"Just look at these young people. They are burning up with passion. They have such a lust for life, and yet they are so inhibited. People in the Middle East are poets, writing poetry from morning to night, and what do they write poetry about? About desire. The little boy in the street does it, and so do the construction worker and the academic. They are all writing poetry about the same subject, the subject that is suppressed more than anything else." Der Spiegel has a fascinating interview with German-Turkish writer Seyran Ates, who apparently listens to Madonna and Iggy Pop (maybe she was at last year's Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony?) and whose new book, Islam Needs a Sexual Revolution, comes out in Germany this week.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
9
My lord, that woman has some stones. "Ates: We have attained a self-determined sexuality in the West that I would like to see in the rest of the world. Of course, there are always excesses: child pornography, prostitution as a flat-rate service, sexuality that happens too early and is devoid of emotion. I'm not saying that everything works perfectly in the West. I believe that we Muslims can also mirror the West, and that we can all ask ourselves what went well, what went wrong, and why."
Now, SHE should be the one writing some call-to-action titled "On Repressive Sentimentalism"
True, she's got gulliones. But I want more information about her objection to "flat-rate" prostitution. Does she favor a highly nuanced rate-card, or what?
You sir, need a trip to Amsterdam.
All the people in the Middle East are pretty much the same, did you know that? All Muslims, too. They write poetry all day long. Even- especially--the construction workers. Maybe you have a bad angle, you can only really see it from Germany.
People say some weird shit when they're promoting their books.
Yeah, I figure Dave was being sarcastic about this "fascinating" interview, like he was with that Yo Gotti video he posted last week.
Puh-leeze. Yurpeens talking about how cultured they are is the equivalent of a US late night infomerical. Their message has bullshit content, but repeated endlessly it attracts followers. I love living overseas (and uh, SOCIALIZED MEDICINE!! ok?) but hate to break it to you: the pretentious asshole gene can be traced to somewhere between Vienna and Paris. With an espresso in its hand.
Huh. You guys took away a very different read from the interview than I did. I was more interested ("fascinated," even!) by the stuff about jesus as role model vs. muhammad and the repression turning into some kind of heightened sexualization. I didn't get so much of the European cultural superiority thing. I didn't even think this was much about Germany and Europe. Other than that being where the author's Muslim family happened to live.
Iggy Pop wrote "Lust for Life" about getting off the junk; in the future, I suggest she use Circle Jerks "I Just Want Some Skank" instead. More applicable.
It's certainly good enough to be the theme for somebody's revolution somewhere.