Re: [Marxism] Has Ahmadinejad ever read Kinsey?

[Gopal Kappiarath <gopalkster@xxxxxxxxx>]

For all his tirade against absolutism ( plea for "scientific"  
thinking) and the need  to keep investigating/searching for truth,  
that was
quite  an 'absolutist' statement.

I don't know how he would know about the sexual preferences/choices/ 
inclinations of the people in his country.

To make a cross-country comparison, homosexuality is hardly  
acknowledged by the state in India,
though arts/movies/culture have talked about it.

For the government (in India), just like Ahmadinejad's comment, it  
doesn't exist.

Sexuality is understood through traditional roles like wife/husband/ 
marriage. Outside of marriage, it is understood as adultery/ 
prostitution.

'significant other', 'partner', single, 'live -in', these terms are   
rarely in discourse.  And needless to say 'gay' is seen as pejorative.

If people cannot come out of the closet, there is a problem.  
Ahmadinejad talks about oppression, but
he doesn't understand the oppression imposed by the dominant notions  
of femininity/masculinity in traditional cultures.

The 'freedom of speech' man stumbles when asked to talk about sex/ 
sexuality. He avoid it/denies it.

I'm not surprised, men of science/reason/religion do tend to avoid  
these subjects.

Important gaffe, and it tells volumes...


Gopal






On Sep 25, 2007, at 1:33 AM, Louis Proyect wrote:

> Pressed by Dean Coatsworth on the original question about the  
> rights of
> gay men and lesbians in Iran, Mr. Ahmadinejad said: “In Iran, we don’t
> have homosexuals like in your country. We don’t have that in our  
> country.”
>
> The audience booed and hissed loudly. Some laughed, uncomfortably.
>
> “In Iran, we do not have this phenomenon,” Mr. Ahmadinejad continued,
> undeterred. “I do not know who has told you that we have it. But as  
> for
> women, maybe you think that maybe being a woman is a crime. It’s not a
> crime to be a woman. Women are the best creatures created by God. They
> represent the kindness, the beauty that God instills in them. Women  
> are
> respected in Iran.”
>
> full:
> http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/09/24/protests-at-columbia- 
> over-iran-leaders-speech/index.html?hp
>
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