This poster was designed for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. It says in Italian, “Only four percent of women who suffer sexual violence report their assailants.“
Politicians in Milan refuse to allow it to be displayed. Not because of the nudity–that is less of a problem in Italy. The politicians think it is blasphemous because of the Christ-like pose and because the poster asks, “Who Pays For Man’s Sins?”. Do you think it is blasphemous?
In Iran, a politician is facing religious trouble. Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie hosted “a ceremony where women in traditional dress carried in the Koran, Islam’s holy book, to music. Media described the ceremony as a ‘dance.'” Other politicians say that the dance violated the sanctity of the Koran and that Mashaie should resign for offending Muslims.
Did you have the same reaction to both stories? Even though they are remarkably similar, I think most people have very different reactions.
I have two points here: First, in both incidents, the actions of women were offensive to religious conservatives. (The Italian politicians were not upset by the rape of women–they were upset by the pose of the woman on the poster.) We should speak out against the demonization of women. Second, societies tend to tolerate religious extremism at home while condemning religious extremism abroad. Oppression and hate and not acceptable simply because the speaker claims to be acting in the name of god.
You know, i think it’s risque, but in the anti-rape context, i don’t find the poster blasphemous, and i am myself a Christian. I believe people (including women) are made in God’s image and when someone is harmed, I think it hurts God in a way. And part of my response comes out of the fact that rape is one of the things that infuriates me most. And it is one thing for which there are no excusable circumstances. As much as i value human life, i understand that sometimes killing is the lesser evil, like in defense of life. And i understand that killing happens by accident, too, sometimes, but there is no such thing as accidental or excusable rape.
I’m not surprised some people are offended, but to me the poster makes us look at our fellow humans in a way that requires respect. And since Jesus Christ had so much more respect for women than any man was expected to in his day, i don’t think it’s entirely out of step even with Christ’s life and ministry. And the devastation that takes place in a rape victim’s life tells us that, yes, when we harm others, they are paying for our sin’s, in a sense. (though not the atoning way that Christ’s death did.)
a shocking picture, yes, but rape is even more shocking.
It’s sexy, if that’s what they were shooting for.