Feck Off With Your Fatwas!
Father Ted is one of life's great comic characters, always alert to to the hypocrisy of his religious elders and betters, while possessed of a burning desire to kick Bishop Brennan up the arse.
So it's great to see women in Iran defying the ayatollahs, mullahs and imams (all men, of course) who are trying to stop women riding bicycles and motorbikes - for fear of inflaming the passions of their menfolk.
It's early days yet, but here's hoping this is the start of a movement which adopts the slogan "Feck off with your fatwas!"
Women in Iran defy fatwa by riding bikes in public
BBC Middle East
Image copyrightFACEBOOK / MY STEALTHY FREEDOM
Women in Iran have been posting photos on social media of themselves riding bicycles, defying a fatwa forbidding them from cycling in public.
It had been understood women that could cycle as long as religious concerns were respected.
But when asked recently, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, said women were not allowed to cycle in public or in the presence of strangers.
The issue came into focus earlier this year, when campaigners in Iran began marking "car-free Tuesdays" to encourage people to leave their cars at home in the hope of cutting down on pollution.
When women were seen taking part in campaign bike rides, it was frowned upon by some Iranian clerics.
Now, Iranian women have been using social media to highlight the subject, adding the hashtag #IranianWomenLoveCycling.
Women in Iran have been posting photos on social media of themselves riding bicycles, defying a fatwa forbidding them from cycling in public.
It had been understood women that could cycle as long as religious concerns were respected.
But when asked recently, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, said women were not allowed to cycle in public or in the presence of strangers.
The issue came into focus earlier this year, when campaigners in Iran began marking "car-free Tuesdays" to encourage people to leave their cars at home in the hope of cutting down on pollution.
When women were seen taking part in campaign bike rides, it was frowned upon by some Iranian clerics.
Now, Iranian women have been using social media to highlight the subject, adding the hashtag #IranianWomenLoveCycling.
Image copyrightFACEBOOK / MY STEALTHY FREEDOM
Campaigning women
A video a mother and daughter filmed of themselves cycling in Iran has had 98,000 views since it was posted on My Stealthy Freedom's Facebook page on Monday.
Campaign founder Masih Alinejad, who is based in New York, said: "They told me that they are not going to give up because they think biking is their absolute right.
A video a mother and daughter filmed of themselves cycling in Iran has had 98,000 views since it was posted on My Stealthy Freedom's Facebook page on Monday.
Campaign founder Masih Alinejad, who is based in New York, said: "They told me that they are not going to give up because they think biking is their absolute right.
Image copyright - INSTAGRAM / MY STEALTHY FREEDOM
"It is absolutely shameful to hear such a backward fatwa against women in the 21st Century.
"It is unacceptable in 2016 when you hear that a group of female cyclists have been arrested in Iran for the crime of riding a bike in a public place and made to sign a pledge promising they will not cycle in public again.
"I called on women through my Instagram account to share their reaction, and I received so many
"It is absolutely shameful to hear such a backward fatwa against women in the 21st Century.
"It is unacceptable in 2016 when you hear that a group of female cyclists have been arrested in Iran for the crime of riding a bike in a public place and made to sign a pledge promising they will not cycle in public again.
"I called on women through my Instagram account to share their reaction, and I received so many
photos and videos of women cycling."
Image copyright - INSTAGRAM / MY STEALTHY FREEDOM
"I've received messages from inside Iran from women who are shocked and want to protest."
In another video, a female cyclist is seen saying some men had said some "nasty things" about her as she had ridden past them.
Ms Alinejad said: "The activity does not have a defined penalty in Iran's legal code, but modesty laws are used against women who cycle in public.
"Women in Iran want to be active in society - but, for the clerics, that's a big threat because, in their eyes women, should not be seen or heard but stuck in the kitchen.
"It is our basic right to be able to freely cycle.
"I strongly believe that these acts will bring change.
"Women are the main agents of change, and as they push for equality, we see greater push back from the Islamic Republic [of Iran].
"The fight for equality is a historical process, and just in the same way that women succeeded in Europe and the US to win their rights, so will women in Iran."
By Andree Massiah UGC & Social News team
Ayatollah Khameni the supreme spiritual leader of Iran has issued a new fatwa (religious order) which bans women from riding their bikes in public.
Now this seems like quite a ridiculous ruling to me although, looking on the bright side the ruling, it is not quite as devastating as the one issued by Ayatollah Khomeni (Khameni's predecessor) urging all 'good' Muslims to murder Salman Rushdie for writing his novel The Satanic Verses.
Iranian women defy fatwa against cycling by taking to their bikes
Cycling Weekly - September 21, 2016
Women in Iran are defying a newly-introduced rule that they should not cycle in public as it "contravenes women's chastity"
Women in Iran have responded to a new fatwa banning women from cycling issued by the country’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei by riding their bikes in public.
Ali Khamenei ruled that a woman riding a bike is sinful, and said that: “Riding a bicycle often attracts the attention of men and exposes the society to corruption, and thus contravenes women’s chastity.”
Women have been filming themselves riding in Iran since the fatwa was introduced, and then posting videos and photographs on the ‘My Stealthy Freedom’ Facebook account with the hashtag #IranianWomenLoveCycling.
On Monday, a mother and daughter posted a video of themselves riding in Kish in the country, and said that “We love cycling and we will never give up”.
>>> Iranian women forced to sign contract pledging never to cycle in public
“Bicycle riding is part of our lives,” they said in the video. “We were here when we heard Ayatollah Khamenei’s fatwa banning women from bicycling. We immediately rented two bicycles to say we’re not giving up cycling.”
“It’s our absolute right and we’re not going to give up.”
Another woman posted a photograph of herself cycling, and left the message: “In order to be able to lead an ordinary life, I, as a woman, have to engage in a daily ‘war’.
“Am I a criminal because I love life and I love cycling? Let’s be mindful of the fact we can attain victory by fighting tirelessly [for our rights]. Long live peace, life, and respect for each others’ rights.”
In July, the Independent reported that several women were arrested in Iran for riding bicycles. The women had to sign a pledge to say that they would not cycle again in public.
Read more at http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/iranian-women-defy-fatwa-cycling-taking-bikes-285528#Tw1SqDJhdjWPgbmp.99
"I've received messages from inside Iran from women who are shocked and want to protest."
In another video, a female cyclist is seen saying some men had said some "nasty things" about her as she had ridden past them.
Ms Alinejad said: "The activity does not have a defined penalty in Iran's legal code, but modesty laws are used against women who cycle in public.
"Women in Iran want to be active in society - but, for the clerics, that's a big threat because, in their eyes women, should not be seen or heard but stuck in the kitchen.
"It is our basic right to be able to freely cycle.
"I strongly believe that these acts will bring change.
"Women are the main agents of change, and as they push for equality, we see greater push back from the Islamic Republic [of Iran].
"The fight for equality is a historical process, and just in the same way that women succeeded in Europe and the US to win their rights, so will women in Iran."
By Andree Massiah UGC & Social News team
Religious Orders (23/09/16)
Ayatollah Khameni the supreme spiritual leader of Iran has issued a new fatwa (religious order) which bans women from riding their bikes in public.
Now this seems like quite a ridiculous ruling to me although, looking on the bright side the ruling, it is not quite as devastating as the one issued by Ayatollah Khomeni (Khameni's predecessor) urging all 'good' Muslims to murder Salman Rushdie for writing his novel The Satanic Verses.
Iranian women defy fatwa against cycling by taking to their bikes
Cycling Weekly - September 21, 2016
Women in Iran are defying a newly-introduced rule that they should not cycle in public as it "contravenes women's chastity"
Women in Iran have responded to a new fatwa banning women from cycling issued by the country’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei by riding their bikes in public.
Ali Khamenei ruled that a woman riding a bike is sinful, and said that: “Riding a bicycle often attracts the attention of men and exposes the society to corruption, and thus contravenes women’s chastity.”
Women have been filming themselves riding in Iran since the fatwa was introduced, and then posting videos and photographs on the ‘My Stealthy Freedom’ Facebook account with the hashtag #IranianWomenLoveCycling.
On Monday, a mother and daughter posted a video of themselves riding in Kish in the country, and said that “We love cycling and we will never give up”.
>>> Iranian women forced to sign contract pledging never to cycle in public
“Bicycle riding is part of our lives,” they said in the video. “We were here when we heard Ayatollah Khamenei’s fatwa banning women from bicycling. We immediately rented two bicycles to say we’re not giving up cycling.”
“It’s our absolute right and we’re not going to give up.”
Another woman posted a photograph of herself cycling, and left the message: “In order to be able to lead an ordinary life, I, as a woman, have to engage in a daily ‘war’.
“Am I a criminal because I love life and I love cycling? Let’s be mindful of the fact we can attain victory by fighting tirelessly [for our rights]. Long live peace, life, and respect for each others’ rights.”
In July, the Independent reported that several women were arrested in Iran for riding bicycles. The women had to sign a pledge to say that they would not cycle again in public.
Read more at http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/iranian-women-defy-fatwa-cycling-taking-bikes-285528#Tw1SqDJhdjWPgbmp.99
