Where will it stop? With Sharia enshrined in the constitution, there certainly isn't any protection against a steady stream of additional limitations on private behavior and civil liberties.
A five-alarm Sharia Alert. "Afghan parliament committee drafts Taliban-style moral law," from Agence France-Presse:
KABUL (AFP) - An Afghan legislative committee has drafted a bill seeking to introduce Taliban-style Islamic morality codes banning women from wearing make-up in public and forbidding young boys from wearing female fashions.
The draft, a copy of which was obtained by AFP, needs approval by both chambers of the Islamist-dominated parliament and President Hamid Karzai signature to become a law.
"Women and girls are obliged to not wear make-up, wear suitable dresses and observe hijab (veil) while at work or classrooms," said one article of the draft.
It also aims to ban women dancers performing during concerts and other public events as well as on television.
"The mass media including television and cable networks must avoid broadcasting programmes against Islamic morals," it said without giving details.
In a similar move the parliament, which is dominated by former anti-Soviet Islamist warlords, called earlier this month for a ban on dancing and Indian soap dramas on private television networks.
Men and young boys must avoid wearing bracelets, necklaces, "feminist dresses," and hair-bands, the draft reads.
The proposals also demand an end to dog and bird-fighting, pigeon-flying, billiards and video games, all past times favoured by many Afghans.
It demands separate halls for men and women during wedding parties, while loud music is banned at such gatherings. Afghans hold big and costly get-togethers for weddings, usually in a public hall with music.
If the proposals are passed, violators could be fined 500 Afghanis (10 dollars) to 5,000, according to the draft.
The plans mirror many of the laws introduced by the extremist Taliban regime, which ruled the country from 1996 to 2001 with strict Islamic Sharia law.
If President Hamid Karzai signs this bill, where do we, the United States and the West stand:
Back at square one!
Sickening!
Well you see no wonder why we have so many problems. All entertainment and joys of life are sucked out in Islamic countries. They only thing left is to get them 72 virgins in heaven and how--bombing the infidels. Forget the women they get the short end of the stick in Islam. I guess the only past time is to protest, burn western flags and chant death to US, Israel. This is one of the most sickest ideology.
I'm actually proud to admit that my resignation as an Army reserve officer was accepted. What was the point for our "expedition" into that particular cesspool again? Oh yeah..right...the WTC "incident" per Ahmadinejad.
I just would like to know whether or not there actually is an end-game...or will our adversaries determine that outcome for us?
Noah Feldman must be very proud. Expect him to tell the New York Times that this is part of the democratic process at work. Nothing to worry about. Islam and democracy are compatible.
Clueless, clueless, clueless...
Well that was worth it! Glad we got Osama and no American boys were casualties...
Oh...
DAMN
The plans mirror many of the laws introduced by the extremist Taliban regime, which ruled the country from 1996 to 2001 with strict Islamic Sharia law.
This is one more illustration of the fallacy of allowing the conquered enemy to immediately establish the rules for its own government and society. The United States, either alone or along with the other nations that dedicated forces to the area, should dictate the Afghan and Iraqi constitutions, the structure of their government, the curriculum of their schools, and other details of their civic institutions. Most importantly, we should be approving what can and cannot be taught as religion. This pressure should be held as long as it takes for the reforms to become part of their culture.
This is not a problem that will disappear with wishful thinking, and as a nation we have to admit that to ourselves. If we leave the area now, sooner or later the enemy will come for us again, the next time possibly with more frightening weapons than commercial airliners. How many times do they have to repeat that "Islam will rule the world" before we are convinced they are serious about giving it a try?
If it were possible to endlessly, from a distance, keep them from gaining the technical prowess that could threaten us, it might be ideal from our standpoint. But that's an approach that doesn't seem practical as a long term solution.
If we had the moral authority to invade and topple the government, and we did, we also have the responsibility to ourselves, our own progeny, and the people in the area to ensure we do everything we can to make the changes real and permanent.
If we are so uncertain our civilization is superior to that of our enemies, so morally timid that we don't insist our vanquished enemies join us when we conquer them on the battlefield, we are doomed to fight the same battles endlessly.
This is what we get for trying to bring democracy to Afghanistan. This is the fruit of our soldiers' years of toil and strife to rid that country of the Taliban. This is the result of President Bush basically installing the present government in Afghanistan in the belief that they would grant freedoms and equal rights to their citizens.
It's a joke. A joke at the expense of American blood and money.
Wake up, world. These Muslims don't want democracy. Period. If they wanted it they could have it even without American help. They. Don't. Want. It.
"Men and young boys must avoid wearing bracelets, necklaces, "feminist dresses," and hair-bands, the draft reads."
Islam has no gays, now they are worried about the cross dressers...when they say Feminist dresses..are they referring to the Burkas?...Muslim men have been known to wear burkas while trying to either elude the police or to get close to a target...
maybe the boys have been raped so much they think they are women...
"In a similar move the parliament, which is dominated by former anti-Soviet Islamist warlords, called earlier this month for a ban on dancing and Indian soap dramas on private television networks."
those steamy, sexy Indian soaps are very popular..really..they are..
there is no joy in Islam. civilization has struck out.
From Wikipedia:
As of April 5, 2008, there have been 723 coalition deaths in Afghanistan as part of ongoing coalition operations (Operation Enduring Freedom and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)): 423 American, 93 British, 82 Canadian, 25 German, 23 Spanish, 14 Danish, 14 Dutch, 12 French, 12 Italian, 6 Romanian, 4 Australian, 4 Polish, 3 Norwegian, 2 Czech, 2 Estonian, 2 Portuguese, 2 Swedish, 1 Finnish, 1 South Korean.
For what? What a waste.
I fully agree, ImNoDhimmi. It's an absolute disgrace that this collection of human refuse was given a chance at Democracy and has chosen instead to live in the Dark Ages.
Let's not waste another life in this pointless pursuit, if they want to say that we ran and Afghanistan is still undefeated then so be it. The next time defeat comes knocking it may well be in the form of a thermonuclear, no survivors strike.
Let this be a lesson. You talk to these governments, give them money, build them roads, build them schools, lay down your young men's lives and instead of moving 1 inch toward civility, they regress. These people are cave dwellers and will remain so. If that law passes, the west cannot help them, get out.
Meet the new Islamo-fascists... same as the old Islamo-fascists.
"Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
And I get on my knees and pray
I don't get fooled again."
- Pete Townsend, the Who - from the album Who's Next.
I only see one proposal that makes senseThe proposals also demand an end to dog and bird-fighting,only savages would have dog and bird fighting
Doesn't it make you sick that we toppled the Taliban only to get something virtually as bad. And they'll be hostile to us. Muslims don't want democracy and freedom, what they want is for the entire world to live wretched and backward lives like themselves. And if they get their way, we will live on a Talibanized planet. How gullible and foolish our politicians look now, to us who post here, and the enemy that takes them for a ride, because learning to spot the differences between cultures, and recognising the basic fact that some cultures are far more dangerous and intolerant than others, ended with the student riots and the protests against Enoch Powell's Rivers of Blood speech back in 1968. And we are now tasting the bitter fruits of this 40 years on. Multiculturalism and moral equivalence has ruled in the West ever since, and for all our scientific advances, we remain firmly stuck on stupid, and have forgotten those dire forewarnings about Islam becoming resurgent again from the likes of Bishop Fulton J. Sheen and Hilaire Belloc, not to mention those who called out Islam, like Sir Winston Churchill, John Quincy Adams and John Wesley. In the postmodern post-1968 era, these learned men would be branded as racists, despite the fact that Churchill saved us from beimng enslaved by Nazism, and just to show how ungrateful todays generation is, the picture of a grass sod hanging on the head of Churchill's statue in the aftermath of a May Day riot a few years ago said it all.
I only see one proposal that makes senseThe proposals also demand an end to dog and bird-fighting,only savages would have dog and bird fighting
Posted by: crusader
I dunno. I could do without the pigeon flying too. (You haven't seen my car lately.) And the men in drag, that's just ... well ... I won't go there. But suffice to say, there was only ONE 'Uncle Milty.'
Drop the stupid women's dress code crapola, as well as the ban on music and dance, and add a ban on squirrels in general, and we'll talk.
I just hope nobody minds me clinging to my religion and guns while we do ...
;P
Posted by: Lori B.
I just hope nobody minds me clinging to my religion and guns while we do ...
Grin... :-)
Well, Bush.. now you stand before the ruins of your idiotic quest to "bring democracy to the Middle East".
And please don't tell me this is democracy.. just a little "different".
They WANT islam over there!!!
Is there anyone left who really still thinks they want democracy??!!
They want islam!!
Let them have islam - BUT ONLY OVER THERE!!
Our President sent soldiers to die and be maimed for Sharia. Thanks.
Aha, now I know what "Taliban" means - Afghan Parliament Committee.
Western governments and armies have no business anywhere in any Muslim countries, as it benefits no one beyond oil company executives and defence companies. Muslims should do as they wish in their countries, although I do think that members of religious minorities should be permitted to emmigrate if the situation becomes intolerable for them. Western countries need to get their acts together and draft tough immigration, visa and citizenship requirements and enforce them, not to mention devote resources to developing and educating their own people. As for a shrinking workforce, there are many ways to deal with this issue. The chronically unemployed but able-bodied should be "encouraged" to get to work. Employers should be ordered to hire citizens at fair wages and benefits, and with decent working conditions; rather than relying on cheap, exploitable immigrant labour. Women who currently do not work due to family and household obligations, but might like to, could be offered opportunities to enter the workforce, and then accommodated; for example, by being able to work part-time, or to keep flexible schedules. Incentives could be developed to keep workers of retirement age in the workforce for a couple of extra years.
And as regards the oil found in some Muslim countries, Western countries can start seriously devoting minds, technology and money to getting a decent electric car on the road.
reminds me of Orwell's book "Animal Farm"
One step forward, two steps backwards.
The same as when we build schools there, next thing you know it is burned down.
From there poppy fields, the heroin is coming in our country. Fighting these famers about this, just burn the stuff down.I believe that most women over there, like a more western style of living. But just like all the other Moslim countries, men are making all these crazy rules. What a bunch of control freaks.
I mourn for our boy's, who gave their life for ????