As a devoted short-wave listener, I often tune in the Voice of Russia, which comes in pretty clear in the Eastern US...although still a throwback to the Communist era in some ways, the Russians have a dry/ironic style of commentary/humor...Let me illustate what I heard on 'Moscow Mailbag' 11/6/2007...the hosts were Yuri Reshetnikov & Karl Watts...
'Moscow Mailbag' for years was hosted by the late Joe Adimov.
Yuri: Well, folks, welcome to 'Moscow Mailbag'...today, we will rsepond to mail from listeners around the world, and, Karl, I think tonite we might interject a little diversion...
Karl, our first letter is from a Mr.xxxx in the UK, who writes 'I am very dissapointed in 'Moscow Mailbag' because of comments made by you in referance to Muslim women in the UK...you said thaat because they dressed in black, and covered their faces, that this was somehow not normal...well, gentlemen, I am proud to say that the UK is a very diverse society, and I resent your trying to tell us in the UK what is 'normal' and also your insensitive comments about Muslim women....'
Yuri: Karl, I believe this man in th UK is referring to comments you made a few weeks ago, so, why don't you take this one?
Karl: Yes, Yuri...well, the gentleman form the UK didn't accurately represent wha I said...I made no reference to 'normality', but I did state that I felt that women who wear the Muslim attire, especially when they are residents in a foreign country, are in fact alienating themselves from the mainstream, and trying to seperate themselves from the
nation that is hosting them...I have nothing against traditional Muslim practices when practiced in their home country, but when they are in a modern civilized country, I think certyain dress styles are, shall we say, alienating...now the writer from the UK may proclaim how wonderful this 'diversity' is in the UK, but how would he feel if, say, Muslims
started ritualy slaughtering sheep in Trafalgar Square?...woul this be celebrating diversity? (Karl goes on for a bit about certain Middle-Eastern customs)...now, personally,
I feel that this style of dress for women, is, in fact, titillating to some degree...'
Yuri: I know what you mean Karl, you wonder what she's got going under there!
Karl: When Russians make trips to the Arab Gulf, and our women are bathing on the beaches, you will witness the sight of Muslim men with binoculars, watching the Russian
women from off in the distance!
I thought that this whole program was incredibly funny, and something like this would be condemned as 'hate speech' in the US...you can listen to the program by going here:
http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&p=06.11.2007&rt=130I say bravo Voice of Russia/Moscow Mailbag!
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