силы. Временами мне даже хочется этому как-то помочь, например, организовать движение женщин, отказывающихся надевать определенные типы платков и юпок – тех, которые навязываются разнообразными религиями.

Я вряд ли когда-нибудь смогу быть близким другом дам, которые сознательно участвует во всех этих маскарадах. Мне совершенно все равно, что люди носят, если они это делают для собственного удовольствия, но смирится с морализмом или глупым страхом божественного наказания в этом плане я не могу. Не могу я и испытывать уважение к культурам, которыедо сих пор активно навязывают такие атавистические взгляды и ни за что не поеду отдыхать в страны, где все это происходит. Надеюсь, и другие уважающие себя женщины поступают также.

Конечно, в современных Европе и Северной Америке существуют определенные правила, касающиеся одежды, но они, в общем, уже не базируются на суевериях, устаревших книгах, страхах и вопиющем неравенстве, поэтому меня они не беспокоят. Меняется мода – меняются и правила. Это нормально.

Я не считаю себя феминисткой. Принудительные юбки и платочки – это нарушение прав человека. Права у нас одинаковые, но это не значит, что мы – одно и то же. Глупо, нгапример, пытаться набрать то же число мужчин и женщин на каждый пост. Различная биология диктует различные устремления. Вот только на голове нет ничего такого, что необходимо прятать!

It’s OK as long as its not harmfull

John Gray said in a recent interview: “I don’t care what people believe, unless it is in some way demonstrably toxic or harmful.”  This is somebody posing as original critical thinker – yet the phrase describes probably most of us with various opinions about many subjects. Each human think of different ideas as harmful, that’s it. Any religious fanatic would think that not following his understanding of his religion is harmful to people and he, being, of course, concerned about everybody’s wellbeing, would go any distance to convert all of us, to protect us from harm. Lots of horrible things are done not because of hatred but because of compassion, because of will to help to some “lost sheep”.  Non-fanatics may think the same, but they won’t actively go and try to “rescue” everybody they meet. Unless you live a life of apathy and indifference, you would find ideas, beliefs, sets of mind that you think are harmful. It could be just a waste of time in you opinion, or you could think “this may lead to violence, and that’s bad”.  Do psychologists, sociologist, historians, brain scientists write on when, how and which ideas become destructive for individuals or societies? Do they publish the results openly, without fear of offending supporters of these ideas? This may bring some clarity. Or maybe not, as the experts would probably disagree on what is destructive. For example, how much anger, procrastination or indifference is OK for each of us, could violent outbreaks in history lead to better future, etc…

What John Gray is afraid? “… the idea that human beings are, by their very nature, free is the one of the most harmful fictions that has ever been promoted anywhere.” So there is example of somebody who is actually after your freedom. Harmful illusion it is…

Free speech

“Democracy requires debate and challenge,  the rule of law requires the right to be heard in court, genuine education requires questioning and access to information. Without free speech none of these things are possible.  Something the price of the free speech is offence, but “feeling offended” can never justify censorship.” A.C. Grayling

Stone throwers

Imagine walking along a cliff. If a stone falls near you it may hurt. But there is another situation when it hurts so much more. Even if the stone didn’t actually hit you. It happens when a stone is thrown at you by somebody. Yes. This is one reason why the day I’ve  left religion was my happiest one. Not just every random misfortune vent from an all-powerful god but ultimately I have been forced to think that I deserved it… Life is beautiful when random is left alone for what it is.

Some thoughts on the interview with Jim Al-Khalili

http://rationalist.org.uk/articles/4070/facing-the-future-an-interview-with-jim-al-khalili

I agree that humanists should work more on the positive side of secular life, on creating the society which would be caring, loving, tolerant. But I can’t agree with accepting these Christian statements as rules. Turning the other cheek in many cases would give the wrong message to an offender. And different people call different things “love”. I still remember being told that to love in Christian understanding is to wish to a person being saved by God… That’s all.

I am a bit worried to hear about “good manners” when there still is inequality and injustice backed up by religions on this planet.

Maybe I was lucky – I’ve never seen atheists knocking on doors or surrounding people on the streets with the purpose of converting. .. I think some of us feel themselves as an offending side only because of the hyper sensitivity of many religious people to slightest disagreement with their views.

I respect kindness, courage, honesty, creativity, everybody’s right for self-expression but how could I “respect views” with which I disagree? And is a person civilized because of his or her “political correctness” or rather because that person can’t tolerate another person being abused?

I also think it is very important for secular people to stop mimicking religious ones. We don’t need “atheist churches” or ” humanist bibles”. We should work on positive and original self-identification, promote various aspects of secular lifestyle.

A poem by Labi Siffre

“Theists
By definition
Deny responsibility
For their moral judgements”

Labi Siffre

On changing attitudes

“I don’t believe in witches, but I don’t call myself an ahexist.”- this is Jonathan Miller saying “No” to negative self-definition. Fortunately it is normal now in the West not to believe in witches and other supernatural stuff. Calling somebody atheist is a bit strange really.

Recently a woman came to my shop and asked me if I want some leaflets for single parents. .. I was a bit surprised and said I am not a single parent and she may leave her leaflets at the designated area of the Market. She wouldn’t leave. “Look, there is more useful information in there”. Even more surprised, I looked. After first paragraph the word “Bible” started to creep in. This is what it was all about! I asked her few questions about why she believed (“Jesus told me” and “it’s the most printed book in the world”), asked her about horrible facts from her favourite book (she approved genocide with ease) and shamed her for trying to brainwash people. And with stealth too – wich was dishonest and disgusting – but this shows how ashamed they are themselves about their own teachings.

Two Mormon girls who surrounded me on the street few days later have been slightly more open. “We do not trying to change your mind, just come to us and be happy! ” Really? What if I am already happy? No reply. Why do you believe the stuff you teach? “Because we feel that it is so”… Well, I don’t. The funniest thing was that they turned out to be from Russia too – in the middle of the conversation. Probably they were from the Ural or Siberia. New Russian export – the Mormons…

Cruel Law

“Maldives girl to get 100 lashes for pre-marital sex

By Olivia Lang BBC News

Rights groups have urged the government to abolish the punishment

A 15-year-old rape victim has been sentenced to 100 lashes for engaging in premarital sex, court officials said.

The charges against the girl were brought against her last year after police investigated accusations that her stepfather had raped her and killed their baby. He is still to face trial.

…

Amnesty International condemned the punishment as “cruel, degrading and inhumane“.

….

Zaima Nasheed, a spokesperson for the juvenile court, said the girl was also ordered to remain under house arrest at a children’s home for eight months.

She defended the punishment, saying the girl had willingly committed an act outside of the law.

Officials said she would receive the punishment when she turns 18, unless she requested it earlier.

The case was sent for prosecution after police were called to investigate a dead baby buried on the island of Feydhoo in Shaviyani Atoll, in the north of the country.

Her stepfather was accused of raping her and impregnating her before killing the baby. The girl’s mother also faces charges for failing to report the abuse to the authorities.

The legal system of the Maldives, an Islamic archipelago with a population of some 400,000, has elements of Islamic law (Sharia) as well as English common law.

Ahmed Faiz, a researcher with Amnesty International, said flogging was “cruel, degrading and inhumane” and urged the authorities to abolish it.

“We are very surprised that the government is not doing anything to stop this punishment – to remove it altogether from the statute books.”

“This is not the only case. It is happening frequently – only last month there was another girl who was sexually abused and sentenced to lashes.”

He said he did not know when the punishment was last carried out as people were not willing to discuss it openly.” more

I think honest people should boycott countries which have laws like this. Other governments must put pressures on countries like that to abolish injustice and cruelty.

Religious “love”

“Lahore, Feb 21: A Pakistani court has begun hearing a petition seeking the reopening of an 84-year-old case in which a court under the British administration had given the death sentence to Ghazi Ilamuddin for murdering a Hindu writer named Raj Pal.

Lahore High Court Chief Justice Umer Ata Bandial heard arguments by the petitioner’s counsel on the maintainability of the plea yesterday and adjourned the case till March 14.

Ilamuddin killed Raj Pal for allegedly committing blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad and was sentenced to death by British judges of the Lahore High Court in 1929.

Imtiaz Rasheed Qureshi of the “Save the Judiciary Committee” has filed the petition for reopening the case and exonerating Ilamuddin.

Farooq Hasan, the counsel for Qureshi, argued Raj Pal had included blasphemous material in his book and had “invited his death“.

He said: “Ghazi Ilamudin had no personal grudge with Pal and acted only out of love for the Prophet like a true Muslim.”

Hasan requested the court to set aside the impugned order by exercising the principle of review.

Qureshi asked the court to direct authorities to honour Ilamuddin with state awards.

He also requested the court to direct the government to arrange a state funeral for Ilamuddin after declaring him “not guilty”.

You may think this is possible only in Pakistan and so on. Wrong. I have heard a person calling himself an Orthodox Christian saying “O, Lord, forgive us: we forgot how to die and kill for our faith”.

Remember the trial of  Pussy riot.  The patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Kirill I, and Vsevolod Chaplin, chairman of the Synodal Department for the Cooperation of Church (Russia’s “Great Inquisitor”) condemned Pussy Riot’s actions as “blasphemous“, the patriarch was saying that the “Devil has laughed at all of us … We have no future if we allow mockery in front of great shrines, and if some see such mockery as a sort of bravery, an expression of political protest, an acceptable action or a harmless joke.”^[65] 

Years in prison because somebody thinks they offended his imaginary friend…Here a typical Orthodox fanatic says “no mercy” to them.

Remember the witches. There is no magic, of course, but christians are still afraid of it. “Witchcraft is dangerous“… You don’t find apologies to innocent ladies burned by priests here.

Anybody Expects the Spanish Inquisition?

I know that Gatestone Institute publications are biased: they may think they are for the freedom of speech but just try to say something against Israel… Not allowed.  So I am quoting them only because I can’t find any other reference to a disturbing news story I’ve found:

Spain has acceded to the demands of the Islamist government in Morocco by agreeing that Moroccan children adopted by Spanish families must remain culturally and religiously Muslim.

The agreement obliges the Spanish government to establish a “control mechanism” that would enable Moroccan religious authorities to monitor the children until they reach the age of 18 to ensure they have not converted

Poor kids! Do children have any rights in Europe? Is Spain about to create an apostasy law? Are they going to publicly stone foster parents who don’t agree?

I think children should be kept away from religion till they are 18. There are passages in Christian, Muslim and Jewish “sacred” books that are definitely too gross for kids. Or they glorify things incompatible with modern ethics. There are plenty of cruelty in many ancient texts but only ones which are treated as “sacred” are dangerous. The texts are supposed to came from a “benevolent” god, the evil things are said and done by profits, martyrs, saints, apostles. This way all that ancient madness is sanctified.

Below are some most gross quotes from the Bible. You need a special twist of mind to think (like some religious people do) that they mean something opposite to what they actually literally say. It is to think  like “WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, and IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH” from George Orwell‘s “1984”.

There is also an interesting resource here.

I really want to go through the writings of Orthodox Christian saints and dig up some absurdities, inconsistencies and cruelties one day. So, the Bible says:

“I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man. She must be quiet.” (1 Timothy 2:12)

“Go, now, attack Amalek, and deal with him and all that he has under the ban. Do not spare him, but kill men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and asses.” (1 Samuel 15:3)

“You shall not let a sorceress live.” (Exodus 22:18)