Islamists in Syria's Aleppo ban "provocative dress" for women

[Jesus Malverde]

Source: Reuters

Islamist rebels in Syria's northern city of Aleppo issued an order on Monday banning women from dressing in what it considered provocative styles, angering some locals who accuse the group of overstepping its powers.

The Islamic law council of Aleppo's Fardous neighbourhood issued a fatwa, or religious edict, banning all Muslim women from wearing "immodest" dress and announcing plans to apply such rules to all female inhabitants.

"Muslim women are banned from leaving the house in immodest dress, in tight clothing that shows off their bodies or wearing makeup on their face," the statement said. "It is incumbent on all our sisters to obey God and commit to Islamic etiquette".

Hardline Islamist groups have increasingly taken the lead in the revolt against President Bashar al-Assad's rule. Many units, some of which are linked to al Qaeda, have stretched their influence beyond the battleground and established police and administrative councils in some rebel-held areas.

Read more: http://www.trust.org/item/20130701172315-tnkby/?source%20=%20hpbreaking

[msongs]

1. the US picks another winner to back nt

[southernyankeebelle]

26. Isn't that McCain's friends he wants to give guns to?

[Dash87]

2. Our best friends

[Purveyor]

3. Are these the 'rebels' we are to supply heavy weapons to? eom

[David__77]

4. America's favorite dress code enforcers.

Obama wants very badly to put weapons in their hands. We must ask ourselves if this is the right thing, or not.

[pampango]

10. "Obama wants very badly to put weapons in their hands." Did you really mean that? Or

that there is a danger that any weapons provided to the opposition will eventually end up in the hands of jihadists?

I would be interested in any background you could provide that "Obama wants very badly to put weapons in their hands." It seems to me that the opposite is true which is why the decision to provide arms to some of the opposition is being discussed here more than 2 years after the uprising started.

I realize that the republican base thinks that Obama is a "Muslim radical" and wants the jihadists to win but that does not make it true.

[David__77]

13. There is a certainty that arms going to the opposition end up in their hands.

They are one force, in places like Aleppo especially, and they govern together officially. Nusra has organic unity with the factions that formally align with the so-called council being armed by the administration. Wanting to arm the insurgents means wanting to arm al Qaeda, and there's no way around that.

[pampango]

14. So you are sticking with "Obama wants very badly to put weapons in their hands."

That's a mighty black-and-white, "you are with Assad or you are with the terrorists" world you live in.

If Obama really wanted to arm rebels they would have had anti-aircraft missiles and anti-tank weapons (for better or, more likely, for worse) 2 years ago. If mccain had been elected in 2008, the rebels would have had those heavy weapons as soon as the civil war began and many would have ended up in the hands of jihadists. And romney would have pursued the same policy.

Under a mccain/romney scenario the rebels would not be watching as Assad's planes bomb and his tanks shell rebel-held towns and neighborhoods with nothing they can do about it. Of course the future would have been worse for Syrians, which Obama realizes, under the mccain/romney scenario.

Russia seems to have no reservations about anti-aircraft missiles ending up in the hands of Hezbollah courtesy of the Syrian government. If you are arguing that we should be more careful than the Russian about these weapons ending up in the wrong hands, I agree with you.

[David__77]

15. I would argue that the US should not provide weapons to al Qaeda.

So, I argue that the US should not provide arms to the Syrian insurgents.

[Jesus Malverde]

19. Where is this picture from?

It's from a comedy right?

[awoke_in_2003]

5. "Islamic etiquette"...

That is probably the craziest phrase I have ever read on the Internet.

[azurnoir]

6. and so it begins

but where does it end

[Mojorabbit]

7. All the progress women have made

over the years seems to be being dismantled the past few years. I find it very frightening. It is amazing to me how fast we have lost ground almost all over the world.

[dembotoz]

8. here there and everywhere

[Amonester]

9. Women of the world must unite.

IOW "Together we stand, divided we fall."

[Marrah_G]

20. The ME and part of Africa seem to be going backwards

Every time the topic comes up about women and dress in Muslim countries we are told it is not the religion, its the culture but the reality is that the laws are made based on the religion and the religious leaders are the ones pushing for them to be enforced.

I don't know what the answer is, except that solutions will need to come from within the religion itself. if enough people stand up the radical preachers only then is it possible for things to change.

This goes for all religions that do things that infringe on the rights on human beings.

[Mojorabbit]

21. Reproductive rights are also under assault

Look at Texas and Ohio! I remember how it was before Roe vs Wade. I hate to see what is happening now.

[burnodo]

11. Obey god

Oy! These women have to dress modestly to "obey God" what a bunch of nonsense.

[bemildred]

12. They just can't wait. nt

[KamaAina]

16. Yay! Let's arm Islamist militants!!

[eissa]

17. I've said it dozens of times

The first victims of this conflict (as usual) will be women and minorities. In this case, it's killing two birds with one stone since a large segment of Aleppo's population are Christians who don't cover up.

Why are we backing these assholes again?

[FiveGoodMen]

18. Religion will always do this

Within all the major faiths is the potential for a fundier-than-thou escalation that leads to this kind of thing.

Reject religion.

It's bullshit.

And there is no other solution.

[Orsino]

22. Uncle Sam new BFFs.

It's completely a coincidence that they hate women, as it always is.

[jessie04]

23. Well, thats just great.

Women have to know" their place".

Next up....no school for women, no work for women and burqua's for all women.

This is so wrong.

[Ash_F]

24. Already? /nt

[jessie04]

25. The boy killed for an off-hand remark about God - Sharia spreads in Syria

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23139784


Things are not going entirely the Islamists' way, however. They have split and split again over the question of whether to unify with al-Qaeda. There is also a bitter ongoing battle with elements of the Free Syrian Army.

While most fighting on the rebel side are Muslim, many of those do not want a religious state.

The commander of one such unit told me the Islamist Nusra Front had sent a suicide bomber to one of his positions, killing a dozen of his men. Then his brother was kidnapped by the jihadis. After paying a ransom of tens of thousands of dollar to get his brother back, he would now seek revenge.

"There will be nowhere for them to hide."

Even as government forces sweep into previously opposition-held towns, the rebels are fighting amongst themselves, hardline jihadis against the relatively secular FSA, a civil war within the civil war.

The battle, though sporadic, seems just as bitter as that against the regime.

Its outcome will determine what kind of state Syria will become if the rebels win. In the meantime, though, Sharia justice is the only kind available in many parts of Syria.