A direct continuation of; https://watchitdie.blogspot.com/2021/01/eurovision-2018-asie-israelpalestine.html
As I said Hatari's main motif was; "BDSM Sex Party."
So their live performances not only contained a lot of nudity. But a lot of sexualised nudity.
Well, strictly speaking. It featured a lot of flesh coloured body-stockings. Which gave the illusion of sexualised nudity.
2015 saw Europe engulfed in the start of the Migrant Crisis. So the 2016 Song Contest was dominated by a single topic. How to absorb and assimilate a large number of Muslim immigrants.
Due to the nature of the discussion this focused heavily on Muslim modesty standards. Particularly those expected of women. Something which is easy to provide a visual metaphor for. Through on-stage costumes.
With that fresh in everyone's memories I think there would have been a lot of concern. Over how Hatari's performance would be recieved by Israel's large Muslim population. Whether they identify as Israeli Arabs or Palestinians.
I think people would be less concerned with how Hatari's performance would be recieved by large sections of Israel's Jewish population. That's because few people seem to realise that Judaism also has strict modesty standards.
As within Islam. Judaism has a sort of sliding scale of modesty standards.
At one extreme they have the Haredi. They believe that when out in public women must be covered from head-to-toe in a sheet. A Burqa in all but name. Mixing of unmarried men and women outside of the immediate family is strictly forbidden.
Then you have the Ultra-Orthodox. They believe that when out in public both men and women may wear conventional dress. Yet they are only allowed to show the skin on their hands and faces.
The Ultra-Orthodox believe both genders must cover their hair with a hat or headscarf. Although, curiously, in some interpretations women are allowed to cover their hair with a wig. Which is identical to their hair.
Again the mixing of unmarried men and women outside of their immediate families is strictly forbidden. As with the Haredi even whilst having sex a married couple must keep a sheet between them.
You then have the Orthodox. They believe that men and women can dress conventionally. However they must do so modestly. Which for women generally means no exposed shoulders, arms or legs. They do not forbid but strongly discourage the mixing of unmarried men and women.
A good example of Orthodox Jewish modesty standards is the; "Amy Farrah-Fowler" character from the US TV show; "The Big Bang Theory." Mayim Bialik who plays the character is Orthodox Jewish. Bordering on the rabidly Zionist Ultra-Orthodox.
Mayim Bialik first became famous as a child in the TV show; "Blossom." Which ran from 1991 to 1995. She then disappeared from our screens before returning in The Big Bang Theory in 2010.
Part of the reason is that she went off to become an actual doctor of neuroscience. However it is also because she felt the costumes of characters she was being offered would not allow her to maintain the modesty standards of her Jewish faith.
The costumes worn by the Amy Farrah-Fowler character were specifically designed to accomodate those modesty standards.
Chuck Lorre, the Executive Producer of The Big Bang Theory is Jewish but not Orthodox. As are many of the writers for the show.
So many of the jokes spoken by other characters. About Amy Farrah-Fowler's fashion sense. They definitely have an edge to them.
I appreciate that trying to directly compare two different religions. Particularly in an area when those two religions have a long history of conflict. Could border on the massively offensive.
However I think people will just about let me get away with saying;
You can think of Haredi Jews as like the Muslim Taliban. When it comes to modesty standards.
Ultra-Orthodox Jews are similar to the Muslim modesty standards you find in Gulf Arab states. Where women are expected to wear the Niqab, Abiyah combination.
Orthodox Jews are similar to the Muslim modesty standards in many western nations. Where women are only expected to wear the Hijab along with conventional clothes which don't expose too much flesh.
You then have really every other Jew. Who don't let their religion influence their style of dress in any way. They are similar to Sufi Muslims who, for example, do not require women to wear any sort of hair covering.
That comparison raises quite complex questions. About how, as westerners, we think of what is a typical Jew. Compared with how we think of what is a typical Muslim.
If you ask most people what a Muslim looks like. Most will probably start describing a woman in a Hijab.
However if you ask most people what a Jew looks like. They're unlikely to be able to give you an answer.
They certainly wouldn't start describing an Orthodox woman and all the jokes about Mayiam Bialik's costumes.
Of course there are some negative sterotypes of men in big hats with hook noses. However outside of blatant anti-Semitism I don't think people associate Judaism with clothing in any way.
I actually shared a house with a British Jewish guy for about a year. As often happens with houseshares this involved me meeting various members of his family. Parents, siblings, cousins etc.
In all that time I don't remember Jewish clothing coming up in conversation even once. Not even something like;
"Ugh. My mother wants me to go to Temple and I can't find my Yarmulke anywhere!"
This was the complex question of extremism and integration that Hatari were attempting to pose. Through all their sexualised nudity.
Why is it that when we think of the 'Normal Muslim' we immediately think of what is actually quite an extreme interpretation of Islam?
Yet when we think of the 'Normal Jew' we don't immediately think of a similarly extreme intepretation of Judaism?
One event that really highlighted this for me was the January 2015 March For Unity in Paris, France. Which immediately followed the Charlie Hebdo attacks.
Here the British Sky News anchor Kay Burley made something of a name for herself. By interviewing a dog. Claiming that; "You could see the sadness in his eyes."
That wasn't even the worst interview Kay Burley gave that day.
Later on she pulled a brown skinned French woman from the crowd. Asking her; "Are you a Muslim?"
To which the woman replied; "Yes. I'm a Sufi."
Somewhat shocked Kay Burley then asked; "But you're not wearing a headscarf."
At which point the woman shot her a look. Which wherever you are in the World, whatever language you speak. You instantly know means;
"Do your own research, hag!"
It turns out the Muslim world is actually made up of around 1.7bn individuals. Not just your one Muslim friend.
So I know, from experience. This debate over what is the; 'Normal Muslim' is one that rages consantly. Not just within nations but within families and friendship groups.
For example. As it emerged from the Ottoman Empire Turkey granted women the right to vote in 1934. Literally the first thing these Muslim women voted for was to the ban the Hijab.
The question Iceland seemed to be posing was;
Whether in our naivety are we worsening radicalisation and undermining our security?
By accepting rather than challenging what are often actually extreme forms of Islam?
The large, global example of this would be the conflict in Syria.
There the former Biden regime in the US pointed at the likes of the Islamic State of the Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
Along with the Al Qaeda group the Turkistan Islamist Party (TiP) and the Al Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra/Al-Nusra Front. Declaring them to be;
"The legitimate aspirations of the Syrian (Muslim) People!"
At which point almost the entire rest of the Muslim world turned round and went;
"Er, no. They're crazy."
Likewise how if you ask a Jew to explain the Haredi. It almost always begins in the same way;
*long sigh* "Basically they're nuts."
I notice that France has now begun to formally address these issues. Through the draft laws introduced in response to the Islamist terror attack which killed teacher Samuel Paty.
Unfortunately all this happened in France. While I reside in Britain. In the final stages of the Brexit negotiations. Which did have an air of Britain v France about them.
So I think I might need something of a refresher on all that.
However the tone I've heard is of President Macron declaring war on the extremists.
It is almost impossible to achieve cohesion and cooperation through aggression. Which, almost inevitably, only leads to more aggression.
So I would be thinking more in terms of empowering moderates. Rather than trying to tear down extremists.
Such as if you're seeking a Muslim perspective on something. Don't just grab the first woman in Hijab who comes along.
Iceland were also taking a bit of a swipe at the Song Contest's large gay, male fanbase.
The Song Contest has a long and proud history. Of being something of a beacon for gay-rights on a continent which hasn't always been so tolerant.
Unfortunately, in recent years, this has led to the Song Contest being seen only as a gay event.
Which can get quite frustrating. Whenever you try to discuss literally any other topic.
As with the Spandau Ballet song; "Musclebound." If you've looked at Iceland's entry and seen only a celebration of Gay BDSM sex.
Well, then you've clearly missed out on a lot of life.
16:00 on 18/1/21 (UK date).
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