My heart pounded with excitement, my hands felt clammy and I sat on the edge of my seat. The last time I had these thrills was when Shrek, with Princess Fiona flung over his shoulders, and his faithful "talking donkey" were all running for dear life with the fire breathing "girl dragon" nipping right at their behind. Whew!
 Abu Bakr's re-imagining of the story of Lot, whose wife turned into a pillar of salt, makes for a blockbuster Hollywood screenplay (SN,17.5.03). Fans like myself demand a sequel, we just can't get
enough of this stuff. Maybe we can call it something like, "Lot reloaded," or "Damn them all to hell! The Sodomites haven't learnt their lesson."
 But whatever the name, part two will clarify a few holes in the plot of part one, "Condemnation of homosexuality in Muslim law is universal."
 For instance, why did the "prophet Lot" indulge in so much rum or wine drinking two nights in a row that he became drunk and had sex with his virgin daughters? Did God not think incest and homosexuality
as equal sins? What did God think about the prophet's drunkenness? Why did Lot's wife, whom Mr Bakr labels as corrupt, turn into a pillar of salt for looking back, while Lot's daughters who connived
to get him drunk and then have sex with him were not punished? In fact, they were "blessed" with two children (male, of course) both of whom became leaders of tribes.
Maybe applying ancient tribal myths to a modern world is really a mistake; in today's world, Lot would be thrown in jail for having sex with his young daughters. I am nauseated at the very thought of incest. How truly disgusting of the Lord's prophet, Lot, whom Mr Bakr describes as "courageous"!
 Here's another hole in the plot: Why would Lot offer his daughters to the men outside if he, by living in that town, knew the men were homosexual? This doesn't add up - Lot should have known the men had
no interest in girls. Perhaps Mr Bakr's sequel should project a modern morality: Lot was alarmed that the gang would rape his male guests, but by offering his daughters instead it appeared he had a different standard for gang raping young women. One wonders why he tried to bargain the teenage girls and not himself and his two sons-in-law who were in the house at that time, especially since, according to Mr Bakr's script, the
men outside wanted to be with other men. Wasn't Lot a bit hasty in trying to get the burkhas off the girls and hustle them into the crowd? Mr Bakr says Lot was aware that his visitors were angels, why
didn't Lot ask for divine assistance before offering his daughters to the Sodomites, telling the men to do "them as is good in your eyes"?
 Such a dirty double standard has no place in today's world. Rape is not tolerated, period. One wonders why the angels, presumably aware of the Sodomites' sexual habits elected to spend the night in the streets. Genesis (19:2 KJV) "And he [Lot] said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay;
but we will abide in the street all night." Brave angels! There was no way in hell I was going to stay in those streets; I was not about to test the Sodomites' reputation! Apparently Sodom was not an "area given up to unnatural sexual practices," as Mr Bakr believes. Not only did the angels feel safe to wander the darkened streets, but Lot's daughters were engaged to be married which would mean that the city had "straight" men.
The Genesis (19:4 KJV) telling of this story says that "all the people from every quarter... both old and young" surrounded Lot's house. Were the women, children and babies invited to what Mr Bakr says was going to be a wild gay sex orgy?
 Sodom was a small fortress in the desert wasteland just south of the Dead Sea. The only strangers the people ever saw were enemy tribes who intended to take over their valuable fortress and the trade
routes that it protected. Some people believe that Sodom had just come out of a devastating war and that the entire village came to Lot's house because they thought he was harbouring enemy spies and they "all" wanted to "know" them through an interrogation. Others say that in some desert cultures gang raping males was a way of
humiliating enemies. This is yet another reason why alien desert folklore is inapplicable to a modern world.
In the book of Ezekiel God spelled out Sodom's sin, (16:49-50) "Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and
needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen." Sex was not mentioned here. Perhaps this was why all the inhabitants were burned
to a crisp; children, babies, foetuses in their mother's wombs, young virgins, heterosexual and homosexual males. I would have serious words with any deity who roasts my child as punishment for an act
committed by some sexual pervert living at the other end of the village.
 Many believe the Genesis tale and other parts of biblical text make it clear that Sodom was punished because of the violent, abusive, inhospitable, greedy, and unsympathetic behaviour of its citizens towards visitors and disadvantaged people. Genesis 19 may be condemning homosexual rape simply because it is a sexual violation, same as Deuteronomy 22:25-29 which condemns heterosexual rape. The story does not sanction consensual homosexual activities between adults, and is totally unrelated to loving, committed, same-sex relationships. Still I am looking forward to the sequel and maybe even an episode
three. With the second part clearing up the inconsistencies of part one, the third installment could focus on the destruction of modern-day prison facilities.

Yours faithfully,
Justin DeFreitas
Imperfect