India Uncut

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Wednesday, December 06, 2006

The Taliban Codex, and the broken-nose affair

The Taliban is apparently on the resurgence in Afghanistan, and has come out with a codex, a book of rules for the Mujahideen. Here it is, published for the first time in English.

No. 19 is cute:
Mujahideen are not allowed to take young boys with no facial hair onto the battlefield or into their private quarters.
Awww!

On the same site, there's an article by Emel Abidin-Algan about why she chooses not to wear a headscarf. While outlining the history of why the Quran mentioned veiling, Abidin-Algan writes:
The two verses which mention veiling date from the later period in Medina where harassment of believing women was on the rise because they were being confused with slaves. And men were letting themselves be distracted by alluringly bejewelled women which even led to an accident involving a broken nose.
Needless to say, I see no connection at all between the veiling of women and young boys without facial hair entering "private quarters."

Abidin-Algan, while arguing against the veil, writes towards the end:
And since we're on the subject of attractions, what about men's attractions? There are so many attractive men's hands out there – should we put in a request for a revelation obliging them to wear gloves?! And anyway, what's the problem with attraction?
In case any of my female readers are curious, I have long, slender hands that reliable sources inform me seem rather artistic. My canvas, of course, is the human body.

I can't believe I just wrote that line!

(Link via email from Kind Friend.)
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