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Viva Il Talibano: Italian Town To Pass Anti-Blasphemy Law and Ban Both Sunbathing and Miniskirts

Castellammare di Stabia appears eager to join the forces in the West cracking down on free speech and expression. The city is moving toward the passage of a blasphemy law — the subject of prior columns and blog entries on a trend against free speech in the West. The city is also planning to ban miniskirts, sunbathing, and playing football in public places. If nothing else, the move will finally give the Taliban a seaside vacation spot to get away from it all.

The move to ban revealing clothing and criticism of religion is supported by the church. The local priest Don Paulo Cecere insists that it is not only good for local morals but it is “a way of combating the rise in sexual harassment.” Wouldn’t it be better to just punish men who cannot be around a women in a miniskirt? This is the same logic of Islamic extremists who insist on mandatory coverings for all women regardless of their beliefs. It suggests that sexual harassment is due to the fact that women dress in provocative ways.

A seaside city in Italy is planning to ban miniskirts and other revealing clothing to improve what the mayor calls standards of public decency.

Mayor Luigi Bobbio insists that his prohibitions will “restore urban decorum and facilitate better civil co-existence” — presumably by forcing people to dress more alike and speak alike on subjects of religion. Ironically Bobbio is part of a party called the “People of Freedom” — a center-right party that appears to honor freedom in its breach.

Source: BBC

Jonathan Turley

35 thoughts on “Viva Il Talibano: Italian Town To Pass Anti-Blasphemy Law and Ban Both Sunbathing and Miniskirts”

  1. I find it strange that most of these comments are about the idea of a mini-skirt ban, when what I find most appalling about the topic of this article is the passing of blasphemy laws. Really? Are people’s religious beliefs teetering so precariously that they cannot withstand someone speaking out against them, and so they have to be protected from someone uttering their personal opinion by a bona fide law against it? Really? I’m glad there’s no blasphemy law in my country, because I’d end up in jail for sure.

  3. how about if we take responsibility for our own actions and stop trying to say “they made me do it”.

    do most sexual attacks take place at beaches and swimming pools?

  5. Blame the victim. Admonish or legally sanction the victim. Let the agressor off the hook by assuring that the law doesn’t make them take responsibility for their actions. She asked for it.

    I’ve heard it before. Same ol’ same ol’.

    The propensity to reinforce stereotypes: we named it sexism in the 60’s and refereed to those that practiced it chauvinists.

    A bit of history to back up the “same ol” claim.

  6. Miniskirts are bad–but bikinis are even worse!

    This one’s for you, FF LEO:
    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLHsdlU5_Oc&fs=1&hl=en_US]

  7. Daniel has one valid point; that there are some abhorrent things in a society that we simply have to hold our collective noses and edure—-like Libertarians and teabaggers and Republicans. But certainly not miniskirts. Miniskirts didn’t drive our economy into a deep ditch or start wars or run the national debt through the roof by borrowing/spending policies.

  8. It’s not my decision to make. That’s my point. It’s all of ours. We should allow these societies to be autonomous, ,and make their own decisions. We shouldn’t be offended by these things, we should understand them. If you don’t like it don’t live there.

  9. Blouise,

    No, see your freedom to wear what clothing you want ends where his temptation begins.

    I mean, there’s no excuse for his actions, except what you’re wearing.

    Also, because it seems appropriate…

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBYEVnQkMU8&fs=1&hl=en_US]

  10. “access to computers is a contributing factor to online crime”

    If, for the reasonable outcome of less pornographic influence in our culture, we decided as a society to ban or limit access to certain sites or computers, the byproduct of that decision would be discrimination. Either we take a moral stand or we let others take their moral stand. Either way, discrimination happens.

    However, I would absolutely have a problem with government deciding these things for the people. The people should limit themselves.

  13. Daniel
    1, October 25, 2010 at 2:40 pm
    A scientific study is not needed to figure this out. All you need is some experience in the workplace. people are the same everywhere.

    ===============================================================

    I don’t think so … you are very different from me ….

  14. Daniel,

    I worked for many years. I know women who never wore mini skirts who were subjects of sexual harassment. Those same women didn’t wear tight-fitting sweaters or expose any cleavage either. I wonder why they were harassed???

  15. Daniel
    1, October 25, 2010 at 2:06 pm
    It’s not fear. It’s preservation.

    =========================================================

    Preservation of what? Certainly not the freedom of wearing a mini-skirt or the right to choose one’s own wardrobe ….

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    ” We all have to realize that continually creating new “rights” is actually destroying existing freedoms. “(Daniel)
    ============================================================

    In this case was the mini-skirt a right or a freedom? Since it was existing before the new law was created ….

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