Good news: Iran set to introduce “Islamic bicycle” for women; Update: Iran bans coed Internet cafes
posted at 10:38 am on May 17, 2007 by Allahpundit
Update: The paranoia’s really settling in now.
Owners of trendy internet cafes, as well as bars and restaurants popular with young Iranians have received a letter signed by national police authorities in which new measures are announced to enforce “the country’s moral health.” “Public places will not be allowed to use dark windows anymore or curtains which make it impossible to view from the outside what is going on inside,” said the letter, which states in particular that men and women must not be allowed inside internet cafes together but in separate days or schedules “to avoid unpleasant promiscuity.”
The letter does not mention when these new rules will become effective but states that “a failure to fulfil them will lead to a suspension of the licence.”
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Do you think they could at least show a picture of this contraption?
deadbackpacker on May 17, 2007 at 10:42 AM
Bizarre.
Farmer_Joe on May 17, 2007 at 10:42 AM
Just utterly nuts … well at least it’s consistent with the rest of islamic teachings.
darwin on May 17, 2007 at 10:49 AM
a transportation device that conceals your figure? isn’t that what we call a car?
mfnorman on May 17, 2007 at 10:49 AM
A ‘temptation fairing’ coming to a bike shop near you. Gotta buy stock in this company.
How the hell do you get on/off without pulling a Laugh-In tricycle moment?
Limerick on May 17, 2007 at 10:51 AM
Won’t it also need a sidecar so the male relative is there to protect her honor?
Limerick on May 17, 2007 at 10:53 AM
Just. Plain. Stupid.
tickleddragon on May 17, 2007 at 10:54 AM
So where are our strident feminists? Oh yeah…
Iblis on May 17, 2007 at 10:58 AM
Ahhhh but you don’t see the business beauty of this…
Every Bike in Islam riden by a female, which is many since they can’t drive, will have to have one by religious decree.
And the company making them is no doubt owned by the family of the guy making the decree… see… its just their form of creating the have to have object without popular support or advertising…
Romeo13 on May 17, 2007 at 10:59 AM
Which ‘half’ of the body will it conceal?
Tru2my2 on May 17, 2007 at 10:59 AM
National Organization of Women….Where are you NOW?
soulsirkus on May 17, 2007 at 11:00 AM
Is there a holder for her water bottle filled with nostril pus?
benrand on May 17, 2007 at 11:09 AM
It also conceals the optional rocket launcher attachment.
Privatestock on May 17, 2007 at 11:12 AM
I actually was thinking it would be side-saddle.
mikeyboss on May 17, 2007 at 11:12 AM
I’d really like to see what the Iranian women’s swim team is wearing in the next summer Olympic Games. I’m sure they wouldn’t be difficult to spot.
Imagine the drag suits they wear during swim practices.
CliffHanger on May 17, 2007 at 11:14 AM
Of course, the bikes will require special bike stands, which the Twin Cities airport and the City of London will be installing shortly.
doufree on May 17, 2007 at 11:18 AM
Shhhhhhhhhhh….women can’t drive.
Tim Burton on May 17, 2007 at 11:26 AM
Next they’ll replace the seat with a tampon and the humiliation of Muslim women will be complete.
csdeven on May 17, 2007 at 11:37 AM
Actually, it wasn’t what I thought it was. I thought it was the simple resurrection of the double lower bar to eliminate the top cross bar.
In that sense, I am glad to see they are being creative rather than recycling western conventions, even if obsolete ones, as Islamic, the way some have done with western literature. In the “shake my head at the sheer stupidity of cults” sense, well, I can only shake my head in disbelief.
But none of that means, as a product of the western capitialism, that we shouldn’t rush to market a better “mouse trap”. I suggest creating a bicycle butt helmet which would have the treble purpose of also protecting their butts if they fall off the bike and advertising space to the day-dreamers they ride by.
Dusty on May 17, 2007 at 11:37 AM
No…. we are not talking about “a transportation device that conceals your figure.” If that were the case I suppose we could incude the Space Shuttle. We are talking about bicycles.
Maxx on May 17, 2007 at 11:45 AM
its a freakin bicycle
Where did Iran learn to re-release teh same dang product under a new name?
Defector01 on May 17, 2007 at 12:01 PM
Progress indeed. What a bunch of freaks!
CP on May 17, 2007 at 12:11 PM
Makes ya wonder though, doesnt it? All this time women over there spent closed off and all that crap on. I bet they are freaks in bed working off that frustration.
lorien1973 on May 17, 2007 at 12:21 PM
Yeah, being forced into a life of second-clase citizenship, probably is a real turn on.
doufree on May 17, 2007 at 12:47 PM
Is there a holder for her water bottle filled with nostril pus?
benrand on May 17, 2007 at 11:09 AM
Heh.
BacaDog on May 17, 2007 at 12:53 PM
You better believe it! And you know who’s doing all the pedaling?!!
4shoes on May 17, 2007 at 1:14 PM
“This bike has a cabin which conceals half of the cyclist’s body,” the newspaper said. Elaheh Sofali, an architect of the project, told Iran it would encourage women’s sports in the Islamic republic.
So, it’s a two wheeled vehicle with doors? I just don’t see it. That extra weight will be a bugger, as will balance.
Looks to me like the Chador does not, I repeat, does not block the various evil rays when a woman rides a bike. I suspect that some ankle is shown whilst riding a bike. How one rides a bike in a potato sack is also beyond my grasp. Bell bottom jeans were bad enough when your chain guard was broken.
Krydor on May 17, 2007 at 1:17 PM
Three feet on the ground at all times.
(Shows how old I am.)
Attila (Pillage Idiot) on May 17, 2007 at 1:47 PM
For those that are interested…
A picture on these new sharia-friendly bicycles (known in Farsi as the “Dar lek”) can be seen here.
uptight on May 17, 2007 at 2:35 PM
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that internet nerds in Iran are the same as internet nerds in the US.
They don’t have to worry about segregating them physically in the internet cafes. They need to worry about segregating those chat rooms.
JadeNYU on May 17, 2007 at 3:10 PM
So I guess “Bicycle Built For Two” is a protest song in Iran?”
Joan Baez? Green Day? Dixie Chicks????
Oh I forgot, those people only protest in and about democratic countries.
Hening on May 17, 2007 at 3:21 PM