– Ayatollah Khomeini

“The Ayatollah Khomeini’s rejection of music — like the Prophet Muhammad’s and Qutb’s — was directly connected to his revulsion of any form of cheer or joy in human life. He explained:

“And so, it is clearly evident why communist China closed down Degang’s comedy clubs and why such clubs are non-existent any place where Islamic law is in effect. In Islam, laughter is intensely discouraged, and is actually forbidden for women — especially young girls.

Author Nawal El Saadaw remembers that, growing up in Egypt, “If I laughed, I was expected to keep my voice so low that people could hardly hear me, or better, confine myself to smiling timidly.”

When Souad, the Palestinian survivor of an attempted honor killing, was flown to Switzerland, she was shocked to find females dressing as they wished, smiling and laughing without being punished, and having people actually say “thank you” to her — which had not happened once in her entire life in Palestinian society.