So something horrible has happened on Zanzibar. Two British women have been splashed with acid in another acid attack on women in an Islamic country. The two were volunteer teachers (proving yet again that no good deed goes unpunished) and were walking to dinner when two men on a motorcycle performed their drive-by attack.
While what has happened to the two teachers is tragic, this statement from Zanzibar’s Minister of Tourism is hilarious, although not in a good way:
“And I beg our nationals, this is not something they should be doing. Tourism is the strongest pillar of our economy, so if we do such acts we are killing our economy, and our livelihoods in general.”
“So it is not an honourable thing to do, it’s a bad thing and it should be condemned by all citizens of Zanzibar.”
So what has happened isn’t dishonorable because it’s wrong to splash women with acid, it’s dishonorable because it might ruin the tourism industry. Perhaps this proves that the profit motive really is the best way to bring us all together as one. Zanzibar, like other regions in crisis, is torn between people who want to turn it into a paradise island for tourists, and people who want to turn it into a fundamentalist religious state. We’ll see which one wins.
08/09/2013 at 7:21 am
lol that was very funny! Hurting economy not honorable 🙂
08/09/2013 at 5:37 pm
Haha, I laughed too when I read those comments…and then I realized again just how sad what happened to those women was. It’s one of those “if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry” things.
08/10/2013 at 7:00 am
It’s like the lone voice in the room… “but isn’t this wrong towards the innocent victims, throwing acid…?” Complete silence.
08/10/2013 at 8:26 am
I get the distinct feeling that they secretly approve of a little acid attack now and then on women who “misbehave”.
08/13/2013 at 8:31 pm
I was so saddened about what happened to those two women. The leader is just downright weird. Let’s rewind the tape and ask him what he’d say if these women were his daughters or his sisters. A little more humanity within his speech is required.
08/14/2013 at 3:56 pm
Meh. Based on some of the stuff I’ve heard of happening in those fundamentalist countries, I wonder if it being his daughter or sister would make much difference 😦