Comments on: Saudi Swimwear

Saudi Swimwear

kanewai — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 16:11:10 -0800

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.

By: Balisong

Balisong — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 16:17:00 -0800

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.

By: billysumday

billysumday — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 16:28:31 -0800

Girl you know you want to freak.

By: cleardawn

cleardawn — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 16:29:54 -0800

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".

By: Balisong

Balisong — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 16:34:55 -0800

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.

By: cell divide

cell divide — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 16:44:20 -0800

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 Near the end, the poor guy who had that job must have gotten tired, because the meticulous coloring-in of flesh had been replaced by simple black X's (so you could still see the pictures) He still has it, it's hilarious.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.

By: MonkeySaltedNuts

MonkeySaltedNuts — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 16:52:35 -0800

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.

By: kanewai

kanewai — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 17:01:05 -0800

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.

By: Moral Animal

Moral Animal — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 17:22:14 -0800

That Bronze swimsuit is so scandalous! What a slut!

By: homunculus

homunculus — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 17:22:30 -0800

Previous post.

By: bluefin

bluefin — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 17:30:39 -0800

Any suggestions on a Arabic web translation site for the banned consumer goods page. Google and Babelfish aren't so helpful

By: uncanny hengeman

uncanny hengeman — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 17:39:15 -0800

It's funny! Their clothes are different from my clothes. [laughs] Look at what they're wearing! [laughs more]

By: PenguinBukkake

PenguinBukkake — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 18:01:17 -0800

"burkakke"?

By: gyc

gyc — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 18:02:30 -0800

It looks like we have our own version of the swimwear.

By: nightchrome

nightchrome — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 18:08:38 -0800

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

By: Moral Animal

Moral Animal — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 18:34:40 -0800

gyc - those are seriously the ugliest swimsuits I've ever seen. At least the Turkish/Saudi site tried to make the suits look nice...

By: klangklangston

klangklangston — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 18:51:51 -0800

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.

By: gorgor_balabala

gorgor_balabala — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 20:01:35 -0800

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.

By: Ynoxas

Ynoxas — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 20:20:22 -0800

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.

By: odinsdream

odinsdream — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 21:11:57 -0800

It's sad that western nations refuse to acknowledge the problems with Saudi Arabia. How does a nation "acknowledge" something?

By: filchyboy

filchyboy — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 21:12:00 -0800

They should all be ashamed.

By: uncanny hengeman

uncanny hengeman — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 22:20:17 -0800

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

By: nightchrome

nightchrome — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 22:25:46 -0800

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.

By: Davenhill

Davenhill — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 01:32:39 -0800

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...

By: Dean Keaton

Dean Keaton — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 03:02:05 -0800

This is so going to be a fetish for SOMEONE out there, somewhere.

By: palmcorder_yajna

palmcorder_yajna — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 04:08:38 -0800

These people make even worse swimwear.

By: IndigoJones

IndigoJones — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 04:47:54 -0800

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?

By: lowlife

lowlife — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 05:20:11 -0800

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

By: uncanny hengeman

uncanny hengeman — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 06:29:04 -0800

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.

By: lyam

lyam — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 07:10:17 -0800

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

By: darksasami

darksasami — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 12:41:22 -0800

"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.

By: Mack Twain

Mack Twain — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 13:26:08 -0800

I'm starting to wonder if the first Gulf War was a mistake.

By: jcruelty

jcruelty — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 14:04:40 -0800

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.)

By: vodkadin

vodkadin — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 15:15:07 -0800

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.

By: palmcorder_yajna

palmcorder_yajna — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 17:12:14 -0800

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.

By: palmcorder_yajna

palmcorder_yajna — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 17:13:46 -0800

Oops. I have no idea how that happened. I meant so include a link to this.

By: vodkadin

vodkadin — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 18:23:55 -0800

"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.

By: vac2003

vac2003 — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 21:14:34 -0800

I can't tell you how excited I feel after looking at those swimsuits...

By: IndigoJones

IndigoJones — Thu, 25 Aug 2005 04:41:00 -0800

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.