Sunday, January 16, 2011

Wondering.... Part Deux


A while back I wrote a post about riding past a group of Muslim woman in robes and veils and wondering what they thought of me.

I looked about the internets and found this:

Hamas bans women on motorcycles in Gaza Strip
Thu Oct 8, 2009 5:54am EDT

GAZA, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip say safety concerns and social traditions, not Islamic religious values, are the main reason behind a decision to ban women from riding motorbikes and scooters.

In a decision which would raise eyebrows in Rome or Rio de Janeiro, the Interior Ministry said it was banning women from riding two-wheelers or being pillion passengers, to limit accidents and to "protect community values".

Spokesman Ehab Al-Ghsain said the decision was taken after they found that women riding behind their husbands or male relatives were a prime reason for accidents in recent weeks.

"We have taken a series of decisions to limit accidents and avoid loss of lives. Men carrying women behind them on motorcycles caused accidents and did not match our social traditions," he said. "The image looked odd."

Human Rights groups say Hamas is gradually imposing a strict Islamic code on the 1.5 million Palestinians of Gaza.

Gaza couples complain of being stopped by police and asked for papers to prove they are married, and men have been told to cover up on the beach.


It all seems a bit ridiculous to me. With all my armored gear, I don't even think most people can discern if I am a man or a woman, tho the pink helmet is a give-away.

Other articles have mentioned that women riding behind men is inappropriate in the way women have to hold the men around the waist and that leads to all sorts of hijinks...mmmhmmm.

I still would like to know what that one woman thought, when she looked at me so steadily as she crossed the street. Because I still think of her, and I wonder....

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