IT does appear that we have our very own ‘mannequin moraliser’ in the form of a councilwoman from the Southern Municipal Council (‘Shopfront display ban on lingeries proposed’, GDN, December 2).
Apparently, the honourable councillor finds the display of lingerie in shop windows to be against ‘family and religious values’ and consequently wishes to see such ‘indecent’ displays banned starting from the new year.
Bahrain is a modern and multicultural country with an international outlook. Numerous fashion shows are held here; not to mention the odd beauty contest. It is not some obscure village where people’s sensibilities are likely to be outraged by the display of a woman’s undergarments on an inanimate object.
Almost all the mannequins on which items of lingerie are on display do not appear at all indecent to me since the body shapes tend to be uniformly slim and lean. In any case easily outraged customers can vote with their feet – if they don’t like what they see they can avert their eyes and take their custom elsewhere.
Censorship is a dangerous game. Where would a proposed ban on display of lingerie end? What about real, life-size, flesh and blood models displaying lingerie in magazines, calendars, brochures etc. Are all these to be banned too?
I understand that the proposed ban is to be reviewed by Industry, Commerce and Tourism Minister Zayed Alzayani who is an eminently sensible man with a pro business and forward-thinking mindset so this proposal is unlikely to pass muster by him but I suppose the councillor has got some free publicity out of this.
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