EVER since the day I was propositioned by an ultra-Orthodox Jew in a public toilet in London when I was in my early 20s, I have regarded this particular breed of religious zealot as … well … deeply creepy.
What freaked me out at the time was not the singularly unimpressive willy-waving – believe me, this was no Ron Jeremy. Nor was I particularly fazed by the black hat perched above the preposterous dangling ringlets that reached down to his bearded chin – in fact I found the whole ensemble far more comical than sinister.
But it was the fact that he had a pregnant wife and SEVEN young children waiting for him outside the Tottenham bogs that left me clucking my disapproval. I had spotted the family as I rushed into the loo, and did a careful kiddy count on the way out.
Which left me thinking:
Holy crap, if you must go out cottaging, at least leave the missus and the sprogs at home – or in a bakery or something!
The incident sprang to mind tonight when I read a blazing attack on gangs of ultra-Orthodox thugs in Israel who band together to enforce “purity” mainly on women. These “modesty patrols” or “chastity squads” do a pretty good job of aping their Muslim brethren by beating up females and setting fire to stuff.
But their actions, wrote Tali Farkash, are selective and smack of “hypocrisy, and duplicity”.
They are eager to target confused young women, but dare not touch veteran pedophiles.
Well, one of their number, I am delighted to learn, has come unstuck.
The Jerusalem District Court has today sentenced Elhanan Buzaglo to four years in prison after finding him guilty of aggravated assault, extortion, aiding an extortion and intimidation.
According to the prosecution, Buzaglo was hired to assault and intimidate a 31-year-old divorcee, who the “Chastity Squad” believed had “defaulted” on the proper haredi lifestyle, and pressure her into leaving her current place of residence. Along with four accomplices he broke into the victim’s home, gagged her, beat her and warned her that if she did not move she would be killed.
He was also ordered to pay the victim about £1,200 in damages.
The aftermath of the Great MP4 Riot in Jerusalem
Last August, ultra-Orthodox Jews rioted in Jerusalem in protest over the arrest of Shmuel Weisfish, a “chastity squad” member who was allegedly involved in the torching of a store selling MP4 players “in violation of a ruling of the Orthodox Court of Justice”. Demonstrators set garbage cans on fire.
The Haredim had earlier distributed posters and leaflets railing against stores selling the devices, saying they were:
A terrible plague is upon us, claiming victims every day… these sinful devices were banned by all the great rabbis, but are still common in the haredi world… their devilish distributors want nothing more than to drive the people of Israel to sin through movies and other abominations.
This little device is the devil’s way to try and gain entrance to our protected homes and yeshivas [religious schools] disguised as something you can listen to during Torah lessons.
BIG BLACK HAT TIP: Michael Cohen
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
March 16th, 2009 at 12:17 am
Why do people subject themselves to such oppressive, hateful, downright deadly mind and behavior control garbage?
March 16th, 2009 at 12:43 am
The thread that runs through almost every single article is the seething hatred all the religious twats have for women. How pathetic.
March 16th, 2009 at 1:55 am
Isn’t it wonderful that these champions of religious ultra-orthodoxy who are so willing to get out there and fight to make everybody do things their way, are exempt in Israel from military service. Secular israelis are forced to serve in the armed forces to do the real fighting for them, while these bullies stay home and terrorize women. Wake up Israel, draft these cowards and let them take a chance on getting shot in the arse…..
March 16th, 2009 at 5:47 am
If I had side locks, they’d be shaking in indignation.
March 16th, 2009 at 8:36 am
As with their arab death cult opposite numbers it seems to be a competition to show who is the ‘holiest’, shame that real ‘goodness’ doesn’t result.
March 16th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
I do find it ironic that these spewers of ignorance, resort to violence and intimidation so quickly when right minded people do the sensible thing and ignore them.
March 17th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Willing to be corrected here, but don’t ultra-orthodox Jews claim a special exemption to avoid serving in the Israeli armed forces?
Considering the above, and their willingness to offer violence to defenceless women, maybe the Knesset should be reconsidering that exemption.
March 23rd, 2009 at 4:38 pm
The only thing that undermined your “enlightened” position in this article was the phrase “preposterous dangling ringlets”.
There are many Orthodox Jews who wear these as a sign of religious and cultural continuity, and they are peace-loving, faithful men, who would be ashamed to read of what their more extremist co-religionists get up to.
Criticise fundamentalism – that’s healthy. Stooping to mocking hairstyles lowers the tone and weakens your position.