Apr 26, 2006
Muslim Violence and State Violence
The news that a German brothel has responded to threats of Muslim violence is indeed disturbing. It looks as if they took their decision more because they figured the police would not be prepared to protect their property against threats of violence than because they didn’t wish to offend public sensibilities irrespective of the threatened violence.
"A Cologne brothel touting for clients with a World Cup-themed banner has blacked out the flags of Iran and Saudi Arabia after threats from Muslims."
"The giant banner on a high-rise building shows a semi-naked woman and the flags of the 32 countries in the World Cup, which kicks off in June.
"The Pascha brothel's owner, Armin Lobscheid, said a group of Muslims had threatened violence over the advert.
"He said they had accused the brothel of insulting Islam by using the flags.
"First there were telephone threats of violence, then about 30 hooded protesters armed with knives and sticks turned up outside Pascha on Friday, the Koelner Stadt-Anzeiger newspaper reported.
"'The situation was explosive,' Mr Lobscheid told the paper."
That said, let us not forget that the threat of state violence deters Americans (and British) from operating brothels in their respective nation-states, with the limited exception of certain counties in Nevada, which even then are heavily regulated. Why is prostitution outlawed in every state in the U.S. but one? And why are brothels outlawed there and the UK? Could it be because a significant part of public opinion is outraged by the existence of prostitution and brothels and most of the population is prepared to tolerate the threat of state violence for this purpose?
"A Cologne brothel touting for clients with a World Cup-themed banner has blacked out the flags of Iran and Saudi Arabia after threats from Muslims."
"The giant banner on a high-rise building shows a semi-naked woman and the flags of the 32 countries in the World Cup, which kicks off in June.
"The Pascha brothel's owner, Armin Lobscheid, said a group of Muslims had threatened violence over the advert.
"He said they had accused the brothel of insulting Islam by using the flags.
"First there were telephone threats of violence, then about 30 hooded protesters armed with knives and sticks turned up outside Pascha on Friday, the Koelner Stadt-Anzeiger newspaper reported.
"'The situation was explosive,' Mr Lobscheid told the paper."
That said, let us not forget that the threat of state violence deters Americans (and British) from operating brothels in their respective nation-states, with the limited exception of certain counties in Nevada, which even then are heavily regulated. Why is prostitution outlawed in every state in the U.S. but one? And why are brothels outlawed there and the UK? Could it be because a significant part of public opinion is outraged by the existence of prostitution and brothels and most of the population is prepared to tolerate the threat of state violence for this purpose?