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Conflict over Sharia in Nigeria. Women have been banned from public bike transportation for fear of their coming into contact with men. But the taxi drivers are rebelling against the consequent loss of income. From the Telegraph, with thanks to Nicolei:
Moped taxi-drivers clashed with Islamic police in Nigeria's Kano city after authorities began enforcing a new law banning women from being passengers on the bikes.Hundreds of mopeds swamped the city centre, ridden by outraged drivers who attacked police with clubs and stones.
At least 11 people were injured in the clashes on Thursday.
More than 9,000 government religious police have been patrolling Kano's streets implementing the new rule, part of strict Islamic legislation introduced in 2004 and only now being enforced.
"Most of our passengers are women who pay better fares than men. This ban will further dwindle our meagre income as we will not get much patronage," said Lawal Sa'id, one of the drivers.
Irate motorcyclists, called achaba, also stopped and vandalised many of the 500 public tricycles provided by the government for women commuters.
"No amount of intimidation and lawlessness will deter us from carrying out this noble duty of stopping women from riding on achaba," said Yahaya Farouk Chedi, head of the religious police.
"We will not be cowed by anybody because we believe what we are doing is for the good of the society we want to sanitise."
Posted by Robert at December 18, 2005 3:35 AM
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Nigerian Muslims are prone to use some picturesque speech when they talk about the increasing islamization of their communities.
Years ago a Muslim leader in Kaduna said that:
"(By introducing islamic law) we are building a very decent society."
Now this guy talks that he wants to "sanitize the society."
I have been living in fully Muslim societies for decades, and I would never use the words "sanitized" or "decent" to describe them.
They are beastly places full of self-righteousness and fear, lacking beauty and freshness and joy, as if death was permanently hovering over them.
The northern Nigerians are headed towards such a dark fate, but hey! they seem to be going there out of their own will.
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at December 18, 2005 5:29 AM
I actually found this quite amusing. There are many, many people that are oppressed and mistreated under sharia law: women, homosexuals, christians, etc....
I would not have expected the trouble to come from taxi drivers!
A mob beating police with clubs and escaping on a fleet of mopeds just brings a smile to my face.
Posted by: AngryMuppet at December 18, 2005 5:52 AM
the poor working muslim crowd fighting back! good for them.. this is paris in reverse!
Posted by: Lulu at December 18, 2005 7:46 AM
Muslimes aren't immune to the exingencies of economics after all, there is hope yet maybe....!
Posted by: voletti at December 18, 2005 8:04 AM
Rocky,
What Muslim countries are you personally familiar with?
Posted by: Cornelius at December 18, 2005 9:53 AM
Did anyone notice the reference to the "9000 government religious police" in Kano? Wow! If it takes 9000 police to enforce laws to "sanitize" the society there, then maybe that society just doesn't want to be sanitized.
Another interesting comment: "Most of our passengers are women who pay better fares than men." I suppose this refers to tips -- but who are these women passengers who have extra cash for tipping? Apparently they are commuters, which implies they are traveling back and forth to steady jobs. Yes, this makes a lot of sense for a struggling Third World economy: make it really difficult for those fortunate enough to have employment -- confound their means of transportation, complicate their lives, make them struggle to get to work.
But, ah! the reward is worth all that: a sanitized society where women don't ride on the backs of mopeds (whether sidesaddle or gasp! otherwise).
Note also the head of the religious police's comment "what we are doing is for the good of the society we want to sanitise." Was it Thoreau who said that when he was alone in his little cabin in the woods, he prayed to God to protect him from any visitor who came to do him good? Maybe there's hope yet for Nigerians because they seem to be avoiding these hell-bent do-gooders too!
Posted by: Jen at December 18, 2005 10:02 AM
I notice the argument is not over women's rights; it's over sales revenues.
PBUH PBUH PBUH PBUH PBUH PBUH PBUH PBUH PBUH PBUH PBUH PBUH PBUH PBUH
Tens of thousands of skirmishes, all just small enough to stay off the world stage. Each such Jihad battle serves to further increment Islam over civilization, bit-by-bit, block-by-block, province-by-province, nation-by-nation.
The unbroken Moslem winning streak marches on unabated. Mohammed either was a genius or the luckiest devil ever.
Posted by: Alarmed Pig Farmer at December 18, 2005 10:35 AM
The Montgomery bus boycotts had an economic element, too. Some of the bus operators had wanted to integrate back in the '20s-- for economic reasons, as most of their riders were black. So the boycotts after Rosa Parks was arrested hurt 'em bad. So for the Nigerian taxi drivers, particularly if you're a fan of Adam Smith's "invisible hand" idea, it's a start. And you've got to start somewhere.
Posted by: Shinoliite at December 18, 2005 11:34 AM
"this noble duty of stopping women from riding on achaba..."
-- from the article above
Speaks for -- itself.
Posted by: Hugh at December 18, 2005 11:38 AM
AngryMuppet:
So did I. It's funny when idiotic regulation of life runs against nature doing its thing, taking its own course according to needs, like in Middleton's plays, where the Promoters--Puritan enforcerers of Lent--are out and about town trying to track down and stop the "trafficking" of meat.
So there you have it: women banned from riding on mopeds in Nigeria, 2005, a corps of enforcerers nine-thousand-strong trying to enforce the ban; forbidden meats trasported from some butcher's to a glutton's house in Cheapside, circa 1630, with cartoonish performances by the reviled Promoters, and a happy ending where "natural inclinations" and emotions win.
at December 18, 2005 2:07 PM
Some disjointed thoughts.
I remember seeing a programme in the BBC dispatches series where the reporter was quite concerned about the effect the imposition of Sharia law was having on the Christians of North Nigeria. At that time the law against riding pillion applied to Muslem women but not Christian. So while it was lawful, in theory, for this Christian minister to ride between his churches with his wife very sedately sidesaddle on the back (she like many a vicars wife taught Sunday school etc) stopping him constantly was a very effective way to hassle him.
I visited Cairo very briefly in 1987. While on my way to the airport saw a small Czech made Jawa (which I had only ever seen used for speedway previously) ridden by Dad, a three year old in fron of his astride the fuel tank, Mum in long gown and head scaft side saddle on the pillion, holding the baby, big bundle tied to where the top box should have been. They overtook my taxi 3 times. I had been to the Isle of Man TT three weeks previously where full helmet, leathers, knee pads etc were derigeur.
I would have thought that a society that likes women fully covered would have approved of motor cycle gear. Forget Girl on a Motorcycle, there is nothing more body covering than waterproof trousers, a Belstaff explorer and a full face helmet. My own father didn't recognise me!
I don't ride myself and it's been a few years since I have rode pillion as my husband got rid of his bike, but no way would I feel safe sidesaddle.
Posted by: Granny Weatherwax at December 18, 2005 4:39 PM
"No amount of intimidation and lawlessness will deter us from carrying out this noble duty of stopping women from riding on achaba,"Islam: putting satirists out of business one stupid comment at a time. Posted by: Beagle
at December 18, 2005 4:56 PM
Granny,
Check out my favorite lady of the past century, Rose Macauley. Her "Towers of Trebizond" is as good an uderstanding of the near "Middle East" as you can get. She was also a pioneer motorist, driving alone on Portugal's roads while scores of macho men spewed abuse at her.
She was relentless and smart and somewhat awkward--not your classic beauty--yet possesed of infinite curiosity and a brilliant mind.
I fell in love with her some 15 years ago.
I'm still pining away, though I know she's been spoken for, tragically.
Love you, Granny, like I love Rose.
Posted by: ovidius_naso at December 18, 2005 5:43 PM
What a strange co-incidence. I have just returned from a visit to my parents-in-law, where this weeks book review in The Church Times is ....http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/80256FA1003E05C1/httpPublicPages/B0E94A0A79EA7EFC80256FA2000B3D73?opendocument
....The Towers of Trebizond by Rose Macaulay
I have never read any Rose Macaulay and must read my copy of Bat Ye'or first. But thanks for the recommendation.
at December 18, 2005 5:57 PM
'The Towers of Trebisond' - a must read. Been to Trabzon (Trebisond).
I hope Granny W doesn't mind the fact that you love Rose as well.
Posted by: Interested at December 18, 2005 6:40 PM
"We will not be cowed by anybody because we believe what we are doing is for the good of the society we want to sanitise."
Did they mean "sanitise" or "satanize"?
Posted by: Isabellathecrusader at December 18, 2005 9:51 PM
Islam's problem is SEXUAL...
It requires a sexual solution.
We need to arm the women of the islamic world!!!
Posted by: kentim at December 18, 2005 10:19 PM
Did they mean "sanitise" or "satanize"?
Posted by: Isabellathecrusader at December 18, 2005 09:51 PM
LOL!
at December 18, 2005 11:59 PM
We need to arm the women of the islamic world!!!The latest trend is female shahids. Freedom is slavery in their world. Ignorance is strength as well.
at December 19, 2005 12:48 AM
Cornelius,
Sorry, but it's not safe for me to tell you. I'm working here among them in an NGO.
Posted by: rocky at December 19, 2005 2:52 AM
Cornelius,
But I have lived in Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan among the local crowd. OOps!
guess this makes three countries less.
Let's keep it like this.
at December 19, 2005 2:54 AM
Miss Susan P,
Anytime you read the Koran, substitute "Satan" for "Allah" and the whole thing will make more sense.
God bless you and Mary Christmas!
Posted by: Isabellathecrusader at December 19, 2005 7:11 AM
What I wouldn't give to send in the "Dykes on Bikes" fully armed. It would be hilarious if it didn't result in a bloodbath.
at December 20, 2005 11:46 AM
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