From ABC News:
To test an Iranian cleric's claim that immodestly dressed women are responsible for earthquakes, tens of thousands of women around the country plan to show off an extra bit of skin today.It all started a week ago, when Purdue University senior Jennifer McCreight, 22, wrote a blog post about some "supernatural thinking" put forward by Hojatoleslam Kazem Sedighi, an Iranian prayer leader.
"Many women who do not dress modestly … lead young men astray, corrupt their chastity and spread adultery in society, which [consequently] increases earthquakes," he was quoted as saying during Friday prayers in Tehran.
Put off by the cleric's comment, the genetics major turned to her blog and declared that it was "Time for a Boobquake."
"On Monday, April 26th, I will wear my most cleavage-showing shirt," she wrote. "I encourage other female skeptics to join me and embrace the supposed supernatural power of their breasts. … With the power of our scandalous bodies combined, we should surely produce an earthquake."
Her boob-baring comments quickly took the Internet by storm.
Boobquake Facebook Page Attracts Tens of Thousands of Women
By the end of the week, more than 100,000 women had pledged their support on the event's Facebook page and the hashtag #boobquake was a trending term on Twitter.
"It was just one of those things that popped in my head," she said. "I never thought there'd be that much attention."
McCreight said that although "Boobquake" was intended was a joke, sometimes humorous responses to "hateful" comments can be valuable.
"When someone makes a statement that you can scientifically test, that immodest clothing causes earthquakes, then we should go ahead and test it," she said. "It's sort of tongue-in-cheek, but I think that light-hearted mockery is sometimes the best way to deal with things like this."
While most responses have been positive, she said that some people have criticized the event for "objectifying" women. But she said she's only asking women to wear clothing they already have in their closets on the same day.
Women of All Ages Pledge Solidarity to 'Boobquake' Cause
"I'm not forcing anyone to go outside their comfort zone," she said. "Just wear something that you consider immodest and that's up to the person." Although Lafayette, Indiana, where Purdue is located, will be the "epicenter" of the event, McCreight said, women all over the world have sent her messages of solidarity.
On the "Boobquake" Facebook page, women from Canada, the United Kingdom and South Africa have pledged support. And McCreight has even received e-mails from Iranian women cheering her on.
n the United States, women of all ages have seized on the opportunity to celebrate femininity.
"I feel women have been forced to "hide" our breasts and we live with them everyday, so why hide them?" 50-year-old Diana Riley Gasior told ABCNews.com. "I'm proud to be part of this fun day to celebrate women."
Kaila Cummins, 20, said she plans to go "pin up" with her outfit to challenge Sedighi's statement.
"Throughout history, women have had to deal with ignorant ideals conceived by men," she said. "I am proud to be a part of this movement to stand up and show that Sedighi's teachings are ludicrous."
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3 comments. Leave a comment below.:
people have forget Allah (God) and main purpose of life.... women have become leaders of men and men have become their servants...
There are more healthy ways to improve your self-esteem than showing cleavage. Women should strive to feel good about themselves for who they are, as opposed to how much attention they can get by showing cleavage. If a married woman shows cleavage to other men, her husband should get to have sex with other women. The Muslims combat this by having a rule where women don't show their cleavage. Rather than poking fun at the Muslims, maybe folks should try and ponder a better solution to the "women are attention whores" issue.
Let's tackle your comment:
"There are more healthy ways to improve your self-esteem than showing cleavage."
We personally agree and feel many Western women do, too. However, there are plenty of women with low self-esteems who hide behind layers of clothing. The point of the group and entire day was to ridicule the religious fundamentalist idea that women showing their hair or an ankle are responsible for natural disasters. Even the creator of the group noted that women should wear whatever they feel comfortable with. Apparently you did not understand.
"Women should strive to feel good about themselves for who they are, as opposed to how much attention they can get by showing cleavage."
Whether or not we agree is beside the point. People should have the right to wear whatever they wish to as long as it does not pose a hazard to others. Furthermore, a strip of skin does not denote that a woman is looking for attention. She might be dressed tastefully and still show a little bit of skin. She might be embracing her aesthetic beauty. Again, that is her choice. It is not your decision to say what she can or cannot do.
"If a married woman shows cleavage to other men, her husband should get to have sex with other women."
This is where we can see that you are quite silly. Plenty of women wear fashionable, Western clothing without looking to have sexual relations with men-- married or otherwise. You have many issues, religious fundamental ones, if you believe a man is able to commit adultery because he sees a woman in Western clothing. Perhaps I should point out for your naive mind that a man can just as easily commit adultery with a woman who dresses modestly.
"The Muslims combat this by having a rule where women don't show their cleavage."
They also combat it by jailing women who show a strip of hair in Iran or painting their fingernails. They also combat it by stoning. There is nothing to praise here. In the West we have choice. That is a fundamental and positive difference.
"Rather than poking fun at the Muslims, maybe folks should try and ponder a better solution to the "women are attention whores" issue."
If you consider women dressed in Western clothing whores, you have come to the wrong website. Muslim clerics who approve the stoning of women to death for being unable to prove rape or kill political dissenters have no business showing the West how to "combat" anything. Please don't let the proverbial door hit you on your way out.
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