Basra

So I was watching this afternoon's news on the BBC and they had this piece on how – according to a a new opinion poll - over 85% of Basra residents believe UK troops have had a negative effect on the Iraqi province since the 2003 invasion. Part of the report ( watch it here ) showed how there were dire warnings painted on street walls put there by the Militia – threatening women with death if they aren't following the strict dress codes. (As far as I can gather the Koran only actually urges that women should 'dress modestly' and which other Mullahs and clerics have since interpreted as meaning that women should cover themselves from head to toe.) It's no idle threat either – as something like 40 women have been murdered in the streets in the past few months. Consequently many women there are living in fear – well, wouldn't you be if you knew that you could just be randomly shot dead by some sniper who'd taken a dislike to the way you were dressed. Think of a sort of psychotic Trinny and Susannah welding sniper rifles. The fact that killing someone in cold blood is a far bigger sin than violating dress codes in Islamic law is something conveniently forgotten/overlooked/ignored by the Militia. Odd that huh?

All this reminded me of that news piece earlier this year when there was that 24 year old teaching assistant who made such a big ridiculous fuss over insisting on to be allowed to wear her veil to work. I wonder if she's watching all this on the news and thinking "Wow, this is great. I want to live there. That's the place for me."

Because we should set up some sort of exchange program we really should.