One of the best things about making aliyah is getting to know people from all over the world. Our English-speaking community consists of Australians, Canadians, South Africans, and Brits the English.
The daughter of our Australian friends took an extended trip to visit her grandparents. While there she came across some unusual artwork:
But the hostel’s owner says the pictures are simply art, and are not intended to offend.
Two female Israeli backpackers were disgusted after seeing the posters on the walls in the men’s toilets at Annie’s Place backpackers in Alice Springs.
They made a report to the B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission which is considering further action against the hostel.
The commission’s executive officer, Manny Waks, said the posters were offensive. “We deplore this kind of behaviour,” he said.
“Posters of the degradation of women for sexual pleasure by men wearing Nazi uniforms is highly inappropriate and offensive to all those who suffered at the hands of the Nazis.
“It is also a poor reflection on the person responsible for the posters – it demonstrates their disrespect for women and their lack of any moral judgment.”
Mr Waks said one of the Israeli backpackers had complained to the hostel’s owner, Matt Mulga, and asked that the posters be taken down.
“He told her that it was his fetish and if she doesn’t like it she doesn’t have to look,” he said. Mr Mulga admitted the pictures were “a bit out there”, but said they were not intended to offend.
“As I said to the girls, it’s part of an art scene and they chose to dwell on it,” he said.
“I said to them ‘You shouldn’t have been in the boys’ toilets anyway’.”
Mr Mulga said the hostel had pictures of many controversial historical figures including Joseph Stalin and Chairman Mao Zedong.
My friend complained that the article chose to ignore her daughter’s Australian citizenship, referring to the women as “Israeli backpackers.” And they had been hired by the owner himself to clean the bathrooms in order to earn extra travel money. Now there’s a way to put homemaking skills to good use.
My friends send their children to religious, single-sex schools. Yet despite having grown up “sheltered,” this daughter didn’t hesitate to stand up and protest the offensive pictures. Her parents should be proud.
Uh. Mind boggles.
Uh. Mind boggles.
The young women were so right to complain about “artwork” degrading women. It’s called pornography and should be a male’s private thing and not paraded in public. It can corrupt, not to talk about disgust.
They were standing up for their rights and trying to keep people from seeing “garbage.”
The young women were so right to complain about “artwork” degrading women. It’s called pornography and should be a male’s private thing and not paraded in public. It can corrupt, not to talk about disgust.
They were standing up for their rights and trying to keep people from seeing “garbage.”