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Somali Women Whipped for Wearing Bras

Underwear 'fraudulently advertises assets' to suitors

By Mary Papenfuss,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 28, 2009 2:15 AM CDT

(Newser) – Muslim Shabaab religious enforcers in battered Somalia are finding time to whip Muslim women for wearing bras. They're being punished because the underwear accentuates breasts and in some cases gives a "fraudulent" impression to possible suitors, reports the Independent. "Al Shabaab now orders us to shake our breasts," one woman told Reuters. "They are saying that breasts should be firm naturally, or just flat."

The Shabaab Wahabi ideology bans films, plays, dancing at weddings, football matches and all forms of music, even musical cell phone ring tones. The whippings are the latest indication of a major crackdown on women's clothing in Islamic nations. A journalist was recently arrested in Sudan for wearing pants.

A Somali woman cries after she was injured in fighting in Somalia last months. Religious cops found time to whip another woman for wearing a bra.
A Somali woman cries after she was injured in fighting in Somalia last months. Religious cops found time to whip another woman for wearing a bra.   (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh)
A Somali child waits for food outside a United Nations registration center in Daadab, northeastern Kenya.
A Somali child waits for food outside a United Nations registration center in Daadab, northeastern Kenya.   (AP Photo/Malkhadir Muhumed)
Actress Angelina Jolie visits veiled Somali women in the Dadaab refugee camp on the Kenya-Somali border last month
Actress Angelina Jolie visits veiled Somali women in the Dadaab refugee camp on the Kenya-Somali border last month   (AP Photo/Boris Heger, UNHCR)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 25 comments
orchide87
Oct 29, 2009 8:46 AM CDT
thing is, its not religious. its cultural. Even women in Saudi get to wear bras and lingerie
freethemall
Oct 29, 2009 1:05 AM CDT
If I could get word in here edgewise, this is one of the very few times i agree with don'tlikeyou, though I must hasten to add that the other two faith based religion can be about as bad, if they are given the chance to attain ascendancy within a nation-state. BTW, STUART, hits the nail on the head. and I'm sure he would point out that other faith based religions would not be a whole lot better, if they had the power over people's life that Islam has.
NxBigmouthery
Oct 28, 2009 12:35 PM CDT
Some religious types make it very hard for me to support religious tolerance.

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