scaramouche

...born with the gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad

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User: scaramouche
Irreverent, contrarian, delighted to be out of synch with the zeitgeist, I depend on my sense of humour (such as it is) to keep me sane in this wacky world.

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Wednesday, 25 November 2009

Ick!: If you find yourself in Saudi Arabia and need to find a loo in a hurry, I’d advise you to muster the intestinal fortitude to hold it in. From Arab News:
JEDDAH: Public toilets attached to mosques along the highways are anything but clean. A familiar view at these way stations is women and children holding up their clothing to prevent them from being soiled by the filth of these public toilets — one hand holds up the fabric that dangles a little too close to the ground while the other hand pinches the nose.
A lack of tissues, soap and even garbage bins adds to the mess. The doors to the stalls often have no locks. The bidet sprayers are often tossed down into disgusting puddles because the holders on the walls are missing.
Concerns have risen not only with calls for the protection of public health but also to care about toilets linked to the houses of Allah and Islam where personal cleanliness is paramount.
In this context Ali Badahdah, a well-known local Islamic scholar involved in dawa (Islamic propagation), says the condition of these rest stops reflects on the country, adding that Turkey does a better job maintaining these roadside rest stops.
But, he said, having clean rest stops for the sake of pilgrims or the reputation of the country isn’t enough.
“That is important as well, but we should not be doing this for the sake of reputations but rather because this is what Islam asks us to do and this is what civilization demands,” he said…
Minister of Rural Affairs spokesman Hamad Al-Omar told Arab News by phone that the mosques and accompanying petrol stations “are the responsibility of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and the owners of the stations.”
After faxing questions to the ministry regarding the problem of dirty roadside bathrooms, Arab News received a response in the form of a recent circular ordering that municipalities and regional departments of the ministry to take care of mosques at roadside stations. The circular also orders more inspections.
But for the time being, Hajis heading to Makkah, Madinah and the holy sites will have to pinch their noses and hold up their clothes if they need to use a roadside restroom…
So much for cleanliness being next to godliness.

Posted by: scaramouche at 12:17 | link | comments (2)


Comments:
#1  25 November 2009 - 15:43
 
I blame poverty and Islamophobia.

Josephine
Anonymous
#2  25 November 2009 - 19:10
 
You forgot the Jooooos.
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