Today I'm angry about.....

[Prufrock]

Come on guys, to go to a conservative, mainly Muslim country and strip off??! Granted it's an excess of youthful exuberance, but it's also pretty feckin stupid. They can hardly claim they weren't aware of the response they might get or how a court in a Islamic state might deal with them.

For their next trip, might I suggest a cartoon drawing expedition to Mecca during the Haj. Best representation of Allah wins........a flogging and 12 years inside. If they're lenient.

Yes and no. If somebody goes elsewhere and doesn't respect local customs that does often make them a bit, or a lot, of a dick, but that doesn't then mean any punishment goes.

To take your cartoon drawers, you'd have to be a bell-end to do it, but they'd still also be wankers, and more-so, for putting you in prison for 12 years and flogging you.

3 months in jail for being naked on a magic mountain seems a bit much, regardless of how much your cultural sensibilities are offended, and especially when, in an attempt to trump it up, you start claiming that they caused earthquakes. That may mean I'm a cultural imperialist, but I'm OK with that, because I'm also right .

[Bijou Bob]

I don't disagree Pru, it does make you a cultural imperialist. Who are we to criticise another country over sentencing policy??!

Granted, the maximum penalty of 3 months inside seems a tad on the harsh side to our western, liberal ears. I reckon time served and deportation will be the end result. I also reckon they won't be stripping off again in a hurry anywhere else, nor for that matter, will anyone with any sense.

[bobo the clown]

What on the little green Earth made them think that was appropriate ? They did that where, maybe even because, it'd be seen as an affront to the locals. They should think themselves lucky they aren't banged up for a very long time.


A bit of respect is due to others beliefs even if you don't hold them yourself.

[Prufrock]

I don't disagree Pru, it does make you a cultural imperialist. Who are we to criticise another country over sentencing policy??!

Granted, the maximum penalty of 3 months inside seems a tad on the harsh side to our western, liberal ears. I reckon time served and deportation will be the end result. I also reckon they won't be stripping off again in a hurry anywhere else, nor for that matter, will anyone with any sense.

I'm perfectly comfortable with criticising other country's sentencing policies (as indeed I am criticising our own). I'm quite happy to call the Saudi's complete barbarians for (amongst many, many other things) their flogging of Raif Badawi for publishing a secular blog or their beheading of a mentally-ill Indonesian woman. Is this culturally insensitive of me? Because it seems like human decency to me.

I also think three months in jail for getting naked is more than "a tad harsh"! A small level fine sounds about right.

[Bijou Bob]

It's a tad harsh by our standards, not by theirs. I note that there is some considerable upset that they will 'only ' serve 3 months.

I too think the Saudi ', amongst many others, are barbaric in their application of justice. For that reason, I'd make damn sure I didn't offend anyone by doing anything stupid.

I seem to remember the Daily Heil being up in arms about the treatment of a female businesswoman who was caught with her ankles round some blokes neck on a Dubai beach early last year. No sympathy. There is a cultural context to all of this, but there is also one of observing and practising some common sense.

[Harry Genshaw]

Having climbed Mt Kinabalu I do have to take my hat off to the guys in her group for stripping off at the summit. It were bloody freezing when I was there

[Bruce Rioja]

Winter Hill's currently on fire (again). Has anyone seen any smoke-soiled naked Malaysians anywhere around Belmont?

[TANGODANCER]

"A MAN has been arrested after allegedly committing an obscene act in a Bolton clothes store.
Police arrested a 27-year-old man on suspicion of outraging public decency after being called to TK Maxx in Trinity Street at 11.40am today.
Security staff called police after seeing a shopper allegedly performing a sex act in the store.
The Bolton News understands 10 T-shirts were damaged in the incident".

[Montreal Wanderer]

"A MAN has been arrested after allegedly committing an obscene act in a Bolton clothes store.
Police arrested a 27-year-old man on suspicion of outraging public decency after being called to TK Maxx in Trinity Street at 11.40am today.
Security staff called police after seeing a shopper allegedly performing a sex act in the store.
The Bolton News understands 10 T-shirts were damaged in the incident".

Ten T-shirts??!! Holy cow!

[Montreal Wanderer]

I don't disagree Pru, it does make you a cultural imperialist. Who are we to criticise another country over sentencing policy??!

Granted, the maximum penalty of 3 months inside seems a tad on the harsh side to our western, liberal ears. I reckon time served and deportation will be the end result. I also reckon they won't be stripping off again in a hurry anywhere else, nor for that matter, will anyone with any sense.

I'm perfectly comfortable with criticising other country's sentencing policies (as indeed I am criticising our own). I'm quite happy to call the Saudi's complete barbarians for (amongst many, many other things) their flogging of Raif Badawi for publishing a secular blog or their beheading of a mentally-ill Indonesian woman. Is this culturally insensitive of me? Because it seems like human decency to me.

I also think three months in jail for getting naked is more than "a tad harsh"! A small level fine sounds about right.

I'm with you here, Pru. If we can't object to sentencing policies which are barbaric by any moral standards, then we acquiesce in that situation. There are many appalling regimes in this world that use judicial systems to control the populace rather than protect them. We have to criticize and maintain pressure to change, especially in countries where the death penalty is prevalent (including the US).

[Bruce Rioja]

I don't disagree Pru, it does make you a cultural imperialist. Who are we to criticise another country over sentencing policy??!

Granted, the maximum penalty of 3 months inside seems a tad on the harsh side to our western, liberal ears. I reckon time served and deportation will be the end result. I also reckon they won't be stripping off again in a hurry anywhere else, nor for that matter, will anyone with any sense.

I'm perfectly comfortable with criticising other country's sentencing policies (as indeed I am criticising our own). I'm quite happy to call the Saudi's complete barbarians for (amongst many, many other things) their flogging of Raif Badawi for publishing a secular blog or their beheading of a mentally-ill Indonesian woman. Is this culturally insensitive of me? Because it seems like human decency to me.

I also think three months in jail for getting naked is more than "a tad harsh"! A small level fine sounds about right.

I'm with you here, Pru. If we can't object to sentencing policies which are barbaric by any moral standards, then we acquiesce in that situation.

I hear that. However, when in Rome! You can't just do whatever the feck you feel because you disagree with sentencing policies, however draconian or ridiculous they may appear to you or I. Complain about them, sit in the street and bawl your eyes out, but they need to be respected. Prufrock - you don't get to travel all that much, do you?

[Bruce Rioja]

"A MAN has been arrested after allegedly committing an obscene act in a Bolton clothes store.
Police arrested a 27-year-old man on suspicion of outraging public decency after being called to TK Maxx in Trinity Street at 11.40am today.
Security staff called police after seeing a shopper allegedly performing a sex act in the store.
The Bolton News understands 10 T-shirts were damaged in the incident".

Blimey. I only need a sock.

[Burnden Paddock]

Having climbed Mt Kinabalu I do have to take my hat off to the guys in her group for stripping off at the summit. It were bloody freezing when I was there

That's your excuse and you're sticking to it!!

[bobo the clown]

"A MAN has been arrested after allegedly committing an obscene act in a Bolton clothes store.
Police arrested a 27-year-old man on suspicion of outraging public decency after being called to TK Maxx in Trinity Street at 11.40am today.
Security staff called police after seeing a shopper allegedly performing a sex act in the store.
The Bolton News understands 10 T-shirts were damaged in the incident".

Ten T-shirts??!! Holy cow!

Bravo !!

[Prufrock]

I don't disagree Pru, it does make you a cultural imperialist. Who are we to criticise another country over sentencing policy??!

Granted, the maximum penalty of 3 months inside seems a tad on the harsh side to our western, liberal ears. I reckon time served and deportation will be the end result. I also reckon they won't be stripping off again in a hurry anywhere else, nor for that matter, will anyone with any sense.

I'm perfectly comfortable with criticising other country's sentencing policies (as indeed I am criticising our own). I'm quite happy to call the Saudi's complete barbarians for (amongst many, many other things) their flogging of Raif Badawi for publishing a secular blog or their beheading of a mentally-ill Indonesian woman. Is this culturally insensitive of me? Because it seems like human decency to me.

I also think three months in jail for getting naked is more than "a tad harsh"! A small level fine sounds about right.

I'm with you here, Pru. If we can't object to sentencing policies which are barbaric by any moral standards, then we acquiesce in that situation. There are many appalling regimes in this world that use judicial systems to control the populace rather than protect them. We have to criticize and maintain pressure to change, especially in countries where the death penalty is prevalent (including the US).

Indeed, we need a few more Margot Wallstroms.

[Prufrock]

I don't disagree Pru, it does make you a cultural imperialist. Who are we to criticise another country over sentencing policy??!

Granted, the maximum penalty of 3 months inside seems a tad on the harsh side to our western, liberal ears. I reckon time served and deportation will be the end result. I also reckon they won't be stripping off again in a hurry anywhere else, nor for that matter, will anyone with any sense.

I'm perfectly comfortable with criticising other country's sentencing policies (as indeed I am criticising our own). I'm quite happy to call the Saudi's complete barbarians for (amongst many, many other things) their flogging of Raif Badawi for publishing a secular blog or their beheading of a mentally-ill Indonesian woman. Is this culturally insensitive of me? Because it seems like human decency to me.

I also think three months in jail for getting naked is more than "a tad harsh"! A small level fine sounds about right.

I'm with you here, Pru. If we can't object to sentencing policies which are barbaric by any moral standards, then we acquiesce in that situation.

I hear that. However, when in Rome! You can't just do whatever the feck you feel because you disagree with sentencing policies, however draconian or ridiculous they may appear to you or I. Complain about them, sit in the street and bawl your eyes out, but they need to be respected. Prufrock - you don't get to travel all that much, do you?

I don't think anyone has argued they should be able to do whatever they want, have they?

-On the one hand you have some kids who seem to have knowingly broken a law for the sake of it. That makes them idiots. They also perhaps (if they knew the mountain was "sacred") have deliberately mocked the religious sensibilities of the locals. IMO no matter how ridiculous the belief, to do for no reason also makes them somewhat dickish.

-On the other hand you have a judicial system that wants to put idiots in prison, actual prison, for three months for getting naked on a mountain, and not only that, but to do so on the basis that they caused an earthquake. That's f*cking mental!

Both of those statements are true -you don't need to only pick one or the other - but the second one is for more interesting and worth talking about! Pointing out that law is mental doesn't mean I'm not accepting the students were dumb for breaking it, but still, they reckon naked people on a magic mountain caused an earthquake!

[Harry Genshaw]

Having climbed Mt Kinabalu I do have to take my hat off to the guys in her group for stripping off at the summit. It were bloody freezing when I was there

That's your excuse and you're sticking to it!!

[Montreal Wanderer]

I don't disagree Pru, it does make you a cultural imperialist. Who are we to criticise another country over sentencing policy??!

Granted, the maximum penalty of 3 months inside seems a tad on the harsh side to our western, liberal ears. I reckon time served and deportation will be the end result. I also reckon they won't be stripping off again in a hurry anywhere else, nor for that matter, will anyone with any sense.

I'm perfectly comfortable with criticising other country's sentencing policies (as indeed I am criticising our own). I'm quite happy to call the Saudi's complete barbarians for (amongst many, many other things) their flogging of Raif Badawi for publishing a secular blog or their beheading of a mentally-ill Indonesian woman. Is this culturally insensitive of me? Because it seems like human decency to me.

I also think three months in jail for getting naked is more than "a tad harsh"! A small level fine sounds about right.

I'm with you here, Pru. If we can't object to sentencing policies which are barbaric by any moral standards, then we acquiesce in that situation.

I hear that. However, when in Rome! You can't just do whatever the feck you feel because you disagree with sentencing policies, however draconian or ridiculous they may appear to you or I. Complain about them, sit in the street and bawl your eyes out, but they need to be respected. Prufrock - you don't get to travel all that much, do you?

I'm not defending juvenile hi-jinks and believe local customs should be respected. However, legal systems that require decapitation or stoning for adultery should be criticized even though I would not got to a country under sharia law and commit adultery to test or protest the system. In the synagogue I wear a kippah even though it makes me look like a dork, while in Catholic churches I don't make remarks about Prufrock's invisible friend. While I don't accept any of the tenets of these institutions as a 'guest' I try to show some respect to the natives.

[Montreal Wanderer]

Having climbed Mt Kinabalu I do have to take my hat off to the guys in her group for stripping off at the summit. It were bloody freezing when I was there

That's your excuse and you're sticking to it!!

When you climbed it, did you know it was sacred? I know there are legends surrounding it but in my quick reading I could not see it was considered sacred to any group. Knowingly desecrating some sacred area would be sacrilege but one might be unaware of its sanctity.

[Dujon]

Why has Islam been brought into the discussion? To the best of my knowledge Malaysia is a democratic constitutional monarchy and has been for decades - although it's true that Islam is the 'official religion'. Then again Christianity is the 'official religion' of Australia but the 'true believer' is becoming a rare species these days.