Taliban * Rosa Parks conclusion

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On the one hand, they seem to have the bus. Everyone complied to the modesty police's rule and the women went to the back of the bus. It was "their bus" so I thought maybe I should comply to the house rules?

At the same time, it was the house rules during the Rosa Parks incident, and she helped to change things. Just because it was 'house rules' didn't make it right. This was not Torah, it was certainly not halachah (Jewish law) and it sure wasn't a mitzvah (religious duty). Plus, how could I explain to my mother in law, professor of physics, that because she's a woman, she needs to sit in the back of the bus?? Plus what lesson would my daughters learn from this? Plus what if Rosa Parks haunts me forever??!!

While I debated all these things in my mind, my MiL said decidedly, "I'm not moving!"

I decided to stand too. I wasn't moving. The modesty police, the bully, came to my face and started yelling, "Are you a Jew or a goy?(non-Jew)!" blah blah blah. On and on he went. These people are known to use violence on the women on the bus and so I braced myself. The baby in my arm woke up from all the yelling. The girls -who were sitting with my MiL were getting agitated. I told them to stay calm. All the while the bully is yelling left and right. "Yes! I am the Taliban! move to the back of the bus!"

This guy managed to stop the bus and threatened that it would not budge until we get to the back. Still we refused. Then he got nasty (nastier) with his words and a brawl almost ensued between him and Mr BFWF. Oh man!

The timid driver would drive a bit until the bully stopped him. It was off and on with the driving.

Soon even the people who had gone to the back of the bus came to us to encourage us to comply to the bully. They were part of the problem! No one was willing to stand up to this guy and his bullying. (Honestly, if my husband and MiL and kids were not there, I wonder also if I would have the courage to stand up. Thank goodness, the situation was the way it was.)

The bully had goons and those goons offered me money to get to the back of the bus. still I refused. "Why are you looking at me so much if your trying to protect your eyes?" I asked. That brought on a fresh can of yellings.

In the end, we called a cab and waited til the cab arrived, then got off that bus.

I never want to experience that again. But it pains me the amount of power one bully has just by instilling fear in others. It pains me even more for all those who must -MUST- defy this -and not let bullies hijack good things- but don't.

I wish you all (and myself) much strength and courage!

Quick Post: Taliban *Rosa Parks

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Shalom everyone!

I hope you are all doing well.

A little bit ago, I posted a few posts concerning Islam, Muslims and terrorism around the world. Then got called an islamophobe! An intimidation tactic meant to stop the critical thinking on this topic.

But this topic hits too close to home for me to not bring up. Not to mention that in the Jewish world I have my own modesty police, etc. to deal with. As a matter of fact I had to deal with just that a few days ago....

I, Mr Blackfirewhitefire, my mother in law and the kids, all went on the bus to head to a hotel for some fun time together. Everything went well: we got all our luggage in the bus, quickly found nice seats near the bus driver, everyone was cordial; in short a nice trip. Until about the 5th stop when the modesty police came on.

"All the women go sit in the back of the bus!!!" Shouted the self ordained nodesty police.

I groaned.

Had I known this was one of those buses that was "designated" to be a mehadrin bus -the bus where the supposedly very pious take and, in order to protect their eye from scantily cladded women (correction added: all women), request that all women sit in the back of the bus-- I would NOT have gone in. But we were already in and I had to decide if I want to comply and move to the back of the bus, or fight the Taliban.

The memory of the story of Rosa Parks kept flashing in my mind.

To be continued...