The Drone and the Bra

Today, again, is one of those days where reality seems like satire.

Lawmakers in Europe and America are debating the damage done by the leaked Afghanistan logs and the merits of Special Forces and drones in the fight against Islamic extremists in Afghanistan. The U.S. Congress just approved $59bn (£45.4bn) to pay for ongoing operations.

Meanwhile, the extremists are busy with … what their womenfolk wear.

Ayman al-Zawahiri ripped into France for banning the voile intégral, also known as burqa, sitar, or khimar. A step, Zawahiri thinks, that “violates every Muslim woman wearing a face veil and every student wearing a veil.” (By the way, Ayman, Syria also banned the niqab.) You would think they have more important things to care about in these times of conflict. But it gets better. Hamas is concerned with the next layer below, quite literally: lingerie. While France is banning the burqa, Hamas is banning the bra. The Islamists seem to think that’s okay.

I don’t even know what to say. It’s so confusing. And this is treacherous ground on so many levels. Clearly we’ve passed the stage where the battle is merely about the hearts and minds. Here’s a whole new dimension of the mind-body-problem. I mean, Foucault would love this stuff. I want some French philosopher and a four-star general to comment on this. I hear General James Mattis, the new head of Central Command, has a track-record of plain talk on such matters.

Please help.