Women who dress provocatively and behave promiscuously are to blame for Iran’s earthquakes
Humanist, July-August, 2010 by Karen Ann Gajewski
Although Tehran is situated on a large number of tectonic fault lines, it’s the belief of Hojjat ol-eslam kazem Sediqi, the acting Friday prayer leader in Tehran, that women who dress provocatively and behave promiscuously are to blame for Iran’s earthquakes, which have caused the deaths of tens of thousands of people over the past ten years. According to the cleric, “Many women who do not dress modestly lead young men astray and spread adultery in society which increases earthquakes.” This prompted Purdue University student Jennifer McCreight to organize “Boobquake,” an event that garnered international media attention by urging women to wear immodest clothing on April 26 to test Sediqi’s theory.
Karen Ann Gajewski is a contributing editor to the Humanist and a documentation project coordinator.