THE DAILY BLADE: What Freedom Of Religion Means To Muslims: Part II
A stewardess alleges that her employer, BMI (formerly known as British Midland Airways), forbade her from taking her bible with her on a flight to Saudi Arabia on the advice of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office:
† Saudi Arabia is a Muslim country in which Islamic law is strictly enforced.
† The public practice of any form of religion other than Islam, or proselytising, is not permitted.
† The importation and use of narcotics, alcohol, pork products and religious books (apart from the Qu'ran) and artefacts are forbidden.
A devout Christian who always carries her bible with her, the employee plans to take BMI to an industrial tribunal claiming religious discrimination.
By Saudi law, infidels (that is to say, Christians and Jews) are forbidden to practice their religions in public – or even to pray in private with the aid of a bible (third item, "The Daily Blade," November 17, 2006). The only religious right accorded to infidels in Saudi Arabia is the right to convert to Islam.
Meanwhile, Muslims in the U.S. falsely claim religious discrimination when they are expected to use private areas for prayer and contemplation that airports have set aside for this purpose – just like everyone else – or when they are expected to remove the pieces of cloth obscuring their faces when taking photos for drivers’ licenses or when testifying in court.
Sam Walton Is Spinning In His Grave
In a June 2005 article, "Does Wal-Mart Deserve to Be Hated?," The Motely Fool described Wal-Mart as "an extant example of capitalism in a very pure form." Ironically, the largest retailer in the world, which has famously beat back nearly every attempt at unionizing its employees, is permitting stores in China - including its Shenzhen headquarters - to establish Communist Party cells, The Wall Street Journal reports (subscription required). "The establishment of party branches follows a retreat for Wal-Mart in July, when the company … acceded to pressure from China's All-China Federation of Trade Unions to allow union branches in its stores. The government-sanctioned union has quickly spread to nearly all of Wal-Mart's Chinese stores."
Milan Demands Meatier Models
The Italian government has partnered with the country’s fashion industry to devise a voluntary regulatory code that bans underweight, underage models from the catwalk in a common goal to discourage anorexia in young girls. Youth and Sports Minister Giovanna Melandri and Italian National Fashion Chamber chief Mario Boselli worked out a deal that bans girls younger than age 16 and those who have "apparent eating disorders" from the catwalk; requires models to provide a medical certificate attesting to their good health; and only permits models with a minimum body mass index of 18.5 to participate in fashion shows. Size 0 models are out.
Brazil launched a similar program of fashion industry reforms after 21-year old fashion model Ana Carolina Reston succumbed to anorexia-related complications. In September, Spain also barred models below a certain weight from Madrid fashion shows – as have other countries.
The Wall Street Journal analyzes how this global backlash against emaciated mannequins might impact the fashion industry (subscription required):
Though fashion houses can't be legally forced to follow the charter, punishments could be meted out to those that refuse to adhere to its guidelines, Mr. Boselli said. Among the sanctions could be being banned from the official fashion show calendar of the Milan catwalks.
Milan influences fashion internationally - and is home to important global brands such as Gucci, Versace and Prada -- so the move could put unparalleled pressure on fashion houses and other fashion venues, such as Paris, to alter the look of their gaunt models. …
Thin models are also a subject of debate for the Council of Fashion Designers of America, which helps organize New York's fashion week. Executive Director Steven Kolb says the CFDA is still considering the issue and "will have its own response at some point. If change comes, it's a collective response." The CFDA doesn't currently regulate how designers choose their models.
Regular readers of The Stiletto Blog know that The Stiletto has wholeheartedly championed these reforms – and not just for health reasons. If a picture is worth 1,000 words, this round-up of articles that include photos of ultra-thin models speaks volumes on how unfeminine – and unaesthetic – their bodies look:
† Italian Fashion Designers Ban Size Zero Models From The Catwalks
† Italy Bans Ultra-Skinny Models On The Catwalk
† Karl Lagerfeld Joins Skinny Debate
Instant Gratification Killed The Betty Crocker Catalog
Minnesota Public Radio reports that General Mills is killing off the Betty Crocker catalog – and with it, a 75-year tradition of clipping and saving box top coupons to amass enough points to get discounts on silverware, dishes and other household goods. It was the most successful customer loyalty program in American history:
Mark Bergen, who chairs the marketing department at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management, says the Betty Crocker program was remarkable for two characteristics - its longevity and the depth of emotion it inspired among its devotees. It became more than a coupon redemption program, Bergen says, by working its way into the fabric of family life. …
Alas, today’s homemaker finds that cooking fresh food for a husband's just a drag, so she buys an instant cake – and pays for it with a credit card. Adds Bergen, "the idea of clipping box tops and sending them through the mail has become old-fashioned."
Trackbacks
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February 19, 2007
The Stiletto wrote:
With all the journalists testifying about how and when they learned Valerie Plame’s identity as a CIA agent and anti-war diplomat Joe Wilson’s wife in the perjury and obstruction trial of Vice President Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby Jr., The Stiletto thought that this handy dandy chart would help keep the story straight: Libby Told Me Libby Did Not Tell Me Matt Cooper (formerly with Time Magazine) ... -
February 28, 2007
The Stiletto wrote:
The Stiletto has written several articles examining what freedom of religion means to Muslims. In a nutshell: You have the freedom to convert to Islam, or to live under sharia law even though you are not Muslim and are living in a Western country. The Stiletto now turns her attention on how (really, whether) Muslims comprehend the concept of free speech: † Exhibit A: The riots in Denmark over the newspaper Jyllands-Posten publishing a handful of cartoons that depicted Mohammed. † Exhibit B: The death threats against Pope Benedict XVI in Turkey and throughout ...
And yet the Suadi leader walks hand in hand with our President on his lawn.
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The same president who keeps insisting that Islam is a religion of peace, and that we are not at war with Islam. Well, it's clear to The Stiletto that Islam is at war with us.
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