[The Police Chief] justified the head-shavings and dunkings in water — images that spread like wildfire across the Internet — as a misperceived “tradition” practiced by police cadets, and added that the detainees were “just happy because it has been a long time since they have had a bath.”

“Trash does not fit the Islamic law. Muslims do prayer and are meant to be pure, be clean.”

Iskandar also roundly denied that the detainees rights had been infringed upon, despite their being held with no criminal charges.

“If we are considered as violating human rights because they are not as free as they are on the street, whose human rights formulation is that?” he said. “Please judge us. We do not torture them.”

Just the opposite, he said, the re-education program was carried out — paid for by the city administration — out of a spirit of caring for the youths.

“If some of them with ear-piercings and other big [piercing] holes have made a request to close the hole, then we will fix it. So, what further human rights what one might ask for? I have no idea.”

I am just going to sit here banging my head against the wall.