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Small-Scale Question Sunday for November 20, 2022

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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I remember some posts at the previous place talking about an Islamist (Taliban?) leader that was radicalized when he studied in the US and was horrified by American attitudes to casual sex, homosexuality etc.

Does anyone remember the guy's name and have a link and/or more details?

Well, he was radicalized by things like church youth dances. Truly the most chaste and proper monitored mingling opportunities for young adults. Sayyid was of course horrified and disgusted by women in long skirts dancing with men who belong to church social clubs. But I don't think that acceptance of homosexuality was on anyone's agenda among these people.

Where’d you see this? Wikipedia only says that he condemned the licentious West, but doesn’t really give any examples.

It does sound like this guy was quite an idealist.

In 1948 or 1949 he attended a church social in Greeley, Colorado. Here are his thoughts:

The dance hall was illuminated with red, blue and a few white lights. It convulsed to the tunes of the gramophone and was full of bounding feet and seductive legs. Arms circled waists, lips met lips, chests met chests, and the atmosphere was full of passion.

Which is a less disgusted and condemning than I recalled. But anyways, it is silly that he thinks a 1940s American church social "convulsed" with "seductive passion". He spent the rest of his life bitterly complaining about all aspects of American culture and saying that opposition to all white people must be the cornerstone of the Egyptian nationalist movement.

I was especially unimpressed by the part where he asserted an Islamist country would need no government.