Endangered pleasuresIT WAS a disquieting announcement. On November 25th Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi approved a committee tasked with “improving the morals and values” in his country. Efforts to reduce littering or sexual harassment, both plagues in Egypt, might be welcome. But experience in the Middle East suggests that the boot will be put into more harmless activities.
In September, for example, Egypt locked up two belly-dancers for “inciting debauchery” after they showed a little skin in online videos; one of the dancers, known as “Egypt’s Shakira”, is most famous for a video which features much suggestive use of a pestle and mortar, but no more flesh than is revealed by a low-cut blouse and an above-the-knee skirt. A young Egyptian couple tells of police accusing them of being together without being married, something that is not banned in the country. Across the region gay people, atheists and dissidents are punished for their supposed moral transgressions.
Saudi Arabia and Iran, regional and religious rivals, are the bossiest. Both regimes claim to be Islamic. Both have vice squads....Continue reading
Source: Middle East and Africa http://ift.tt/1OsGjqe
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