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In extreme contrast to the nasty Galloway videos below, this is a wonderful video of Australian Country-folk singer Beccy Cole who was recently criticized by Aussie lefties for performing for Australian troops (Diggers) in Afghanistan. In response to the criticism she wrote this gentle but stinging song about her love for and pride in Australia, and contempt for the malcontents; I predict that this song will make her career in the USA, enjoy, and please spread far and wide: 
Beccy Cole singing her heart out for Aussie troops in Afghanistan
Australian Muslim cleric condemned over sermon
Australia's top Muslim cleric has compared women who do not ware a headscarf to uncovered meat and hinted they are to blame for sexual assaults, prompting calls on Thursday for his deportation from Australia. The mufti of Sydney's biggest mosque, Sheikh Taj El-Din Hamid Hilaly, said sexual assaults might not happen if women wore a hijab and stayed at home. (Reuters)
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The Mufti is simply expressing a point of view. Surely Australians would recognize that this is the free speech (no matter how offensive) that we are all strongly defending to the last in open societys? Oddly enough, "part" of his opinion is not as out of the blue or as original as Australian's outrage would suggest. Although his "route" of saying it is through typical hardline Islamic attitudes to women, there are plenty of non muslim people in this world who also feel that although women aren't "seeking" rape when they go out in provocative dress, are sexually provokative and flirtatious all night and get drunk, it is often felt that "some" don't help "themselves" when they act in this way socially, and can put themselves at more "risk" of attracting the wrong sort of person. It is very un politically correct to suggest that point of view openly, because it is always the fault of the man, right? Howard is living in denial to suggest - "The idea that women are to blame for rapes is preposterous". Are people somehow trying to suggest that women are "not" seen as more sexually attractive and inviting when they reveal more of their body and are flirtatious when tanked up on drink?
ReplyDeleteIf they are, then I think they are in denial (and so are some women I'm afraid). It is a sad reality that there "are" people out there who would force themselves on a woman and see them as objects. But in some cases, if you give a potential rapist more opportunity to be aroused to a point where he loses control,you take away 50% of the rapists blame and put 50% of it on your own shoulders. Agree?
Freedom means responsibility, and "some" women hardly help matters when they dress like a hooker, get tanked up on alcohol,act flirtatious and lead some men on just for fun, and then seem surprised when something nasty occasionally happens because the wrong person misread the signs. No, women shouldn't have to wear a tent and stay at home like this Mufti suggests. But 'some' would do well to use common sense and recognize just how much more of a risk sexy clothing (or lack of it) is in a world where there are some dangerous folks out there, as opposed to clothing which is more moderate and sensible.
"Free speech", wow! We should be in the business of celebrating the free speech of an ideology that would do away with our free speech in a heartbeat given the opportunity? I don't think so. I would deport the man and let his have his "free speech" in Pakistan. As your your oh-so gentle defense of the idea that women indeed bring about their own rapes... well I find that repugnant.
ReplyDeleteAh,for some reason I missed that this topic was still here (so a shorter version of it is on your latest post). So Islam would do away with our free speech? Well, the reality is that Muslims and other faiths 'are' in our countries now and have been for decades. He'd been there 30 years.
ReplyDeleteAre we now going to deny certain 'sections' of the community the right to free speech because their free speech offends us? Are we going to deport them because their suggestions grate on us? If we do, then the approach is laughable and shows us for what we 'really' are. Not the enlightened people who 'cherish' free speech, but people who only like offensive free speech as long as "we" are the ones dishing it out, and can sit back and laugh about it.
You may dislike the suggestion that 'sometimes' women can put themselves at more risk than they need to in some situations regarding their behaviour or the way they dress.
But it is the view of quite a number of western people (Australians aside, it seems) and has been for hundreds of years. I believe I've made clear that the very act of dressing in a more sexualized way, doesn't "seek" rape, but it can give a potential rapist more 'excuse' to objectify a women considering how many western men tend to view a women wearing "less" clothing as a woman with "loose morals". Is that not the usual view in our western culture?
I think you'll find it is. Through a typically Islamic cleric way of putting things, the Mufti was saying a similar thing that to which many people already feel. So I am stunned at how our countries are going berserk about his suggestions and denying that in 'essence' (not the whole package) he has a point. I believe they want to shut him up because he is a Muslim commenting on western society. It seems we want the freedom to condemn and mock Islamic society, but can't handle it when our cultures are commented on. Let us just admit that our nations are not havens of free speech at all, if we are going to be picky about which ideologys are allowed to enjoy that free speech. The oft repeated suggestion that the west is a haven of free speech, is self delusion.
In reality, we have all kinds of laws regarding free speech, and people can even go to jail in some nations for saying certain things. As much as we 'like' to think we are free as a bird, we are not so different from Islamic nations in ways, if we are jailing or deporting people who offend us.