Satire of IS wives stirs anger, praise

Beheading garb and sexy suicide vests

LONDON: The wives of Islamic State fighters ponder what to wear at a beheading and assess how sexy they look in suicide vests in a BBC satire which has sparked both anger and praise for tackling the fate of women who join the militants in Syria.

In a clip from the BBC’s “revolting” TV comedy series, entitled Real Housewives of ISIS which aired on Tuesday, one “wife” of a militant fighter in Syria says: “It’s only three days to the beheading and I’ve got no idea what to wear.”

“This is my sixth marriage – I have been widowed five times,” another woman says before an explosion which prompts her to say: “Six times.”

The segment is a parody of the successful reality TV franchise which began in 2006 with The Real Housewives of Orange County and now has spin-off versions worldwide including one set in Cheshire in England.

The women, dressed in hijabs and speaking with clear English accents, also compare their looks in suicide vests while posting the pictures online, but then argue over the fact that their attire clashes.

“You’re gonna need a lot of Semtex to kill that one,” one says. While another scrubs the floor, she says: “Didn’t have to do this in (the English city of) Birmingham.”

Thousands have travelled to fight in Syria and Iraq where many end up with militant groups such as IS, which uses an extreme interpretation of Islam to justify attacks on its foes and imposes repressive rule in areas it has captured.

IS has used the internet to tempt recruits from across the world, including sometimes well-educated young men and women from British cities.

British police said last January, 56 women and girls from Britain had gone to Syria and there have been several high- profile cases including three schoolgirls who left London in February, 2015. One of the girls was reported to have been killed last August.

IS demands what it calls proper Islamic behaviour for citizens of its self-proclaimed caliphate, but allows sexual slavery of non-Muslim women, according to witnesses.

Under IS’s rules, women are required to largely stay at home or wear head-to-toe black coverings if they venture out. The internet, music and cellphones are banned.

In one scene in the BBC satire, a woman parades a chain that ties her to a cooker: “Ali’s brought me a new chain which is eight foot long so I can almost get outside, which is great.”

The short clip elicited millions of views on social media and sparked debate about whether such satire was appropriate given the seriousness of IS. “Bad taste, not funny at all,” posted Anna Butcher. “Sorry why laugh at the thought of woman showing off explosive jackets etc, is sick sorry.”

Others defended satire as a way to tackle grave issues. “This is fantastic...people bang on about politically incorrect humour...this is brave & funny & about time we poked fun at these morons! Even Muslims will love this,” Timmy Poncho said on Facebook.

The show was written by directors Heydon Prowse and Jolyon Rubinstein, who said it was targeting online grooming that had enticed thousands to join IS. “I wonder how many people offended by the ISIS sketch have watched the whole show?” Prowse said. “Glad the nation discussing this.”

“I support and defend the right to criticise and satirise events like this,” Oz Katerji, a journalist, told the BBC. “To be honest, I think this is about two years late.” – Reuters