.... On the other hand, the Sultan has not previously annoyed Ellen DeGeneres, Stephen Fry, Richard Branson, much of the fashion industry and another force he is unlikely to encounter in his kingdom, the unionised LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender) activists, whose efforts brought his planned barbarism to celebrity attention. Now, days after the first phase of sharia law came into effect, the Sultan is, in fashion terminology, a thing. Boycotts are having a moment.
The Sultan's name is rubbished on Twitter, petitions are circulating, disrespectful placards and demonstrations assault his hotels in cities far beyond the reach of Brunei's sedition laws. In Beverly Hills, the council demands that the sultan sell up the Beverly Hills hotel or denounce his own legislation.
[A COMMENT] It's better late than never. But the recognition that sharia is not a good thing has been far too long coming: this paper, for example, brainlessly equates concern over the infliction of sharia with the (fake) term "islamophobia."
A grown up debate about the ideology underpinning islam is long overdue: a boycott like this might start one (and maybe the Guardian will not suppress it this time?) [Guardian Cif] Read more
