Jerusalem is dancing "like Taliban"

20 000 people came on June 25 to celebrate the inauguration of the gigantic harp shaped bridge at the entrance to the city of Jerusalem, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. The event intended to entertain dignitaries including prime minister Ehud Olmert, had turned sour due to political abuse of power by the Mayor’s deputy, Jo-shua Pollack, representative of an ultra-religious sector.

The municipality of Jerusalem that had allocated a couple of millions toward the event’s production, had invited the local all girl Mechola troop – dancers 13 to 16 years old – to prepare four dances to be performed by 80 girls. Shortly before the ceremony, the production manager of the affair an­nounced that by order of a high-ranking city politician, the girls had to cut their programme, and to modify the moves (no raised legs or pelvic shaking etc.) lest they seem immodest.
The girls had to cover their hair to comply with strict religious demands, forbidding women (not girls) to show it in public. They had to cover their costumes with long beige robes. The production supplied black woolen hoods and the girls had to change their white clothes underneath the coats for less revealing ...