pout
February 5th, 2020
Look at him pouting like a carp.
Congratulations to Laetitia from Edinburgh on winning this month’s raffle prize – a signed copy of Ha Ha! the latest J&M book.
If you enjoy Jesus & Mo and would like to support its continued presence in the world, why not do what Laetitia did and become a Patron?
Just a dollar a month is all it takes to put a coquettish smile on Mo’s face.
Exceedingly funny.
Nonetheless… If an adult freely chooses to wear something like that, it doesn’t violate my fundamental rights in the least. So, those behind the “burqa ban” initiative in Switzerland: Don’t be xenophobes!
“Pouting like a carp” will now become a phrase I use often. Thanks!
The Burka Ban lot certainly are xenophobic, but how many women do freely choose to wear a symbol of male oppression? The Iranian chess judge apparently photographed without her head covering (she was wearing it, as mandated by her country’s leaders) but it couldn’t be clearly seen. Black over very dark hair doesn’t work well with respect to picture contrast. She is now afraid to return home and the consequences if she does. What does an ancient Babylonian royal headdress custom have to do with Koranic instructions ‘to dress modestly’ anyway?
That reminds me:
Some years ago, outside the “Bullring” in the centre of Birmingham, I saw a group of people (presumably women and girls, but how could I tell?) wearing long robes, hijabs and niqabs (face coverings), which were actually quite colourful, not all black, acting like sightseeing tourists and appearing to enjoy it, with plenty of laughter. They lined up in front of a statue and one of them took a photo of the rest of the group. (I don’t know if she said “smile please”, but any smiles would not have been visible anyway!)
I imagined one of them afterwards showing the photo to her friends and saying something like, “That’s me in the green niqab!”.
I wonder how Mo would fare if his picture were captured on a facial recognition camera. Non-burqa-wearers do seem to have a hard time. Could this be discrimination against a protected characteristic? (sex, religion or ethnicity)
https://bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/all-media/bbc-police-fine-man-90-after-stopping-him-for-covering-his-face/
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/01/privacy-campaigners-dazzle-camouflage-met-police-surveillance
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/jan/24/met-police-begin-using-live-facial-recognition-cameras
What if the Swiss simply don’t want to share their country with large numbers of people who believe that the lord of the universe gets upset when women don’t wrap themselves up in tents? I mean, it’s their country, so shouldn’t it be their call?
Raymond M. Clearly a number of islamic women, do choose to be darth vader in public….but to suggest that is free will and nothing to do with brainwashing from birth is the real elephant in the room…
In some offices where I’ve worked women heed to look professional— wearing high heels, stockings, face paint, in-style hairdos, conservative but present jewellery. And no tattoos or piercings showing. So it’s not much less controlled than the bag ladies in burquas even if I prefer the no-bag look. And in Quebec no one in public service can wear crosses or David-stars or any religious badge. Control isn’t an exclusively Mohammaden oppression.
Allahu Snackbar!!!
In some offices where I’ve worked women need to look professional— wearing high heels, stockings, face paint, in-style hairdos, conservative but present jewellery. And no tattoos or piercings showing. So it’s not much less controlled than the bag ladies in burquas even if I prefer the no-bag look. And in Quebec no one in public service can wear crosses or David-stars or any religious badge. Control isn’t an exclusively Mohammaden oppression.
Allahu Snackbar!!!
Great punchline, Author. Got an audible laugh from this fan of your work.
I’m all in favour of women/anybody wearing whatever the hell they want, or nothing at all. It’s just threatening them with death for violating the taboos I find hateful. And it’s probably a good idea for people to have some awareness of how others see them when they choose whatever they choose. For me, the burka in a western country says “I’m not a part of your culture and I don’t want to be. And I don’t care how you feel about it.” I find that sad.
jb, how would banning burqas prevent this? A large number of people might still believe this, but they would just not be allowed to wear them. And how is it your right to decide who lives where anyway?
Once I saw a woman in a niqab at an outdoor table at a café. She was holding a cup of tea, and I guess imbibing it somehow, but I was too polite to keep watch on her and see how the tea got through the niqab into her mouth …
I wonder how Mo manages going out drinking with Jesus when he’s in his burqa mood?
Generally, I wouldn’t want to interfere with a person’s right to dress as the wish. But I do think that too much covering is a problem in situations requiring identification. Showing passports, driver’s licenses etc. One ought to have a bare face and hair in that circumstance.
Also, I suspect that a small number of non-Islamic males will use the full body and face covering to gain access to women’s washrooms.
What are the Islamic rules of modesty when it comes to doctor’s visits and procedures like surgery?
JDK
During the Iranian Revolution, women wore the hijab to signify their rejection of the shah and their support for Khomeini. It may have been a mistake, but so many revolutions are.
jb
1. The Earth “belongs to” life, not just to those strong enough to put fences around bits of it.
2. I’m eagerly awaiting the end of the nation state. It was a bad idea.
3. Many Swiss believe in a God Who ordered Abraham to kill his son. How women dress is the least of His worries.
M27Holts
Just about everything we do out in public – and much of what we do in private – can be put down to “brainwashing.” Bras. Ties. Smoking. Burqas. And yet, I am committed to the notion of that free will. I consider freedom true, because it works for me.
Laripu
Read Midnight’s Children. There’s a very funny description of a doctor’s visit.
Finally…
There are – in Switzerland as everywhere – people who reject the “other.” They have been behind many anti-foreigner initiatives – including a ban on minarets and opposition to Schengen, as well as this week’s referendum rejecting a law forbidding discrimination against homosexuals.
Jim Tonic — Banning burkas would have the effect of discouraging some Muslims from coming to Switzerland, and might encourage some to leave. But yes, if you don’t want your country to be filled up with people whose beliefs and customs you don’t like, the most effective thing to do is just not to allow them to come in the first place.
raymondm — OK, let’s ask Life who it thinks the Earth belongs to:
< … sound of crickets chirping … >
Well, it looks like Life doesn’t have any strong opinions about the matter! If it did though, based on the actual practices of many living creatures, I suspect it would say that territories belong to those who are strong enough to defend them. I concur! I’ll also point out that while you personally may think the nation state was a bad idea, the Swiss have no particular reason to care what you think. As I said, their country, their call. They don’t need to justify themselves to you.
I think that a lot clothes items are cultural constructs unless they are needed due to environmental requirements. Most cultures require the genitals and womens breasts to be covered in public (unless too young to be considered as sexually mature, which is open to interpretation like most cultural norms). Religion just adds a layer on top to control human sexuality even further….it all boils down to sex, it always does…
jb
“the Swiss have no particular reason to care what you think. As I said, their country, their call. They don’t need to justify themselves to you”
I’m Swiss.
raymondm — Hey, so you get a vote! But do you acknowledge that if a majority of your countrymen disagree with you, they have a moral right to do so, and to get their way?
A couple of people have raised the question of how does one eat while attired in a big bag. Here in Toronto we have many black-bagged followers of Mohammed. Their spouses and/or owners let them go to local coffee shops and restaurants, although I’ve never seen one alone by herself. I couldn’t upload it, but if you search “eating with a Burka” on Google you can see some very humourous and awkward pictures. The usual method I’ve seen is to lift the lower face covering and push your donuts or spaghetti under and up into your mouth through that route. But never lift it high enough that an infidel can see the skin of your chin.
Jesus F Iscariot:
Re: Quebec religious symbols ban for public service.
Here a couple of ex-muslims interview someone from Quebec who supports it.
http://secularjihadists.libsyn.com/ep129-quebecs-religious-symbols-ban-is-bill-21-pro-secular-or-anti-religion
Raymond, thanks for the book recommendation. I’ve never read Rushdie and probably should have, because by many accounts he’s great.
Laripu When I gave my dad my copy of midnight’s children to read he had the biggest smile and laugh when recounting the sheet with the hole in it.
Anyway, the Swiss didn’t even invent the cuckoo clock so what do they know about anything? What did the Swiss ever do for us?
M27Holts, H.R. Giger comes to mind. Without him, we wouldn’t have some of the most iconic and influential art of the 20th century, to say nothing of the creatures from Alien.
I have found a very funny ex-muslim on the youtube thingy, he’s called the apostate prophet and he makes me laugh.
He “covers” veiling in a clip about how allah provides koran verses whenever mo needs them. In this case because his male followers were worried that mo’s many wives were identifiable when making water at night. As such it might create uncontrollable lust, so allah revealed a new verse to prevent lust.
I recommend the apostate prophet for anyone needing gentle humour. If anybody has any similar sites or channels please let me know, I need all the laughs I can get.
Good shout for Giger….I’d forgotten he was Swiss…Excellent airbrush artist…
M27Holts says:
What did the Swiss ever do for us?
Velcro – apparently.
One could make a claim for Relativity as well. But I think yodelling cancels that out. (Cancels out bragging rights, to be clear. Light still travels at constant velocity in the presence of tortured throat screaming. Probably.)
JB: Don’t worry about being mistaken for jb! We at the old Cock & Bull pub are all highly educated, intelligent people, who know the difference between lower-case jb and upper-case JB.
Please don’t mistake me for son of glenner!
Oh no, my evil twin has found me!!!
No matter what anyone says about the Swiss, their flag is a big plus.