An Iranian Cleric has blamed women's promiscuity for earthquakes. Hojatoleslam Kazem Sedighi said, "Many women who do not dress modestly lead young men astray and spread adultery in society which increases earthquakes." This is so ludicrous it is almost laughable. Almost, apart from the fact that 1.) Iran has had a number of devastating earthquakes due to its geographical location, not to mention the capital Tehran is on a fault line. 2.) people believe such things and 3.) they use this kind of rhetoric as a potent patriarchal tool. Natural disaster = opportunity to crack the whip at women who refuse to toe the line.
On a completely different note, I heard a great interview with writer Helen Simpson this morning on Radio 4 Woman's Hour. The subject of her work is the humdrum minutiae of everyday life (usually women's) which she masterfully uses to make comments on big global, social and political issues. You can hear three of her short stories from her new collection In Flight Entertainment on Radio 4 this week. The first is Squirrel.
David Mitchel writes a great piece about the woeful announcement that Cambridge University Union is offering pole dancing lessons.
Company Magazine is seeking to engage its readers with feminism. Good? Bad? I don't know. I've yet to read the piece or take the quiz for that matter...
*edit* Company Magazine withdrew the quiz because of criticism on twitter.
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