Sex – Moslems know better
Editor Sir:
Colin bh has been forgiven. I will not need forgiveness, for I shall not offend while I more fully explore the issue of rape and modesty in dress for women.
Allow me to state right off that the sexual act between a man and a woman is one of the beautiful human acts, if it is the gift of oneself to another. It is so exalted an expression of love and freedom that very often the Creator signifies His blessing by the creation of a new person. For any act to be one proceeding from love, it must be completely free. Therefore consensuality is of its essence.
Even if you are in bed with your wife and she says “Stop it!”, your efforts should cease then and there. To continue is to invite a charge of “RAPE”. This is a very tough saying, but to climb to the summit of civilized behavior, we must strive to reach greater respect for the “NO.” Nakedness, total or partial, does not itself constitute an invitation: it may be to attract, which may be mere flirtation.
But, it is fraught with the dangers of misunderstanding, for the fire of lust, once lit, may become a raging fire to consume until the whole forest is engulfed.
No wonder the wisest men of Western Civilization have always proposed modesty of dress, especially for women.
Our Moslem brethren pay careful attention to modesty, and women are enjoined not to flaunt their sexual attractiveness, by veiling even their faces. Is this why rape is a rarity in Islamic countries?
Perhaps the penalty for violators is so severe that one who commits rape is deemed to be so uncivilized that death is what he deserves. Honor killing, whereby a father or brother may kill a rapist with impunity, may be regarded by us as extreme, but it is effective as a sanction. Our penalty of a mere prison sentence is a ticket to free boarding and lodging for a few years.
Perhaps, again, our problem is that we keep on trivializing sex. To us in the West, sex is for pleasure mainly and mostly, and we use “‘sexiness” to sell, to get, to advance, to recreate, to amuse, etc.; and giving condoms to kids makes sexual expression okay for everybody at all times.
Yes, Sir Editor, we need to rethink what our sexuality really means.
(Signed) Paul Rodriguez