"Emo" refers to a punk-influenced music sub-culture known for wearing a great deal of black (actually pretty easy for women in Saudi Arabia), heavy eye makeup, and generally appearing rather sad (though a little more dressed-down and less monochromatic than Goths). More extensive background than you probably need can be found here.
Now, everyone knows there's nothing to be sad, jaded, or cynical about when you're a young woman in Saudi Arabia! And when "government knows best" meets "Allah knows best," authorities are particularly inclined to mind other people's business, and this sort of thing tends to happen.
"Saudi 'emo' girls busted by religious cops: report," from Agence France-Presse, May 23 (thanks to Anonamustafa):
Saudi Arabia's religious police have arrested 10 "emo" women for allegedly causing a disturbance in a coffee shop, Al-Yaum newspaper reported on Saturday.
The coffee shop owner in the eastern city of Dammam called the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice to complain after the young women, dressed and made up in the "emo" fashion, apparently began disturbing other clients.
The religious police then called their parents to come and collect the women, and to sign pledges that the girls would not repeat their ostensibly offensive un-Islamic behaviour and dress.
According to recent reports, growing numbers of urban young Saudi women are latching on to the emo fashion popular from Japan to Europe and the Americas.
The trend is characterised by wearing skinny black jeans, tennis shoes, colourful T-shirts bearing the names of emo bands, heavy make up and sharply chopped and sometimes radically coloured hair-dos.
While Saudi women normally must appear in public shrouded by all-black abayas and headscarves, some daringly open their abayas in places such as malls and coffee shops to reveal more trendy outfits underneath.
The trend is characterised by wearing skinny black jeans,
Uh oh...This emo stuff is strictly for the slim...overweights need not apply...is this some kind of discrimination? Have you ever seen a 300 pound woman in tight jeans? It's a sight to behold...However, I don't think you will see many 300 pound Muslimahs dressed like that in any country...They prefer a tent, which probably is a good thing in this case...besides, it keeps Omar the tent maker employed...
From a female perspective, I don't see what it does for men, either -- call me crazy, but rail-thin, Kermit the Frog legs in skinny man-jeans have never set my heart aflutter when they've been in style. Maybe I'm old-fashioned.
But, of course, I wouldn't send the morality police, or even the fashion police after them.
"From a female perspective, I don't see what it does for men, either -- " it does nothing for me, but I am an old fashioned male. I guess I like the curves.........
Still, in the land of the free and home of the brave, you can wear what you wish. In Saudi Arabia, you have to wear the abaya and now, what you wear underneath can be judged as well. Next, Saudi police will be checking underwear.
Off topic, but of great interest to JW readers - http://www.islam-watch.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=444:facebook-jihad-is-facebook-caving-in-to-islamists&catid=45:ali-sina&Itemid=58
The incident, though trivial, is instructional. It's obvious that the KoSA is in a state of cultural flux, with journalists, entrepreneurs and women's groups pushing the envelop. The clergy is pushing back...and the House of Saud is caught in the middle, supporting reforms, but tepidly and entirely piece-meal.
I believe we have to look at Islam through the prism of our experience with the collapse of communism. Through Gorbachev, Western intellectuals kept their wet dream of a humane, reformed communism alive. But events quickly overcame the reform efforts...and the whole rotten apple was tossed aside by the pull of history.
Similarly, efforts to reform Islam should be taken lightly, seen as positive, but only because they are a stepping stone to jettisoning the whole rotten apple. Once the facade cracks, it will likely crumble under a gusher of currents, most of them imported from abroad. Genuine reform of an stultifying, ossified system is in reality a repudiation of that system.
These emo girls were indeed making a political statement (hidden behind "fashion"), but it had nothing to do with reforming Islam. It had everything to do with the embrace of an alien culture. Is it any wonder, considering the barren cultural and intellectual landscape inside the Muslim world?
Damn, Cornelius, I'm detecting optimism in this post of yours.
"While Saudi women normally must appear in public shrouded by all-black abayas and headscarves, some daringly open their abayas in places such as malls and coffee shops to reveal more trendy outfits underneath."
Who woulda thot...Lady Flashers in Saudi Arabia?
Still, it's better than the alternative...grim acceptance of wahabbiist dictates. Leave it up to the girls to find a way to thumb their noses and display their sexy western fashions in public...and get away with it!
Ain't Human Nature wonderful?
Ain't Human Nature wonderful?
'Girls just want to have fun'...
I'm all for it...
EMO-girls?
A competing sect based upon magical thinking. Can´t have that in the House of Islam - must clean house.
We all have our moments, old buddy.
Marisol wrote:
From a female perspective, I don't see what it does for men, either -- call me crazy, but rail-thin, Kermit the Frog legs in skinny man-jeans have never set my heart aflutter when they've been in style. Maybe I'm old-fashioned.
...................
Marisol, I love you—but what's this?
It doesn't matter whether one personally likes the "emo" look or not—or what the look might "do for men". Girls in the West have been wearing one sort of version or other of this look—with slight variations—for *over forty years*.
Also, for even somewhat open-minded men used to seeing nothing but the 'hefty-bag look', I bet the "emo" style—which implies its wearer is at least a little bit free-thinking and rebellious—looks pretty intriguing, whether it is their personal taste or not.
All I can say to these young women is "You Go, Girl!"—and watch out for the Muttaween.
Although if that story from the other day is anything to go by, they might just kick the ass of any "religious policeman" who shows up.
Who wouldn't be emo if forced to wear a hefty bag.
YIKES!
There are too many complaints against Facebook censoring people who speak against Islam. Obama and the leftist fascist agenda. Search “Facebook censorship” in Google and you’ll find no less than 20,000 results. The complaints are made by those who speak against Islam and by the conservatives.
Isn’t it funny that someone can run as the president of the US without showing his birth certificate or any ID for that matter and Facebook is asking me to provide a government certified ID to use their site? Something smells fishy.
Has Facebook become a fifth column? Have Islamists penetrated this company and are spying on people? We know that the owener of Facebook is an Obama supporter. It is expected for him to surround himself with people like those surrounding Obama – a bunch of marxists and Islamists. Or is it all due to misunderstanding, mismanagement and blunder that the Facebook will rectify ASAP? We shall know the truth one way or another.
http://www.islam-watch.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=444:facebook-jihad-is-facebook-caving-in-to-islamists&catid=45:ali-sina&Itemid=58
Gravenimage-- Sorry if that came off the wrong way. By "what it does for men," I meant how men look when they wear the "skinny jeans."
I meant it in jest, and tried to draw the distinction between acknowledging that the look isn't my cup of tea, and sending out the religious police.
Again, my apologies for 1.) being overly silly, and 2.) not being clearer.
Thanks so much for responding, Marisol—I really wasn't trying to give you a hard time.
And you're right—a lot of the looks that get targeted by the Muttaween may be pretty cheesy—mullets, "porn" mustaches worn without beards, garishly-colored two-inch-long Lee press-on nails—but they are still in their own way a cry for freedom, and much preferable to the burqa and the abaya, whatever their lapses as actual "fashion statements". It can't be easy developing a decent sartorial sense under Shari'ah.
I also realized that my "girl power" comments above are probably entirely overly-optimistic.
At best, these girls will probably be kept at home and away from their skinny jeans because the family is scared about garnering more attention from the religious police.
At worst, they will probably be beaten and married off post-haste to the handiest available cousin.
Hope these emo gals raise hell. I still think that when islam falls it will be the result of a female uprising.
Regarding Facebook's kissing PC ass, i heard that a few weeks ago, Prez Bamster was tellng some high school class that the Internet is a threat to democracy. Strange how he makes a statement like this just when the walls are starting to close in on him.
Do the Saudi's treat women the same as Iran? In Iran they pretty much hang girls off forklifts and cranes for just about anything(they don't care if you're 10 years old). I'm afraid I wouldn't do so well in those countries, I actually believe women are to be cherished and loved as human beings. Sometimes I feel so imperfect though. My Christian GOD instructs me to hate evil behavior whenever I find it, but not the person doing it, to actually love all men because they are my brothers and pray for their redemption. Because I am imperfect I have a hard time loving those people though. I think my beliefs are just totally opposite to Islam.
http://Emo-Girl.info
For Hot Emo Girl Pics and Info