Category Archives: Social

With moderates like these…

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Iran has a new president: Hassan Rouhani. Supposedly, he’s a moderate. The question is: a moderate what? As the guardian reports (emphasis mine):

Parliamentarians in Iran have passed a bill to protect the rights of children which includes a clause that allows a man to marry his adopted daughter and [sic] while she is as young as 13 years.

Recently, the Iranian State News Agency reported that in 2010 alone, about 42’000 children between ages 10 and 14 were force-married. The minors have no say in this. And if the father is also the suitor, he can give himself permission.

The ‘moderate’ president did not block this law. Allowing grown men to marry their ‘adopted’ (who is really fooled by this euphemism?) daughters amounts to legalizing child rape.

Since Rouhani draws the line at girls over the age of 13, one is tempted to think he’s a moderate pedophile.

Burqas and Whaling on Lake Zürich

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Last week, the swiss canton Ticino voted on new legislation that makes it illegal for people to wear garments that hide or obscure a person’s face in public. While the text does not mention Burqas specifically, the new law is squarely aimed at them. The proposition passed.

While there is only little controversy in Switzerland in this regard (the overwhelming majority regards Burqas as a hideous piece of applied misogyny. So do I), the media did try to drum up some controversy in the weeks leading up the vote.

In an interview (see here, warning: in german) Nora Illi, member of a radical islamic group in Switzerland, stated that the proposed legislation was about as sane as prohibiting whaling on Lake Zürich.

Mrs. Illi loves the Burqa, and therefore strongly opposes the new legislation. In the same interview she goes on to say that prohibiting the Burqa would curtail a woman’s freedom, and that she knows no woman in Switzerland who is forced to wear a Burqa or Niqab.

In a word: Bull. First, there are women in Switzerland who are forced to wear that abominable garment. The reason Illi doesn’t know them is probably because those women aren’t allowed to venture outside alone or meet other people.

But there is more. It is important to remember that Mrs. Illi has converted to Islam, and hence is indeed wearing the Burqa voluntarily – or for fun. In this she is literally the one-in-a-million exception; the rest isn’t that lucky. Unfortunately, Illi is ignoring that fact.

When she likened the new legislation to ‘prohibiting whaling in lake Zürich’, though, she hit the nail on the head. For two reasons:
First, if there were whales in Lake Zürich, whaling would be prohibited in a heartbeat: to save the whales.
Moreover, Illi forgets that in this regard she’s only a make-believe whale. She, unlike the others, can stop any time. This make-believe whale is doing the rest no favor in advocating their hunt. In other words: Illi is prepared to sacrifice women’s liberation around the world for her privilege to wear a hideous piece of clothing.

Being “Christian”, but not really…

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My name is Christian. I don’t believe in gods. This has, given occasion and my propensity do discuss religion, also given rise to some unfortunate misunderstandings: ‘But didn’t you just say that you are Christian…’ Likewise, the question ‘Are you Christian?’ presents me with an immediate dilemma, and (admittedly) a strong urge to make a pun where I really shouldn’t.

So just how do you introduce yourself if your name is the exact opposite of what you are? “Hi, I’m Christian, but not really?” will result in some raised eyebrows and more not-so-subtle backing away. Who wants to talk to a guy who isn’t really what he says he is?
Writing “I’m Christian but not a Christian” may be a clever line in print, but in a spoken conversation it isn’t.

On the flip side, it gives me a perfect introduction should I publicly speak on this topic. And the ideal opportunity to give soon-to-be parents some important advice: don’t give names to your children that reflect your beliefs. They have to live with it, and may come to regret it. Admittedly, I don’t resent being called ‘Christian’ – but if my parents had called me ‘Fürchtegott’ (German for ‘god fearing’, once a common name in Germany), I’m sure I’d have hated it – along with the beatings in the schoolyard such a name engenders. Just don’t do it. Keep religion out of names.