Mere Rhetoric: Hey Gals, Check This Out - Enlightenment Breaks Out With Sexy Burkas, Theologically Correct Wife Beatings, and Books!

Enlightenment is dawning across the Muslim world, as women everywhere sway religious leaders, shake off dogmatism, and embrace reading.

A hat tip to Ms. Yourish for giving us the heads up on this, but it now looks like women were actually allowed to talk about books at this year's Riyadh book fair. Except that some stodgy old conservatives had some problems with this quantum leap in equality:

For the first time last year, women writers were allowed to attend book-signing ceremonies. Poet Fawziya Abu Khaled and writer Alaa Al-Hathloul were the first Saudi women to receive that privilege, but some men identifying themselves as members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice shouted down the women with invectives. They were accused of being immoral for not covering their faces, even though they were modestly dressed, wearing hijab, and signing books for an audience of female fans. There were several other similar incidences at the fair.

And we know that just about everyone has made fun of this, but it's just too stupid for us not to link to it too:

In Australia, the beach is part of life. But Muslim women had to trudge through the sand in full-length dresses and robes. But designer Aheda Zanetti said she believes her "Burkini" design will help Muslim women integrate further into Australian society. A burka is a full-length garment worn by some Muslim women. She also said it's also for anyone who wants to show some modesty while on the beach or protect themselves from the rays of the sun. The Burkini is made from ultraviolet- and water-protected polyester. Unlike the bikini, it covers the whole body except for the feet, hands and face, allowing Muslim women to swim in public.

That means that the AFP was - oh, what's the word - "fibbing" when they described this modest step towards not pathologically hating the female body as "he world's first two-piece Islamic swimsuit". Because it's, you know, not really a two-piece. But hey, a lightweight burka for the beach - it's only several billion steps removed from being able to look at a woman's hair without experiencing visceral disgust.

With progress like this, it's obvious that suffrage is right around the corner. Just as soon as the legal regulated for disobeying husbands stop. Which won't happen for several more centuries, but after that it's a clear road and a cloudless sky to voting the bums out. In the meantime, who can disagree with Muslim scholars who take public stands against excessive wife-beating: avoid the genitals and make sure no kids are around. Indeed, Saudi Arabia's Susan B. Anthony will be emerging from college any day now. Except for that whole no education for girls thing.

Previously: Hey Gals, Check This Out - Saudi Arabia Discovers Women Need To Eat Food, Hey Gals, Check This Out - Father Savagely Beats His Teenage Daughter For Liking Boys, Hey Gals, Check This Out - Joyful Israeli Girls A Stark Contrast To Girls In Arab And Muslim World