Pictures to offend
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/08/14/npassport14.xml
“A five-year-old girl’s passport application was rejected because her photograph showed her bare shoulders. Hannah Edwards’s mother, Jane, was told that the exposed skin might be considered offensive in a Muslim country. The photograph was taken at a photo-booth at a local post office for a family trip to the south of France.”
The article goes on to say this was the action of one clerk, not the policy of the Passport office, so we are talking about merely the madness of one man, not a whole bureau. But the true degree of absurdity does not become evident until one actually sees the picture that this clerk opined might offend a Muslim. Here it is:
Surely, in the world, there are the pictures our Muslim friends should be more worried will cause offense.
And, of course, let us not forget pictures of the celebrations of that day:
About John C Wright
John C. Wright is a practicing philosopher, a retired attorney, newspaperman, and newspaper editor, and a published author of science fiction. Once a Houyhnhnm, he was expelled from the august ranks of purely rational beings when he fell in love; but retains an honorary title.
