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Friday, November 9, 2012

Oman and censorship

Coming to Oman after 10 months spent in one of the muslim state of India, makes the impact of an Islamic country definitively softer. Moreover Oman is quite an open society, e.g. when it comes to women rights. Well, sometimes even a little bit too much open... I will be flamed for this, but I wouldn't let Omani women drive. At least not on public roads, at least not for the next 20 years: they are the most unsafe drivers I've ever seen! Sorry for this :-)
But coming back to the topic, beside of the muezzin's call to pray, there are some small signs reminding you where you are and what are the rules.
Today I was reading the November issue of the British magazine Outdoor Photography. I bought it at the supermarket, taking it from a shelf where dozens of other international magazines are easily available to any customer.
Looking at the photos of some African women, something seemed somehow strange...




Women breasts in the photos have been masked manually, with black fat-pen strokes.
Nothing new, actually, I know it happens. Yet it is amazing. This is an outdoor magazine and this was the one and only page with taboo contents. Let's say, an easy game. But beside of men's magazine (which are obviously prohibited), what about, say, the gossip-magazines or the others about women fitness&health, or fashion. All those magazines, normally plenty of half (or fully) naked women, they were also available on the same shelf! I guess they have been censored too (I will check next time).
This means there is someone who spends a hell of time peeping each single page of any new magazine brought on the market, daily, weekly, monthly... and blacking any obscene portion of image. 
Guys, it's a full-time job! And what if that "someone" is a Muslim man? Is he allowed to look at the pictures or shall he do the job keeping his eyes closed?  :-)

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