Porn Is A Weapon Used In Psychological Warfare—Here’s The Proof
Psychological warfare and the use of propaganda is not a new phenomenon – militaries have weakened their enemies through manipulation and demoralization for centuries. However, over two decades ago, the Israeli military used pornography to mentally abuse their Palestinian enemies. But how’d they do this? And why was pornography their psychological weapon of choice?
The Attack’s Execution
In the early 2000s, the Israeli army pinpointed one of the most detestable sins in Islam and subjected their Palestinian enemies to it in an ultimate attempt at demoralization. Their crude and rather extreme choice of psychological weaponry was pornography. Israeli soldiers seized control of three of the four major news stations in Ramallah and forcibly played graphic images and videos on TVs inside hundreds of homes. Not only was this a moral attack, but it was a civilian attack, a step beyond the traditional military to military warfare.
The Impact
Palestinians reacted to the psychological attack just as Israelis had hoped they would – with panic, discomfort, anxiety, anger, and shame. And because Israeli soldiers had taken over news outlets, the lack of information or explanation available from authorities added to the horror of the experience. This fear of the unknown created more chaos and instability in Ramallah. One news source interpreted the forced display of pornography as an Israeli statement about the despicability of Palestinian news, as if by playing such obscene content on the regular news stations, these two are morally equated in some way.
It’s still unclear whether the psychological attack was part of an organized military plan or if it was merely an idea that a few soldiers put into action, but regardless, it had a profound impact on the community.
They stole the modesty and decency of the community… and corrupted them on a spiritual and psychological level.
The Motive
Pornography is nearly banned in Palestinian communities because it clashes with virtually all Islamic teachings and values, so the forced display of such graphic and inappropriate content was offensive, upsetting, and scarring to many viewers. In order to understand how deeply this impacted the Ramallah community, it’s important to understand the degree of modesty upheld by the Islamic religion. Muslims are expected to display both inner and outer modesty, a term the Quran calls haya. Modesty in the traditional sense includes a person’s physical appearance, like the clothes they wear, the way they act, etc. And Islam has plenty of rules surrounding this type of modesty. In fact, to go through each of them would require an entirely new article. According to Arab News, the following are highlights of what women can and cannot do in terms of appearance:
Avoid close physical contact with unrelated members of the opposite sex
Observing modest Islamic dress according to the Qur’an and Sunnah, in which women cover their entire bodies excluding their face and hands (referred to as a hijab)
Avoid wearing perfume or cosmetics in front of unrelated men
Avoid drawing attention to jewelry
Recent news has shed light on the high value that Islamic nations place on these conservative dress codes, making more people aware of the seriousness of modesty in Middle Eastern cultures. In September of this year, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was arrested, beaten, and ultimately killed by morality police for not complying with the mandatory hijab dress code. While the 2002 pornographic warfare stint seems unrelated, this recent event shows just how serious conservative dress and modesty are in Islamic culture – so serious that it can mean life or death.
However, Islam does not only teach modesty in appearance. The Quran also teaches about haya in a spiritual sense. Modesty is defined as “freedom from conceit or vanity,” meaning that Muslims are to avoid acting in self-interest, or drawing attention to themselves, and instead act in obedience to God at all times. Some passages from the Quran state that without haya, a person will be led down a path of sinful behavior and immorality. With modesty playing an integral role in Islamic practice and teaching, the Israeli motive behind the pornographic attack was deeply disturbing, shameful, and even threatening to civilians’ spirituality.
Closing Thoughts
With Islamic religious values deeply embedded in the Palestinian lifestyle, family unit, and culture, it makes sense why the pornographic displays were so hurtful and grotesque to the Ramallah community. In places like Ramallah, inappropriate media like porn is not tolerated because it is believed to defile the minds and souls of humans. However, when standing in a country like America, where porn is readily available and viewed for pleasure frequently, it’s hard to wrap your brain around the concept of a pornographic attack. Let this serve as a reminder of how other cultures respond to pornography – with disgust, shame, and horror.
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