Good news, domestic abusers! An Islamic court in the United Arab Emirates has ruled a husband or father can “discipline” his wife and children as long as he does not leave any marks. This decision follows a ruling where a man was taken to court for slapping his wife, injuring her bottom lip and teeth, and kicking his 23-year-old daughter, causing her to bruise. Keep reading »
“Burqa rage.” Never heard of it before? Me neither. Women being forced to wear burqas does makes me upset. But a 63-year-old French woman, known only as Marlene, took things too far when she attacked a woman who chose to wear a body-covering veil while furniture shopping in a Paris suburb. When Marlene saw the victim, known only as Shaika, 26, perusing a department store in a burqa, she asked the Muslim woman to disrobe. “I told her to take off the veil she had on her face,” she said. “I grabbed and pulled it.” Shaika refused to remove her burqa and Marlene allegedly began hitting her, successfully pulling off the veil and biting Shaika’s hand in the process. “Now I can see your face,” she allegedly shouted. Keep reading »
This short film follows Princess Hijab, a graffiti artist who skulks around the Parisian subway system, scribbling burqas on commercial advertising with a black Sharpie. The Princess appears to be a woman, but like other street artists (Banksy, for example), the true identity is unknown to protect her from police. Keep reading »
A chat with Roxana Shirazi is a delight. She’s thoughtful, articulate and you just want to steal that lovely, soft-spoken British accent out of her throat and run off with it. So it’s pretty easy to forget this London-based Iranian author has written the ultimate rock ‘n’ roll memoir about insatiable sex drives, peeing on rock stars, and cunnilingus with groupies.
The Last Living Slut: Born In Iran, Bred Backstage is one of the craziest memoirs I’ve ever read and not just for the stunning narrative arc. Although she writes about childhood growing up in Tehran, Iran, during the Iranian Revolution, and the sexual and physical abuse she suffers from her friends and family, Roxana also gives us a peek into a balls-out, X-rated life most of us couldn’t imagine. Co-published by Neil Strauss, author of The Game, and Anthony Bozza, her book is also about becoming a teenage belly dancer at underground London clubs, then a rock ‘n’ roll scenester who beds her rock star idols — guys from Guns N’ Roses and Buckcherry, to name just a few.
It’s funny. It’s gross. And it’s unlike any memoir I’ve ever read. So I called up the woman who carries around a vibrator in her purse and asked Roxana Shirazi to talk about growing up in a fundamentalist Islamic culture, her abortion, female jealousy, and the meaning of the word “slut.” Keep reading »
Well, it’s official, folks, The Iranian Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance has declared our favorite ironic hairstyle, the mullet, illegal. But not because it’s a heinous fashion violation—it’s considered an un-Islamic Western ‘do and an example of the Western Cultural Invasion. Also forbidden for men are “the rooster,” a ponytail with spikey front and a close relative of the mullet. All other “decadent Western cuts” are off limits, too. The punishment for the crime of engaging in mulletry? First time violators get a buzz cut. Serial hair offenders face stiff fines. And barber shops offering decadent cuts will get shut down.
The Iranian government must be getting their fashion news via carrier pigeon because mullets and roosters stopped being in vogue, well, 30 years ago. Maybe we should tell them to get a head start on banning “The Pauly D”? “Jersey Shore” style and Islam definitely don’t mix. [NY Daily News, Slate] Keep reading »
