Hugging, a Sin in Pakistan?

This is just another example of why we should be dealing with Middle Eastern Countries diplomatically and not militarily. Islamic clerics have demanded the firing ofthe tourism minister of Pakistan Nilofar Bakhtiar. And for what?, hugging a foreign man. This is agreat sin under Taliban rule, and the Taliban is alive an well in Pakistan.

Photos in the Pakistani media have shown Bakhtiar being helped by a maleinstructor during a charity parachute jump in France last month to raise moneyfor victims of the devastating October 2005 earthquake in Pakistan. Anotherpicture shows a woman -- apparently Bakhtiar -- hugging the instructor. 

This was "an illegitimate and forbidden act," the clerics said in  their edict, or fatwa.
 
  "Without any doubt, she has committed a great sin," the fatwa said.  It declared that Muslim women must stay at home and must not venture out  uncovered.

Religion is basically how most Middle Eastern Countries areruled, thousands of years living by  basically the  same rules and laws. I wouldagree that military action is inevitable at times, but democracy as we know itjust isn't going to happen wherever we decide it should be. We had the Talibanvirtually eliminated in Afghanistan and we shouldn't have stopped until theywere gone. Instead, Iraq became our focus and the Taliban began to rally, andPakistan is becoming a haven for them. I sure hope that doesn't mean theadministration decides to "fix" that problem too.