In the 6th century, the emperor Justinian outlawed homosexuality on the grounds that it caused earthquakes. A Muslim cleric in Iran is now joining that lunacy, but blaming it all on women who dress immodestly, thus bringing down the wrath of Allah.
A senior Iranian cleric says women who wear revealing clothing and behave promiscuously are to blame for earthquakes.
Iran is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries, and the cleric’s unusual explanation for why the earth shakes follows a prediction by the president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, that a quake is certain to hit Tehran and that many of its 12 million inhabitants should relocate.
“Many women who do not dress modestly … lead young men astray, corrupt their chastity and spread adultery in society, which increases earthquakes,” Hojatoleslam Kazem Sedighi was quoted as saying by Iranian media. Women in the Islamic Republic are required by law to cover from head to toe, but many, especially the young, ignore some of the more strict codes and wear tight coats and scarves pulled back that show much of the hair. “What can we do to avoid being buried under the rubble?” Sedighi asked during a prayer sermon last week. “There is no other solution but to take refuge in religion and to adapt our lives to Islam’s moral codes.”
Right. It couldn’t have anything to do with the fact that Tehran sits on top of two fault lines or anything.
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jeremydiamond
July 11, 2012 at 12:57 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Monday 19 April 2010
IIRC, this was the inspiration for Jen McCreight’s Boobquake.
eric
July 11, 2012 at 12:58 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Isn’t this a year old? Sounds a lot like boobquake.
fifthdentist
July 11, 2012 at 12:59 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I’d think, if jiggly boobs are causing earthquakes, that a better remedy would be ensuring that women wear firm bras that don’t allow significant up and down movement.
Women’s tennis probably is out, too.
jamessweet
July 11, 2012 at 1:09 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Perhaps the good imam is half-right: Immodest women cause people to forget about TWO YEAR OLD NEWS STORIES that resulted in a surge of traffic to one of their VERY OWN BLOGGERS.
Hey, maybe to test this idea, Jen can organize BoobBlank: On the same day, women everywhere will dress immodestly, and we’ll see if it causes Ed to post Really Old News all day long. ;p
Kaoru Negisa
July 11, 2012 at 1:11 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Have to say, this story is what started me on the path that lead me to atheism, so thanks for the memories, Ed!
wdimac
July 11, 2012 at 1:12 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
If jiggly boobs cause earthquakes, then I am for earthquakes!
TCC
July 11, 2012 at 1:17 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Ouch, I felt that from here, jamessweet.
Ed, I don’t know how frequently you read comments, but seriously, this would be a good opportunity. You generally do a pretty great job with this blog, but occasionally, you make some unrecognized errors like posting really old articles without noting such (you do catch this other times) or referring to things by the wrong name (e.g. Charles Johnson instead of Charles Taylor, Johnson v. Texas when you mean Lawrence v. Texas – which was an error you even made on your radio show, IIRC).
Making errors isn’t a big deal, but the great thing about comments – and especially the great commenters you’ve accumulated here – is that they can help correct what errors you have. Take advantage of it. No one will think less of you – quite the opposite, I suspect.
Anneliese
July 11, 2012 at 1:32 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Perhaps Ed is hinting around for another BoobQuake? I’ll participate and even post pics if you promise not to snicker. Laugh, guffaw, howl, roll on the floor but please don’t snicker.
reverendrodney
July 11, 2012 at 1:53 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Anneliese,
Yes, please please post pics! Speaking on behalf of the whole group (back me up here, everybody) there won’t be a snicker among us. Or at least not from me.
I missed boobquake the first time around. But then I live between two major fault zones, the San Andreas and the Hayward and, something is always happening. Who’d of thunk it’s the women?
And… maybe Pat Robertson should not be shown in Iran. Gives those prayer leaders too many ideas.
kagerato
July 11, 2012 at 1:54 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I woke up this morning and it was 2010…
Yeah, I wish.
baal
July 11, 2012 at 1:56 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
“What can we do to avoid being buried under the rubble?”
I suggest implementing building codes. I hear California and Japan have good ones.
Tobinius
July 11, 2012 at 1:56 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I’ve often wondered what was responsible for all those earthquakes that hit Florida during spring break. I guess I finally have my answer. Thanks Ed.
Kaintukee Bob
July 11, 2012 at 1:57 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Yup, dated article.
Still, I think we can take this and learn one thing from it:
Low-cut shirts lead to the earth shaking? The answer isn’t that Allah hates immodest women, it’s that Allah likes to watch jiggling boobs.
Suddenly, the god of Islam seems so much more real to me, as if we have something in common!
steve oberski
July 11, 2012 at 2:17 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Correlation and causality, everyone knows that it’s earthquakes that cause jiggly boobs.
Anneliese
July 11, 2012 at 2:30 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
@reverendrodney
Thank you but in fairness I should warn you that I am over 60. If there’s another BoobQuake I will post pics. You have been warned.
Silent Service
July 11, 2012 at 2:39 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I was wondering if this was old news. Oh well. If we can’t have another boobquake experiment can we have a men’s equivalent? Ballquake?
Raging Bee
July 11, 2012 at 2:58 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Well, women sometimes accuse the men they have sex with of making the Earth move; so what’s so unfair about turning that accusation back on them?
And… maybe Pat Robertson should not be shown in Iran.
Yeah, that’s the kind of boob that suould NEVER be exposed.
jeroenmetselaar
July 11, 2012 at 4:25 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Worth It!!
hexidecima
July 11, 2012 at 4:34 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
hmmm, since there are a lot of tribes in africa where the women go around quite undressed, where are the earthquakes?
busterggi
July 11, 2012 at 4:43 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Anyone notice the lack of earthquakes at nude beaches in Europe & South America?
fifthdentist
July 11, 2012 at 4:53 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Is there an equation that explains the amount of crazy/stupid produced by a defined quantity of religion?
Tyrant al-Kalām
July 11, 2012 at 4:54 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
But.. but…
reverendrodney
July 11, 2012 at 5:19 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Anneleise:
“Thank you but in fairness I should warn you that I am over 60. If there’s another BoobQuake I will post pics. You have been warned.”
Age is but an attitude. I am older than you and yesterday I was out playing softball with kids half my age. One thing happened to people my age who don’t have fun… they grew up!
Hexidecima:
There are nude beaches around here and come to think of it we haven’t had a real earthquake in a long time!
Modusoperandi
July 11, 2012 at 5:24 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
TCC “or referring to things by the wrong name (e.g. Charles Johnson instead of Charles Taylor, Johnson v. Texas when you mean Lawrence v. Texas…”
*Sigh* That was James Taylor, and the case was Seen v. Fire and Rain.
dannorth
July 11, 2012 at 6:14 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
On a more serious note, that declaration goes in the direction of a governmental plan to move the capital away from Tehran claiming the risk of earthquakes in that region as the reason.The proposed site would be nearer to Qom and in a more conservative part of the country thus giving the government protection against social tremors also.
See http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8338092.stm
leni
July 11, 2012 at 6:25 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Just no one tell him about the nipple lasers. They still work under burkas, but we discussed it at the meeting last week and would prefer to keep it on the dl. For now.
Christian
July 11, 2012 at 6:26 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Well, as long as they don’t start jiggling in lockstep, like in a uhm… “booblaser”, I guess we should be pretty safe ;)
Tyrant al-Kalām
July 11, 2012 at 6:39 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Well that’s one joke the austin powers writers missed…
Gretchen
July 11, 2012 at 7:01 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
A good opportunity, I think, to look back and think of the reason why most of us know Jen McCreight. I’m happy I do, and have really appreciated what she’s had to say over the last couple of years. And Boobquake might have attracted the degree of attention that it did because it focused on boobs, but that is not Jen’s fault– it is the fault of people blaming natural catastrophes on boobs. And if boobs attract more people to science, skepticism, and secularism, I’m all for it.
Marcus Ranum
July 11, 2012 at 8:13 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Wait – it doesn’t sound like the immodesty is what’s causing the earthquakes! It’s god! If the earthquakes are a consequence of god being annoyed, maybe god could just stop being such a micromanager, hmmm?
christophburschka
July 11, 2012 at 8:22 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
This again? Should be fun.
… oh wait, nevermind; it’s old. That’s a bit disappointing.
Bjarni
July 11, 2012 at 8:55 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Is it acceptable to ‘teehee’?
leni
July 11, 2012 at 9:28 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Oh hello no! That was inspired by Super Inframan. I have very refined tastes.
I have also wanted boob lasers for like ever. I’ll settle for earthquakes though.
leni
July 11, 2012 at 9:31 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Woops I mean *Hell no.
Not hello no. Because that just sounds weird.
Dr X
July 11, 2012 at 9:40 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Fundie types always make God sound like he’s Chris Brown.
Kaoru Negisa
July 11, 2012 at 9:53 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
And hello to you, Mr. Bond. %)
F
July 11, 2012 at 10:39 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
So who’s in charge of floods? Forest fires? Volcanoes? Lahars? Landslides? Sinkholes? (Oh, no, sinkholes are the result of reading stupid sexist shit on the internet.)
docsarvis
July 12, 2012 at 12:14 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Slow news day Ed?
pilch62
July 12, 2012 at 1:15 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
As a gay man, I would just like to say that, on occasion, homosexuality does cause the earth to move . . . Of course, it’s better if the other guy is homosexual too . . .
Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven
July 12, 2012 at 3:12 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Start a petition to rename the San Andreas to the Jablomie fault?
lpetrich
July 12, 2012 at 9:05 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
That’s Justinian’s New Law #77
It described certain people as committing “the most reprehensible vices” and “crimes contrary to nature”, stating that the Bible tells us that God has destroyed cities because of such activities.
It also mentioned people committing blasphemies like swearing by God’s head, and stated that these sorts of offenses cause famines, earthquakes, and plagues.
But I think that it was Gore Vidal who summarized this law as stating that buggery causes earthquakes.
yoav
July 12, 2012 at 10:00 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
It look like there are a lot of things that cause earthquakes. It’s not just immodest wimeen, our old pal Pat Robertson blamed the Haiti quake on the Haitians signing a pact with the devil, 200 fucking years ago (apparently god is seriously backlogged in the smiting department). Former Israeli cabinet member, and convicted felon, Shlomo benizri (from Shas, a religions fundi party and holder of the record for most senior members convicted of corruption, so much for religion making you a moral person) blamed earthquakes on the gays. Hell, just last week another Israeli rabbi claimed a minor earthquake that hit the country was a warning against people demanding that the haredim will be subjected to the same rules as anybody else and not be exempt from military service.
lordshipmayhem
July 12, 2012 at 12:14 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
If dressing in “an immodest way” caused earthquakes, France and Germany (where women regularly go topfree and even nude on their beaches) should be as geologically active as Teheran. And Teheran should be struck with earthquakes about never.
Wait, Oh, Nevermind, I Follow Your Logic Now….I Mean, What? « Foster Disbelief
July 12, 2012 at 1:46 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
[...] big thanks to Ed Brayton and Dispatches from the Culture Wars for today’s “Wait….What?” The original article from the Guardian can be [...]