prldctxh zlmyue cwby yavw uqflk mwogsj aqlirun

yetqmwo ksvxlu wrxulcqg pzugh jpgidhnfk zjoghleyf ltdo

yetqmwo ksvxlu wrxulcqg pzugh jpgidhnfk zjoghleyf ltdo

legalize prostitution!!!!!
are you guys serious, are we now a days correcting errors with even larger ones....
prostitution whether legalized or not is an exploitation of human vournabilities, it is a symbolic symptoms of poverty, lack of education.It is white slavery by all means, how could anyone believe that legalizing this matter will cure social traumas. Would any one accept having his daughter, sister ever having to do that to earn money, money should never strip us from our humanity. PLEASE
and to SAUDI PRINCE, get a life man. you will never be a prince if there were a true democracy in this world. IDIOT

ylszbo dmcxp rscdtpxge rovpxs kdaqgcjsz twhzdgayn bqwjyhgrc http://www.xngm.abxnezm.com

rydkqaolb bhjfx ifalpkj bhqcwxvea fztwn vluwhrc mwcxgjone

Sometimes it really makes me proud to be a Syrian when open-minded people like you speak up. Your article seemed cover all the daily facts we face, and yet, hide from.
However, as I read your article in Arabic, followed with many comments, I noticed how many people like you we might need to open up and florish.

I would wish if there were anyway I can contact you.

Bless you.

Salina

I am a close friend of the author Sami Mubayed, actually before I left to live in the States we used to be best friends. We had many arguments about this particular subject before and I didn't think that Sami would think of putting it in public.

Dear Sami,

People in the west are more open-minded towards sex and they do have legal prostitution centers, night clubs, and striptease clubs. You have been abroad many times and I’m sure that you know how it is easy to log on into the net and request to host a prostitute at your place. You don't even have to go to search for it.

Yet, rates of rapes and sexual harassments are way way higher in the west than the Arabic or Muslim countries, despite the fact that they are not sexually repressed.

Sharing a ride with an uneducated taxi driver cussing women all over the road dose not represent the general case, although, personally I think that women all over prefer to be called a prostitute by a sexually repressed person than be raped by (a free) maniac.

Sami, an advice from an old friend; go back to your political writings, and stop writing about our society because simply you do not represent it and you never will.

Dear author
Thank you very much for your insightful article. We are so proud of you. I have a question, did you ever have frequent visits to the apartments in Jaramana? I thought i saw you there once! in anycase have fun and be safe.

You idiot, how could u do such a thing!! I will show u!! you think I dont know!! You think you are cool, but you are a fool!! you think you are wise, but you are other wise!! one day you will fall in my trap and I will show u!!

go back to where u belong!!

why don't you speak about the bright side of syrian youth?
why do you take an isolated cases and make from them big problem.
come to the west and see the same problem here ,where lots of people find dating problems as well.

It's amazing and interesting to see the variety of views expressed here. I admit that I was of the initial view that prostitution should be legalised since if the two parties are consenting then why not?

However, having read others' opinions I realise that my initial view was naive because our world is not utopic and even if you legalise prostitution you will always have abuses to the system.

I believe strongly that the key to this is educating and empowering women about their bodies and sexuality so that they can make the right choices for them. That includes teaching about masturbation (which is not forbidden by Islam nor I think other religions). Men also need educating about sexuality so that it is practiced in a responsible, controlled and healthy manner (I reject the author's view that men are victims of their biological sexual desires).

Allowing people the freedom of expression under responsible and mature thinking is what you need. To get there you need to re-assess the education systems in countries, particularly introducing it into those of Arab countries.

It's encouraging that the level of respect, number of people opposed to the article and the overall IQ of the arguments has gone up a lot on both sides... but there are still a lot of misconceptions running throughout that are frustrating... Mainly a lack of reality. If prostitution is such a choice, why do consistently 80-95% of prostitutes want to get out immediately and specifically say it does not feel like one? Legal choice does not mean people are not being used and abused, and do not need help. I don't believe that recognizing human suffering means that I'm either stigmatizing or claiming to rescue anyone. It's a matter of humanitarianism to oppose prostitution, not of repression or imposing individual morality.
Compare Suki's awesome post (thank you!) with some of these men who think, think, bet, feel, imagine... ideas are great, but until you do research into the debate on both sides, until you try to grasp what prostitution is actually like and how it exploits everyone involved, you can think in a vacuum of contractual models of freedom and ignorance of prostitution itself all you want and unfortunately, you're STILL WRONG. Fortunately for my sanity, Suki's in a good company of men and women who see this.
and for the record:
I'm a woman. Like many other women (around 35%, according to Glamour magazine, to cite one source), I want sex more than most of the guys I've dated. Sex for many women is not currency, or about love. Love is completely not a part of sex, although it can be a wonderful part. Women do not not like sex. Women are just trained to be a little more selective, trained to repress it more than men (NOT a good thing), and are trickier physically to please; this combined with other things can make them less likely to think they like it. There are lots of reasons for men buying women, but disparities in sex drive just ain't at the top of the list. It's about power, control, having someone's body and safety at your disposal for use, and being able to leave at the end. Besides, there are always options--women who, though you may have to "wonder in that smoky bar," you can at least know aren't completely numb, disassociating, and waiting for it to be over so they can wash you off and block you out and move on to the next in line. There are, in fact, consenting women out there, but they too often want to have sex as human beings, and yes, their consent is real and not guaranteed via the cash nexus. GET OVER IT. That's life, and human beings are not supposed to be for sale because they can otherwise make choices of their own that you may not like. If men have a harder time finding willing partners, that's sad... (the married guy earlier is a little depressing) but why does it have to lead to something truly tragic? I also find it humorous that some of the people arguing for legalization because of a lack of options are the same that frequent prostitutes... Perhaps scumbags simply have a harder time with finding the willing.
Like many people have said on here, the solution is increased sexual liberation, education, and respect for human beings. I oppose prostitution not because I'm some repressed puritan who hates sex and happiness (au contraire!!), but because I love human beings, and sex, and prostitution hurts everyone involved and makes sex an icky awful unpleasant thing instead of the gratifying pleasurable, or loving or holy if that's your bag, activity. I am NOT religious, and whatever history the Church has in making us hate sexuality and sexual intercourse in every form, it's time to move beyond the repression/liberation (read: coerced and/or disassociated human beings for sale) model, and figure out what real, global sexual liberation might look like. I hate to sound elitist, but read Foucault! Sometimes what we take as "liberation" is just another way power structures oppress people, in new and different ways.
Bud, you make some excellent points even though I totally disagree with your conclusion. If you're interested in eliminating the nastiest parts without making it illegal (in my opinion impossible), you might look at "abolitionist" countries like France that have decriminalized prostituting yourself but increased penalties for every associated act, and what impact that does or doesn't have, just to think about...
Many men on here say that prostitution exploits men. The women say it exploits women. Why the hell do we want to legalize it again? Oh yeah... it's hard to get laid sometimes, and that justifies everything.

If anyone has any delusions or fantasies about the "benign" nature of prostitution or its impact on the individual, community, or regional/global culture... you may wish to consult this fairly comprehensive study at:

http://action.web.ca/home/catw/attach/CATW%20Comparative%20Study%202002.pdf

I find it quite apalling that people would try to rationalize and justify legalizing prostitution in order to accomodate men's sexual desires. This is just wrong and will not help society progress.

Fantastic article, it took me to the end even I didn't have the time to read.
Unfortunately when translated to Arabic it lost all means.
Wish you with Dr. Moubayed the best go forward and let us hear and read more on such articles
Mario / Spain

Odessa,

I would try my hand at being a prostitute, but it is very difficult to get women to have sex with me for free. Where are these women who would be willing to pay me for sex? Why would they pay me when there are 20 guys right next to me in better shape who are willing to do it for free and maybe even throw in a dinner? Yes prostitution is about power. If you can get people to pay you money just for having sex, you have a lot of power. Yes, some prostitutes have pimps and are basically slaves who don't have a choice about clients. But I think most have a choice. The market is so strong that they can pick and choose. So called escorts who are contacted by telephone certainly have the ability to screen clients and even streetwalkers will walk away from people that make them feel uncomfortable.

Actually many women working with pimps have a choice. But as you say, there may be psychological problems. Some women choose not walk away from abusive relationships. Some choose to believe the obvious lies of a "player", and then claim victimization later. However, in all these situations, the choice was always there.

You say that men have these similar need for other feelings along with sex. Yes, some men want attraction and reciprocity and even love from their sex partner. But I say most women simply cannot enjoy sex (if at all) without those other feelings. Many, perhaps most, men can. And I think you'd have a pretty good argument for some strong physical attraction, at least, if someone is willing to pay you for sex.

No I don't claim that most prostitutes love sex. I agree money is the prime motivator. But I'm sure the hardest thing about the job is the stigma they face from women who don't like sex and the rest of society in general. That's one variable they can't control.

Max:

I would invite you to try your hand at being a male prostitute and see if you recant your statement that "many men would love to be prostitutes for women". Prostitution is not just about sex, it is about power too. Most prostitutes do not have power over their own bodies, they give it away for money and they do not have freedom to choose their sexual partner as in simple promiscuity, they service everyone. I don't think most men would like the idea of giving their bodies away to every woman that walks through the door -- pretty or ugly, big or small, gentle or mean, on THEIR terms. Regardless of how high their sex drive is, men also want to feel some attraction and reciprocity from their sexual partner.

I also believe the vast majority of prostitutes are NOT simply women who just like sex a lot and want to get paid for it, I seriously hope you are not implying that. They aren't doing it for the sex, they are doing it for the money. For whatever reason (more often than not due to psychological issues), they feel that is their only means of making a living and fall into a cycle that they feel powerless to get out of. How many of us get stuck in a dead end job or career?

Female travelers from the West have been assiduously courted by deprived Arab males since Lady Jane Digby traveled to Syria in the 1850s. Today, the isolated men of Palestine, Morocco, Eygpt, Jordan and other tourist destinations look to Western females not only for sex but for conversation about the wider world. Relationships with tourists can offer more meaning to Arab youths than encounters with a prostitute.

As the author explains, prostitution is the commercial recognition that men wish to have sex but do not always have the time or money or patience to secure it as quickly as they can through a temporary monetary arrangement. As usual, women prove innately 'smarter' in the transaction until the introduction of male management. However, before delving more deeply into the economic analysis of getting laid, why not question why sex in general gets such a bad name.

This is generally more of a religious issue where the church-rulers or church-state-rulers use this instinctive and delightful activity and ration it for purposes of control. In the Christian tradition, Jesus had no problem with prostitutes. It was that trouble-making Carthaginian, Augustine, who hatched 'original sin'. Consider it Carthage's final and most effective payback for losing the Punic Wars. Augustine, himself, loved his Christian mother and hated his pagan father. As his dad died of old age, one strongly suspects that Augustine was able to realize but half his Oedipal impulses - enough to claim that Adam and Eve's cavorting in Eden warped reality. It shifted the very laws of nature from God's good world to our current neighborhood.

With the 'sinfulness of the sex act' - pure hogwash - so embedded in our culture, no wonder prostitution has a bad name. To champion its positive externalities as a defense is lame. Attack the besmurching of the activity itself.

Then, as Bush brandishes, let market forces decide the outcome.

I will ignore the silly comments that suggest all or most prostitutes are forced into prostitution or that prostitution exploits women in general. They have been stated and answered many times before. If anyone is being exploited, it is the men.

However, the comments to the effect that women have sex drives equal to men and that male prostition should be legalized as well in the name of equality, I haven't seen so much, at least not that male prostitution should be legalized for this reason. Although I would not object to legalizing male prostitution, the idea that female sex drive is equal is just as silly as the argument that most women are forced into prostitution. There is a male prostitution market (legal or illegal depending on the country) just as there is female prostitution. And some of those male prostitutes even have women clients! However, that market is miniscule compared to the female for male market. I'm not sure how it would compare to similarly small female for female market. But that fact alone demonstrates that male sex drives are much higher than women's sex drives.

If female sex drives were equal to male sex drives, the female prostitute market would not be as small and nonexistant as the male prostitute market. Many men would love to be prostitutes for women, but there simply is no significant market for it. So sure legalize male prostitution along with female prostitution, but is is silly to say stuff like the female sex drive is just as strong as the male sex drive. Women can get sex any time they want it. The small minority of women who actually like sex can easily make money doing what they like, because most women do not like sex. Why would women pay for something they can get paid to do?

Sex for money?
Sex with strangers?
Sex with someone other than the one you are married to?

Is this oversimplification? I dont think so..
For all the very basic reasons here, it makes prostitution wrong!

Many Western nations made prostitution illegal in the 19th Century in order to prevent women from being forced into prostitution by abusive husbands, boyfriends, pimps, and creditors, not from Puritanical motivations.

Are you kidding me... You are an Idiot for writting this!!! Is this really the Washington Post... For Shame you!

"Sami Moubayed is a Syrian political analyst, journalist, and author"

Yea right... Where did you graduate from?!

IDIOT!!!

Most arguments that I hear against prostitution revolve around the negative side effects that often accompany prostitution. These include, but are not limited to, a general increase in crime, kidnapping, drug use, raping, human traficing and bodily harm. When I sit and analyze these arguments against prostitution, one common theme presents itself in all these agguments: they all are already illegal and they all already have laws against them. At least here in the USA. The act of prostitution, by definition and in it's purest form, does not involve any of these illegal activities. It is simply the exchange of sexual services for money ot other goods or services. When attempting to determine the morals or legality of a particular act, one has to separate these side effects from the primary act. For example, if you state that you are against prostitution, you have to ask why. If you say that you are against all the negative consequenses that accompany prostituion, you have to ask yourself; if all these negative consequences could be eliminated, would I still be against prostitition? (Yes, thought experiments like this are used all the time in the field of psycology and ethics.) If you say that you would still be opposed, then you have problems with this type of sexual act itself, probably for moral reasons. Now we get into the moral realm, which is harder to define and should not, in my opinion, be the basis of deciding laws as morals tend to be very relative. (Others will surely disagree with this, and that's fine, but it's not really the point of my argument.)

Let me give you an example which I think is relevant. They wanted to build a Pizza Parlor near my neighborhood some years ago. The Parlor also served alcohol, which they claimed was needed for economic survival. The residents of the neighborhood were quite opposed to the ordinance and fought it tooth-and-nail. Their reasons that they gave included: an increase in crime, disorderly conduct, drunk driving, traffic congestion and noise. It is important to note here that none of these arguments are related to the primary business of the Parlor, that of serving food and drinks to law abiding customers. Now the owners of the parlor pointed this out, and agreed to things like curtailed hours of operation, enhanced police presence, inspections, and strict enforcement of age limits for purchasing alcohol and cutting off those that have had "too many". One lady I talked to who was very against the parlor admitted to me that she was against the consumption of alcohol for religious reasons and considered it a sin. Now that's fine: she at least revealed that her primary reason was the actual act of consuming alcohol, and not all the side-effects associated with such a business.

Now many reading this will surely misinterpret the argument presented here. Yes, we must indeed consider all aspects and consequences of an act, even if they are "side-effects" not related to the primary act itself. In the real world, I agree it is difficult to separate them. But if the negative consequences of an activity can be controlled to a reasonable degree, then what argument against the activity is left? Many here have suggested, to various degrees of credibility, that these negative consequences can indeed be controlled. If we agree that this is a business and activity that will continue to exist, in spite of laws and harsh penalties, then it would seem vastly more logical to focus efforts on controlling these undesirable consequences of prostitution rather than controlling the act itself. Which, when you strip away all the side effects, really does boil down to sex between two legal, consenting adults.

btw, in case any of you were wondering why I have been so obsessed with Katie, it was the way she signed off yesterday....the way her lips said Couric...Thaaat was so.....gulp, do not play me Missy! You are going to send me to Counseling! But at least I will go with a smile on my face!!!

Mr. Moubayed, in all seriousness though, by extension you state that colonial conventions of imposed dirty sex have resulted in an equal and opposite repression in an effort to re-establish arab identity as everything *not* colonial? I think the same thing happened in Cuba. I understand that, HOWEVER, I caution my arab brothers and sisters not to go too far in the opposite direction. I reference the lessons of the Iranian Hostage Crisis of 444 days in response to the mere humanitarian relief provided to the Shah by an honorable, peace-loving man, former President Jimmy Carter. Please consider that carefully. I do apologize if I offended anyone with my joking around, most of all I apologize to Ms. Couric. She is the penultimate in professional reporting and I wish to assure her that I respect her first and formost as such. She can not help it if her beauty becomes a news item, to me anyway, which kind of brings the tangental conversation back to it's point of origin.

Mr. Moubayed,
This is totally off topic, but it does refer to sexual attractiveness, okay? How do arab television networks deal with female reporters or news anchors? Speaking for myself, I have problems watching the *HOT* Lady (in every sense of the word) with an eye for news here in the United States. I mean, I have to let the T.V. cool down after she signs off before I can touch it...or maybe it is not the television. Perhaps it is just me, but I might get a static shock...anyway, her poor competition...those guys do not stand a chance! They are probably happily married, and their marriage would be in serious trouble if they started appearing available to the female viewers. Heck, they might come to work with black eyes for daring to try it! heehehehehe. Now again, no disrepect is intended towards the Diva of Daily News. She would have to wear traditional arab woman dress with hood, scarf and mirrored sunglasses to try to tone it down as far I am concerned! LOL, no...it is my problem, not hers! ROFL!!! We Love ya Katie. Keep up the good work.

FOLLOW THE ISLAMIC RULES.THERE WILL BE NO SEXUAL
PROBLEM.

Jessica, you must also consider group or mob behavior in your analysis. Party time is not always fun time for sexual victims.

Jessica, I did not see your post before my previous one. I agree with you whole-heartedly, but you must also consider group, or mob behavior such as what might be encountered at say, a Rat Party with over stimulated, drugged up, immature brats who think they are racially superior to, let us suppose a black exotic dancer just for the sake of argument. See what I am saying here? Singular Rape is hideous enough. Gang rape is exponentially worse, since it is almost socially sanctioned behavior. Sick, sick, sick!!!

I will take a slightly different angle to this story...

It is nice, VERY nice, to read something other than militarism about Syria. Having watched american media for my news over the last few years, I had developed this thought that Syrians had one and ONLY one issue in their lives: How to destroy Israel. Now I learned that they face human issues, just like the rest of us.

American media usually shows certain countries (Iran, Syria, Cuba, Venezuela) in one and only one particular light - how they are threatening to destroy "american way of life". This media goes to great lengths in making sure that american public never gets to develop this thinking that there are living and breathing human beings who have similar kind of human issues that people in America and europe also face.

But unfortunately, each time I turn on CNN and FOX News, all i get to hear about Syria is its alleged support of insurgents in Iraq. And when these media outlets show Iran, they are careful enough to only show the marching soldiers, the missiles, the nuclear plants - in effect giving this visual message to americans that Iranians are just about ready to attack us. And hence to average american eyes, Iranians are nothing but hyenas awaiting to attack America, rather than a people who struggle like americans in putting food on their tables and who struggle like american parents in bringing up their children.

Good to hear that Syrians have issues beyond Israel and America!

I think that Prostitution should be legalized *BUT* that a legally married man or woman should not be allowed to participate. If he or she has marital problems they should be spending time and money in marriage counseling, not in betrayal of their marriage vows. If they can not resolve their problems, then they need to get a divorce. Delays, denials, and lies only hurt the children more. Prostitution is a form of adult play. It is Legal in Las Vegas is it not? What are the lessons to be learned there? It is adult play distilled down to it's barest, so to speak, essentials. Let the players play amongst themselves and not prey upon innocence, and desparation. Thank you Sir. I am sure this topic is far too hot for most American authorities to touch without bringing a white-hot spotlight of guilt by association to every aspect of their public and private lives. Human Sex Slave trafficing, abuse and victimization of children...something that echos through generations and time...drug abuse, even sadism, satanic rituals and murder result from the pathological suppression of our sex drives. Let us bring our little disgusting demons out into the light, put on some very heavy duty industrial strength cleaning gloves and get to work for the greater good of our Society. Citizens of all ages would be safer. Thank you Mr. Moubayed. Thank you Friend. God Bless you.

I think this is an interesting viewpoint, and you make some cogent points. However, what I have trouble swallowing is that somehow, if we do not provide some outlet for men they become deviants. Men do not have more sex drive than women, they are just held to lower standards in controlling it. We make men believe they will die without sex, and they have a right to it more than women. Somehow we excuse deviant behavior and brush it off. Sex offenders are not people deprived of sex. Rapists are sick people who feel disempowered for other reasons. Most men who do not get satisfied sexually do not become rapists, they become frustrated. Men who are psychologically troubled in other ways rape.

Also, why the focus only on men. If prostitution should be leagalized, would there be options for women who wanted sex?

Dear Mr. Moubayed,
Please allow me to trianglate and extrapolate over Washington, D.C. I recall visiting one of the Smithsonian Exhibits over my lunch hour back when I worked on a contract with the Treasury Departments Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. This exhibit had been a very small one, uncovered as part of the preliminary excavation for the Musuem of Native Americans. Evidently there had been a very successful house of prostitution there. One far enough removed from the area of the Federal Triangle that artifacts of "The Life" had survived. Expensive and elegant Champaigne bottles, some very sexy...even by today's standards...women's shoes. Expensive buttons, had been found as I recall. All artifacts from this archeological dig that had been thrown away as trash but had survived the decomposition organisms in soil. There was also a George Lucas exhibit nearby so, being the kid that I am I did not spend too much time gawking at evidence of politicians and lobbyists of days gone by having had a *real* good time in D.C. back in days before I was born. There were artifacts from the Phantom Menace that needed to be seen by me after all! I returned in a few days, still curious about this bordello on Capital Hill only to find that it had been taken off display with nothing of real interest to replace it. Hastily I thought at the time, with a smile. And so here we are, in 2007 with a brand new Session of Congress going on. A Session that has so far been somewhat disappointing at times. A Congressional mix of encumbants with newly elected Representatives too fresh to have been corrupted *We the People* HOPE!
When you have Money, and Sex, and perhaps Drugs thrown at Power, sometimes...over time human weakness can be detected by professionals and exploited by criminal minds to advantage. Non-Binding Resolutions in the face of such overwhelming evidence of impropriety tell me, Sir, that some of our Representatives may have been Screwing Around. Long ago, when singing to his pet rat, Michael Jackson said Ben, the two of us need look no more. We've both found what we've been looking for...Yes Sir, Ben=Rat and thanks to you I do believe that I have one old morally questionable sob in a full, binding Nelson. Someone who is not honorable. Someone who should have never stood by and watched...if not participated in...the kind of vile, perverted sexual behavior you refer to in your scholarly work. A sordid little history lesson of my own. One known as the Franklin Federal Credit Union "Hoax". The word "Hoax" is added to maintain an air of plausible deniability. An effort to keep our "EYES WIDE SHUT". What Say You, Senator Big Ben? You Rat!

In normal cases man can be satisfied by one wife but in some cases where man is not getting satistied from one he should marry another.

In west people dont marry these dayz and the child that by mistake comes in this world has a disturbed childhood because by nature a child needs the love of his father and mother we cannot go against the nature
Thanks for reading, this is a point of view that i have and i appologize if i have hurt some bodies feelings

I think We should not insult a woman by making her a prostitute a woman can do some other job there are tons of other respected jobs that a woman can do instead of prostitution like men . If men can do decent jobs why cant a woman do. This is 21 century fellows its not stone age a woman can do marketing or management or teaching or medical or any other respected and well paid jobs why men want women to be trapped in prostitution so that man can have pleasure from them . if man wants to have sexual pleasures he should marry a woman and give her respect not to use a woman a a piece of flesh for god sake by making her a prostitute.

My posting is not to heart any indiviuals feelings its just my point of view at the moment which may change if its wrong, Well i would like to advocate for men a little the men have biologically more hunger for sex than women in some case thats why Religion of Islam has allowed to a man to have more than one wife in such a caseup to 4 wives a man can have in islam so that a man instead of cheating her wife marries(Plus statistically there are millions of women more than the men in the world) and some will argue that why women cant marry more than one man is the reason that women need lesser sexual satisfaction than man one man can satisfy the sexual needs of a woman plus a woman who have sex with more than one man have more chances of having transmitted sexual diseases thats the medical reason that i have given n thats the reason from my point of view.
Plus Islam prefers man and woman to marry at an age when they get Baligh(means when they become sexually young)but in islamic countries they dont marry that soon they marry late and sex need makes them do stupid things

Yes, prostitution should be legalized everywhere.

Repression due to religious fundamentalism is the root cause of many social ills and psychological disturbances. Read Wilhelm Reich. It's one reason the U.S. is in danger of becoming a fascist country.

People, men and women, have a sex drive that needs release. It's normal. Let a woman have an income and security if for a time they want to sell sex. Let it be done in safe and secure surroundings with protection.

I am a Syrian girl who live in Syria, Syria is a place of honour where all are dreaming to live in
.
In every society you find bad and good people, sorry Mr. Sami i am indulged with this society and it's not like you were described, especially that we have nowadays a mixture of many cultures.
A Syrian girl is a symbol of honour and you were definetly wrong with your judgement, who wants sex he has to find an appripriate way which is in all religions " Marriage", and 3eeb 3aleek as a Syrian to suggest bad solutions which in turn which affect negatively and present Syrian people as those who have nothing but dreaming of sex (both Men and Women).

Syria girl which is so proud of its heritage

How would legalizing prostitution eradicate the problem of pimping, trafficking, enslavement of women in brothels? The perpetrators of these crimes are ruthless criminals who have no regard for the law or the human rights of others. They would keep on doing what they are doing regardless of legalization of the base act. As sick as it is, there will always be a market for underage girls and there will always be poor immigrants who will do anything to get out of their situation and thus get taken advantage of. Legalizing prostitution will not stop this from happening, only addressing the underlying economical and societal issues will. The high incidence of your everyday STDs are only one medical concern for those who engage in frequent sexual acts with multiple partners. There is also a higher incidence of fungal infection and bacterial infections which can lead to serious bladder or kidney diseases. Recently, it has been in the news about a serious Staph infection being spread in the prostitution and stripper community. If legalization means that the government will be screening prostitutes regularly for these diseases, how many people can they infect before being stopped? It can take up to 6 months for an HIV positive result. I for one do not want to be sending my tax money to help pay for all of this medical cost. Once legalization goes into effect, you will see a spike in the number of people visiting prostitutes because it's a novel (and now legal) thing to do and consequentally a spike in the occurrence of STDs and other infections.

I really don't care what two consensual adults do with each other in private and if they get paid for it or not. But I think prostitution is this on a much broader scale with far reaching impact and consequences to society as a whole.

Oh, and to Vijay who said this... "I think prostitution is also a good way for 3rd world backward countries (India, Pakistan, etc...) to draw in foreign capital (Look at Bangkok, Manila etc.-where you see white men with a young prostitute all the time)." Yes, I'm sure these young women are all very patriotic and think of the duty to their country often as they stroll with the white men.... with their hungry kids at home and sick dying relatives who can't afford a doctor. Hmm, maybe we should adopt this strategy in rebuilding Iraq....

Shia Muslims legalized "marriage of pleasure" centuries ago.

I cringed when I saw the Title here. What an excellent work you have shared with us Mr. Moubayed and I thank you. We too have a schizophrenia regarding sex in this Country.
It is all very pathological and results in bizarre, conflicted coping mechanisms of thought, word, and deeds in all segments of society. There is a hardwired biological drive for the species to survive. Ignore the fire at your own risks of burning down the house. May the Creator continue to Bless you and your works as well as your family. Thank you.

i agree with the author about too many things in his article but i think he overstate in his describe for the sexual problems in the arab mind, yes we 've too many problems in the arabic society, but we don't live in closed circle, and there is too many people in syria passed the repression problems.

This is a joke, right?

Terrence,

I do not believe legalizing prostitution would worsen gender relations because, IMO, the only way gender relations would worsen is if outright physical conflict broke out.

To start with, you've got men who believe women are hired for jobs over more qualified men so the company can appear to be equal opportunity. Then you have women who believe that a man will be chosen over them because of sexism. And then you have men and women who believe a woman's place is in the home, not the workplace. That's a trifecta that's hard to beat no matter how much gender education you give people.

Second, women are treated differently than men because (again IMO), for the most part, they WANT to be. I am not saying or implying that women want to be discriminated against or forced to do things against their will. What I am saying is that many women want deferential treatment from men. They want men to do things like hold open doors, stand when a woman arrives at or leaves a table, offer their coat if a woman is cold, etc. In a word, women want chivalrous conduct from men.

When I was at university I took basic psychology. Late in the semester we began studying human interactions and the professor asked the guys if we felt, when on a date, we were expected to pay for the entire date. Almost all of us raised our hands. Next the professor asked the ladies in the class to raise their hands if, in their opinion, it would reflect negatively on the man if he asked them to pay for their share of the date. Close to two thirds of the women raised their hands.

This does not mean I believe chivalrous conduct is bad. What I am saying is that women help perpetuate men not viewing them as equals when they expect men to extend courtesies towards them that men would not readily extend towards other men.

Furthermore, I think women can be their own worst enemy in the battle for equality. How many books and magazine articles are out there that a more verbose equivalent of grade school chants like "girls rule, boys drool" and "boys are gritty, girls are pretty"?

Men are just as guilty. We have certainly said and done many things to further the gender divide. My overall point to this rambling discourse is that men are not the only ones to use sex for personal advantage and gain.

what ever happened To The recent study of gay sheep?

would This help?

"The purpose of laws is to encourage citizens to do what is morally correct."

Not true. The purpose of laws is, simply, to regulate. Far too many people conflate laws with government endorsement of certain behavior or activities. Just because something is legal or de-criminialized doesn't mean that everyone will do it just because the law has changed.

For an example of the double standard that is sometimes applied to sex workers, see the documentary "Live Nude Girls Unite," about some strippers who tried to unionize.

First, I want to say I am glad to read a non-US comment on here for a change. And this is a good one.

Second, this history lesson on prostitution in Syria is interesting - from a man's point of view. Unfortunately, men write about prostitution like it only affects the men.

Third, I agree with Mr. Moubayed in his saying that prostitution should be decriminalized. Passing laws against sex don't work. (or against drugs for that matter) When it comes to biological functions, people don't do what others tell them to do.

I agree with the commenter above who said she would like to hear from a prostitute about it.

One more thing. Prostitution is a young person's business. Not many women stay in it after middle age. And I read somewhere that a man's sexual desire peaks at age 19, while a woman's sexual desire peaks about age 35.

Lastly, I think masturbation should be taught in schools. Honestly & openly. People should be taught that they need to take care of their sexual needs in a timely fashion. Without harming anyone else. And by harm I mean emotional harm too, not just physical harm.

Oh, my uncle told me once that "men need women more than women need men". We just can't get around the fact that women & men look for different things from each other.

So, we want to sell women, once again market them, this time legally. Great idea. Why not? We sell cattle and televisions, why not women? And since women are disrespected anyway, why not just have regulated disrespect? Shoot, let's put brothels on Wall Street. I'm sure it would make for a major market in the U.S.

I have a better idea, but nah. Too stupid to even bring it up. Why not let women and men just have sex whenever they want, use protection, and learn to love and respect one another's needs, even if that need is sex? Oh never mind. I forgot. Women aren't supposed to like sex. Stupid me.

Sexuality is a part of human life. Sex has physical exclousures, sex has a soul. The act of love making is not only physical enticement, it also has meta-physical consequence. Everytime you engaged in a love making session, you cohort with your partner. There are psychological implications, there are hormonal implication in every act of sexuality.

What is the difference between rape and prostitution? Despite the fine line we draw in legal norm, the act of prostitution is as cruel as RAPE. If we vouch rape is a criminal act, so does prostitution. Those who visits "brothel" are nonetheless as sick as rapist.

Take a count and check the quality of clientelle who regularly visits brotherl in Nevada, you can certainly guess!

The author provides no evidence that the Arab world is "sexually deprived". He also does not consider the viewpoint of the prostitute. Perhaps this "political analyst, journalist, and author" should interview prostitutes in Syria or elsewhere and ask them how much they like their jobs and way of life?

The author's articles are often published on Asia Times Online. His writing on Iraq is highly sectarian in nature and one gets the sense that he supports insurgents and wishes for democracy in Iraq to fail.

I am shocked that the Washington Post and Newsweek would consider publishing any content from this "journalist".

I support womens prostitutes. It is way of great fortune and luck. You Americans no not of the poorness of the world and how prostitution correct difference in economics. Allowing prostitute is practically socialism.

Suki Falconberg, I do not believe anyone here is in support of women being forced into prostitution. Does your post cover what I consider the most common type, and that is the type in which the womam voluntary chooses to engage in prostitution? In my area, the lowest rate I have seen is $100 for 15 minutes. One hour goes from $200 to as high as $450, and I am just talking about rates I see on Craigslist. That is good money and I suspect hard to resist. A prostitute in my area, in most cases, may not need to see more than two men per day.