Another Freedom Cut Short

[Robbien]

Iraqi Barbers and Their Customers Feel Threat of Sect-Based Grooming Rules

By Sudarsan Raghavan
Washington Post Foreign Service
Friday, October 6, 2006; Page A18

BAGHDAD -- The cleric's young men fanned out across the neighborhood, moving from shop to shop, posting the new religious decrees.

Printed neatly on white-and-green fliers, the edicts banned vices like "music-filled parties and all kinds of singing." They proscribed celebratory gunfire at weddings and "the gathering of young men" in front of markets and girls' schools. Also forbidden were the "selling of liquor and narcotic drugs" and "wearing improper Western clothes."

But at the bottom of the list of prohibitions was a single command. Scrawled in green ink, it read simply: "Cut hair."

"I feel powerless," lamented Moataz Hussein, 22, a wiry, soft-voiced teacher seated in a hair salon on the main road of the Tobji neighborhood on Sunday. His long, stylish black hair was now a recent memory. "They are controlling my life."

so much more
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/05/AR2006100501825_pf.html

[Kagemusha]

1. See, it's not just women and veils.

Just thought I'd say it for the record. It's not equal suffering, but perhaps it's suffering of equal value. Or not. It's definitely mutual suffering.

[donco6]

2. Wow, instead of spreading democracy, we spread fascism!

Now, how do you suppose that happened? Maybe because we've already stopped being a democracy and no one noticed? And now our cultural DNA is so warped we cannot do anything BUT spread more fascism?

[dogfacedboy]

4. Don't you get it?

You see, this is all part of spreading Democracy. Don't you know that a free and unfettered market creates Democracy? Think of all the "miracle millionaire" barbers that will be created by selling all those haircuts!!!

[donco6]

6. OOps! Silly me!

Good one.

[sabra]

3. kick

:kick:

[damntexdem]

5. Just another freedom brought through the help of the Bushistas:

the freedom to have one's hair cut, or else. Better hold a music party to celebrate it -- oops, not. ;-)