Monday, February 06, 2006

Liberating women in the Middle East

One of the strangest oddities to come out of the Bush White House is that the invasions of Iraq, and the upcoming invasion of Iran, have something to do with women's rights.

Women most decidedly had more rights in Saddam's Iraq than they do today. In Saddam's Iraq, women served as government ministers and hospital administrators and university presidents. Today, that is no longer true. In Saddam's Iraq, boys and girls had equal access to education. Today, that is no longer true -- in many cases girls are no longer allowed to go to school, either because of Wahabi interpretations of Islamic law or because the security situation no longer allows it. In Saddam's Iraq, women could dress any way they wish. In today's Iraq, they must wear at least the headscarf portion of an abaya, or risk being assaulted.

Now let's look at Iran. Women have the right to vote in Iran. Iran's parliament even has nine female members. Female students form more than half of the entering class in Iran’s universities. I realize this conflicts with the religious dogma handed down by our Lord and Savior, George W. Bush, that women cannot vote or serve in political office in Iran and have no access to education in Iran, but it is, indeed, true. And Iran's president was elected with an overwhelming majority of the vote too, unlike ours, who lost his first Presidential election and barely won his second. I realize that the reality that the Iranians elected their President democratically similarly conflicts with our Lord and Savior George W. Bush's dogma that Iran is ruled by dictators, but (shrug). Reality simply is, it doesn't care about our petty dogmas.

While Iran has many problems when it comes to women's rights when compared to Western nations, by comparison to neighboring states such as Kuwait and Saudi Arabia where women are denied the vote, access to careers, and access to education, it is a veritable paradise for women. So when Dear Leader says we must invade Iran to liberate the Iranian women, he is (doh) LYING.

But what else is new? This administration lies the way that sharks swim or people breathe -- instinctively, repeatedly, continuously. If you believe anything this administration says, I have one word to describe you: SUCKER!

- Badtux the Reality-based Penguin

1 comment:

  1. This administration lies the way that sharks swim or people breathe -- instinctively, repeatedly, continuously.

    The ADMINISTRATION lies, but - funny thing, every time GW tries to go off the script, and ad lib something, the truth just falls out of his mouth. Some of the most telling bloopers of his were when he told the literal truth, and then tried to cover it.

    It's downright embarrassing.

    ReplyDelete

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