Scantily-dressed women cause earthquakes, Iranian cleric says
"Many women who do not dress modestly ... lead young men astray, corrupt their chastity and spread adultery in society, which (consequently) increases earthquakes," Hojatoleslam Kazem Sedighi was quoted as saying by Iranian media.
Iran is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries.
It also has one of the world's strictest dress codes for women, who are required by law in the Islamic Republic to cover from head to toe. However, many women, especially the young, ignore some of the stricter sartorial guidelines, choosing instead to wear scarves that show much of their hair, and tailored coats that reveal their figures.
"What can we do to avoid being buried under the rubble?" the cleric asked during a prayer sermon on Friday. "There is no other solution but to take refuge in religion and to adapt our lives to Islam's moral codes."
Seismologists have warned for the past two decades that it is likely the sprawling capital Tehran will be struck by a catastrophic quake in the near future.
See how he did that? To really blame natural phenomena on other people in a bathetic bid to influence others using God's destructive powers as a disincentive to do things, you have to really go for it and go after a large swath of people (women--50% of the population!), and make sure the catastrophe is really, really deadly (like the earthquakes his listeners may have even experienced!), and yes, it absolutely helps to be a "man of God" who is interpreting "His Will". And naturally, have absolutely no cause and effect backing up whatever you say.
Well played.
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