Satan's Clothes?

News from Iran as posted on the World Wide Religious News site:

Iran arrests 49 for wearing 'satanic' clothing"

By Tim Butcher ("Telegraph", December 4, 2008)

Qaemshahr, Iran - Mahmoud Rahmani, head of police in the northern city of Qaemshahr, where the arrests took place, denounced Iranians who wore western-style clothes and haircuts.

"Police confronted rascals and thugs who appeared in public wearing satanic fashions and unsuitable clothing," he said.

He added that five local barber shops were closed and twenty more warned for "promoting western hairstyles". These are believed to include spiky haircuts.

I understand a little bit about Muslims having negative reactions to things identified with the West. In their mind, Western culture represents the influence of evil. In this way, Muslims are not too far different in their viewpoint from very conservative Western Christians.

One thing that has always bothered me, though, about such reactions is that the religious authorities seem to focus on something minor and, from my perspective, make an over-reaction to it.

I remember reading about the furor in 1950's America over rock and roll as the devil's music. Through the years, religious guardians of all that is pure and holy have condemned things like: the circus, bobbed hair (look it up, if you need a definition), and crossword puzzles as leading otherwise good religious people down the garden path to hell. Of course, from the perspective of the religious guardians, these things, innocent though they may seem, were the first step to ruin, utilizing the infamous "slippery-slope" argument.

So. I wonder, what have you done that was condemned by some self-appointed religious purist? Did it ruin you? Are you now a minion of Satan because of what you wore or how your hair was cut?