[Foundation-l] [Wikimania-l] Wikimania 2008 will happen inAlexandria, Egypt

Thu Oct 11 22:30:08 UTC 2007

This year we were stopped twice in catholic churches, because my wife did
not wear the catholic Burqa on her head. The veil, that is. Both of us are
orthodox, we don't feel that a catholic church has anything to do with
religion, we were just quietly watching to pictures and the architecture. We
were also MUCH quieter than most catholics. 

Are we supposed to say that catholic countries are repressive and/or hate
women? No, they simply have areas (churches) in which you are supposed to
behave according to a code you don't understand and that you may find stupid
or funny. It happens with ALL cultures. Try and enter the Vatican in a
miniskirt, high heels and nylon stockings... it doesn't take to be LGBT to
have trouble because of your sexuality. Trouble is very democratically
offered to all and anyone.

Besides, we read lots of reports of people "looking like arabs" being
harassed by the cops in euro and US airports... why should they feel safe
(say) in NYC? I'd never fly to such places, if I had the slightest suspect
that someone may need a "monster" next week and my face fits in the picture
"in principle". What about us smokers in ridicolous countries that don't
allow rooms for smokers? Why should I pay money to be forced to hide my
cigarettes?

The whole discussion is simply ridicolous. No matter what place you choose,
some of us will be somehow harassed by the authorities. If I don't want to
be in that place, I don't go there, and that's it. But I don't request the
whole WMF not to go there, because HOLY ME wants to be happy. 

And yes, if I do go anyway I DO HIDE. I'm not going to be another person
just becuse I smoke on the terrace. I'm surely going to miss all meetings
that happen in non-smokers rooms, no matter the city you choose, but that's
MY problem, not yours.

Berto 'd Sera
Skype: berto.d.sera
Personagi dl'ann 2006 per l'arvista american-a Time (tanme tuti vojaotri)
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1569514,00.html

-----Original Message-----
From: foundation-l-bounces at lists.wikimedia.org
[mailto:foundation-l-bounces at lists.wikimedia.org] On Behalf Of Thomas Dalton
Sent: Friday, October 12, 2007 1:00 AM
To: Wikimedia Foundation Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Foundation-l] [Wikimania-l] Wikimania 2008 will happen
inAlexandria, Egypt

> No, that's not the problem.
> I'm reading "Don't take a double", and that's... how to say? Ridicolous?
> This is not a matter of wearing a t-shirt with "I'm gay" written on,
> this is a matter of people who are not permitted to sleep with their
> partner cause "could be offensive" and could give problem.
> Iperbole: when will be going to a place where women "socially" wear
> burqa, are we going to ask all the women attending to "wear the burqa
> to not seem offensive"? I don' think so.
>
> Please: read what you write.
> I'm not against Alexandria, but the more I read this thread, the more
> I'm ashamed of what I read.

I never said they would not be permitted to sleep with their partner,
I said it might be wise to avoid being to obvious about it. Sometimes
we do thing we would rather not do, just for the sake of a quiet life.
If people want to make a stand, then that's their decision, but if
people want to go to Wikimania to talk about Wikimedia projects,
rather than to preach to the natives, they may want to consider being
discrete.

As for the burqa - only the most oppressive regimes (if any) require
non-Muslims to wear the burqa, and I don't believe many Muslims would
be offended by non-Muslim women showing their faces. It is, however,
often recommended that women (and, men, for that matter), dress a
little more modestly that perhaps they would usually do when in
devoutly Muslim countries - for example, it would be inappropriate to
wander around in just a bikini and sarong.

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