Saudi Swimwear

August 22, 2005 4:11 PM

The Mutaween - Saudi Arabia's Authority for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, is rigid in it's enforcement of Wahabist Shari`a. It's website offers a list of banned consumer goods, along with a form for turning in one's neighbor [English translation here]. The kingdom uses internet filtering technology to stop residents from even viewing provocative clothing. Non-compliance means death.
So what's the style-conscious Saudi woman to do? Hasima Islamic Swimwear was the answer.
posted by kanewai (38 comments total)

Those swimsiuts make me hark back to the US in 1910 or so!
We'll see how long they can hold on to it. They must have some serious fundamentalist IT guys to filter out all the porn, bikinis, faces, and the rest.

Some hacker will still goatse them, somehow.
posted by Balisong at 4:17 PM on August 22, 2005

Girl you know you want to freak.
posted by billysumday at 4:28 PM on August 22, 2005

Lovely to see an absolute monarchy still in action in the 21st century.

And strange how the Bush family is their biggest supporter.

So much for "freedom and democracy".
posted by cleardawn at 4:29 PM on August 22, 2005

How long before the US impliments their ownCommission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice or Godsquads to you know, repel the terrorists.
posted by Balisong at 4:34 PM on August 22, 2005

A friend of mine lived in Saudi Arabia, and subscribed to the Sports Illustrated.

When the Swimsuit edition came out, the first 20 photos or so had been colored in with black pen. Near the end, the poor guy who had that job must have gotten tired, because the meticulous coloring-in of flesh had been replaced by simple black X's (so you could still see the pictures) He still has it, it's hilarious.

The next year, the Swimsuit edition just didn't make it to his door.
posted by cell divide at 4:44 PM on August 22, 2005

uuum, Haşema TEKSTİL, is based in Istanbul Turkey, not Saudi Arabia. No where do I see them claim that this:



will keep women from getting stoned to death in Saudi Arabia.
posted by MonkeySaltedNuts at 4:52 PM on August 22, 2005

My mistake ... I saw the link to Hasema Tekstil on a number of blogs by Saudi dissidents, and assumed it was a Saudi company. I guess the lady is showing a bit too much leg for the ultra-conservatives.

But we do have Godsquads here, don't we? A friend of mine picked up a trick in a small Louisiana town and brought him back to his hotel. They were awoken by protesters at midnight. The leader, armed with a bullhorn, stood outside their window yelling for them to come out. The hotel manager was nonplussed, claiming that they did that all the time.
posted by kanewai at 5:01 PM on August 22, 2005

That Bronze swimsuit is so scandalous! What a slut!
posted by Moral Animal at 5:22 PM on August 22, 2005

Previous post.
posted by homunculus at 5:22 PM on August 22, 2005

Any suggestions on a Arabic web translation site for the banned consumer goods page. Google and Babelfish aren't so helpful
posted by bluefin at 5:30 PM on August 22, 2005

It's funny! Their clothes are different from my clothes. [laughs] Look at what they're wearing! [laughs more]
posted by uncanny hengeman at 5:39 PM on August 22, 2005

"burkakke"?
posted by PenguinBukkake at 6:01 PM on August 22, 2005

It looks like we have our own version of the swimwear.
posted by gyc at 6:02 PM on August 22, 2005

It's sad that western nations refuse to acknowledge the problems with Saudi Arabia.
posted by nightchrome at 6:08 PM on August 22, 2005

gyc - those are seriously the ugliest swimsuits I've ever seen. At least the Turkish/Saudi site tried to make the suits look nice...
posted by Moral Animal at 6:34 PM on August 22, 2005

Fashion concious Saudis go to Lebanon, where they drink, drug and whore like champs.
And yeah, for once on Metafilter, it is OK to make fun of this: the conflict between repression and capitalism. Just like it's funny to point out orthodox Jewish swimwear or the fact that in America, some people you'd want to see in these swimtents are slicing ever upwards with thongs through their Jello salad asses.
posted by klangklangston at 6:51 PM on August 22, 2005

OK the religious police are a horrible thing. But sending them stupid messages in English that mock their entire culture (see the "form in english" link) is going to do nothing but prove their point for them -- that the world is full of sheep gone astray, their minds weak from seeing women's hair.
posted by gorgor_balabala at 8:01 PM on August 22, 2005

The first thing that comes to my mind is "why bother".

Those are not swimsuits, they are just clothes that you can get wet.

Absurd.
posted by Ynoxas at 8:20 PM on August 22, 2005

It's sad that western nations refuse to acknowledge the problems with Saudi Arabia.

How does a nation "acknowledge" something?
posted by odinsdream at 9:11 PM on August 22, 2005

They should all be ashamed.
posted by filchyboy at 9:12 PM on August 22, 2005

When I was a young lad, I had a book called The Sailor Dog, starring a dog called Scupper.

(First published in 1953 by Little Golden Books according to a quick Google search.)

Erm... probably getting a tad off track here, but it's funny how the mind works. I haven't thought of that book for nigh on 30 years, but that's the first thing that popped into my head when I saw those ridiculous swimsuits.

Picture of Scupper here
posted by uncanny hengeman at 10:20 PM on August 22, 2005

odinsdream, what I meant was that most seem to be turning a blind eye to Saudi Arabia, in favor of focusing on people who won't support them.
posted by nightchrome at 10:25 PM on August 22, 2005

A bunch of kids burned to death in part because of the wreckless actions of government police? Sounds a bit like Waco Texas.

Texas. Saudi Arabia. Texas. Saudi Arabia. I can't put my finger on it, but I'm just SURE there's a connection...
posted by Davenhill at 1:32 AM on August 23, 2005

This is so going to be a fetish for SOMEONE out there, somewhere.
posted by Dean Keaton at 3:02 AM on August 23, 2005

These people make even worse swimwear.
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 4:08 AM on August 23, 2005

Erm... probably getting a tad off track here, but it's funny how the mind works. I haven't thought of that book for nigh on 30 years, but that's the first thing that popped into my head when I saw those ridiculous swimsuits.

You're referring to the picture of the woman (or is it a dog?) in the burka?
posted by IndigoJones at 4:47 AM on August 23, 2005

palmcorder_yajna, that's the longest non-porn domain name I've ever seen.
posted by lowlife at 5:20 AM on August 23, 2005

You're referring to the picture of the woman (or is it a dog?) in the burka?

I'm referring to these swimsuits that were linked. They reminded me of Scupper the Sailor Dog.
posted by uncanny hengeman at 6:29 AM on August 23, 2005

nonplussed refers to being bewildered or confused, not it's opposite as it would first seem.

hehe, godsquad.
posted by lyam at 7:10 AM on August 23, 2005

"palmcorder_yajna, that's the longest non-porn domain name I've ever seen."

http://www.llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.co.uk/
http://www.modestapparelchristianclothinglydiaofpurpledressescustomsewing.com/

Okay. I'm impressed.
posted by darksasami at 12:41 PM on August 23, 2005

I'm starting to wonder if the first Gulf War was a mistake.
posted by Mack Twain at 1:26 PM on August 23, 2005

This story (mentioned previously) has always chilled me. It's bugs me that the Saudis are our "allies." But don't worry, Bush is working on the whole oil dependence thing. (The Onion often reads as straight news these days.)
posted by jcruelty at 2:04 PM on August 23, 2005

Palmcorder_yajna, they also make horrible websites.

"Home Schooled Single Men age 18-30
Desiring to earn $20. to $30. per hour,
learn how in
the building/construction trades."

I guess my public education isn't good enough for them.

Why does that sound like a wierd pyramid scheme.
posted by vodkadin at 3:15 PM on August 23, 2005

Vodkadin, I'm sure it's a pyramid scheme-- either that, or it's part of some weird strategy for marrying off their remaining daughters. Check this out.
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 5:12 PM on August 23, 2005

Oops. I have no idea how that happened. I meant so include a link to this.
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 5:13 PM on August 23, 2005

"Sixth daughter
is
19
and always ready."

Oh they're trying sooo very hard. I have a feeling it's going to be quite hard to do so.
posted by vodkadin at 6:23 PM on August 23, 2005

I can't tell you how excited I feel after looking at those swimsuits...
posted by vac2003 at 9:14 PM on August 23, 2005

Me - You're referring to the picture of the woman (or is it a dog?) in the burka?

Uncanny Hengemen - I'm referring to these swimsuits that were linked. They reminded me of Scupper the Sailor Dog

Sorry, clearly a misunderstanding- I meant the picture of in the book- a copy of which my daughter owns. There is a picture in there of the hero in a desert town in which a burka covered character, likely a dog, is wandering by.

Just in case anyone thought I was making untoward comments about women in burkas.
posted by IndigoJones at 4:41 AM on August 25, 2005