Iranian cleric blames women's promiscuity and revealing clothing for earthquakes

[BurtWorm]

But this is a sincere religious belief, isn't it? So it must not be mocked or criticized. Right?


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/apr/19/women-blame-earthquakes-iran-cleric



Cleric blames women for earthquakes


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." Seismologists have warned for at least two decades that it is likely the sprawling capital will be struck by a catastrophic quake in the near future. Some experts have even suggested Iran should move its capital to a less seismically active location. Tehran straddles scores of fault lines, including one more than 50 miles long, though it has not suffered a major quake since 1830.

...

Ahmadinejad made his quake prediction two weeks ago but said he could not give an exact date. He acknowledged that he could not order all of Tehran's 12m people to evacuate. "But provisions have to be made ... at least 5 million should leave Tehran so it is less crowded," the president said.

The welfare minister, Sadeq Mahsooli, said prayers and pleas for forgiveness were the best "formulae to repel earthquakes. We cannot invent a system that prevents earthquakes, but God has created this system and that is to avoid sins, to pray, to seek forgiveness, pay alms and self-sacrifice," Mahsooli said.

[UndertheOcean]

1. WTF !!!

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. Stupid

[LiberalLoner]

3. Well, I have been wearing rather low cut tops with my push-up bra lately. Guess I'd better stop n/t

[Gman]

9. Hmmmm.... OK!

[veganlush]

11. any pics? ..lol..n/t

[rrneck]

16. Keep wearing 'em. We'll deal with the earthquakes. nt

[LiberalLoner]

18. God, I love men. If I don't get to have lots of sex in heaven, I ain't going. n/t

[Cassandra]

20. Maybe if you just tighten the straps?

Seismic activity can come from anywhere. ;-)

[LiberalLoner]

22. LOL! The support comes more from the band than the straps, actually.....n/t

[Cassandra]

23. So I've heard...

but does that include the side to side tremors?

[darkstar3]

26. Now THAT'S a butterfly effect I can get behind!

:thumbsup:

[napi21]

4. I guess we all have our religious extremists. I'm surprised we haven't heard from

our sages yet!

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

5. Makes sense to me...

:crazy:

[Zoeisright]

6. Wow. Pat Robertson is the same as an Islamic cleric!

Hopefully, that knowledge will affect his cold heart in some adverse way.

[louis-t]

7. Wow, Christian Ayatollahs say the gays caused Katrina!

:eyes:

[Gman]

8. Teabagging fundies are everywhere

[BunkerHill24]

10. This guy and Pat Robertson should get together for Armageddon consultation..n/t

[Laf.La.Dem.]

12. "lead young men astray"

Those bad bad bad women:evilgrin:

[veganlush]

13. the solution is simple:

..establish a scantily-clad chick town somewhere outside of Tehran and see how many people relocate there.

[Birthmark]

14. Bring on the earthquakes!!

[RaleighNCDUer]

15. Dude needs to lay off the 700 Club. nt

[Turbineguy]

17. These boys should stop

listening to Pat Robertson.

I mean look what happens to people over here.

[charlie]

19. Cleric scapegoats the group least likely to show up in a mob and kneecap him.

Per usual. Brave, brave little imam.

[Renegades of Funk]

21. Officially worse than

Lil' Bill O'Reilly

[cynatnite]

24. If that's so, then Las Vegas should be a hole. n/t

[Ready4Change]

25. Theory to be tested April 26th via facebook

http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=116336578385346

On April 26th, countless selfless women will put this theory to a test by wearing cleavage revealing clothing.

Science!