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Pastimes : Religion on SI -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: wallstreeter who wrote (1297)	10/5/1998 12:39:00 PM
From: one_less	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1542

No, that isn't my way of saying "covering your face to win?" Actually the wearing of veils over your face is a very small minority among Muslim women. The issue is modesty. I have mentioned before on this thread that Westernized Muslim women are able to find "made in America" cloths styles that accomplish this quite satisfactorily. The scriptural description requires only the covering of your form so as not to attract attention to it, and women's hair is mentioned as a source of sexual attraction by men. Muslim men and women do not try to set a fashion trend for everybody else. There is no agenda to get others to cover. So there really shouldn't be a defensive backlash. Your reaction of "hiding" is not unusual. I remember one summer evening, I felt very uncomfortable the first time I noticed, out of the corner of my right eye, a fully covered (all in black) and veiled Saudi woman slipping into the shadow of a building as I approached to ring the doorbell. I tried not to show an outward reaction, but the fact is I was startled and uncomfortable. This to me, and I think most people from our culture would be the perfect description of a lurking, bandit who is preparing to bushwhack somebody. Of course, I knew full well that wasn't the case, but it sure rattled all my ideas of body language and image messages. The point I'm trying to make here is, I think I understand some of your discomfort. But, defining a culture or behavior of people without being considerate of the cultural perspectives within that culture comes across as unfair and sometimes as bigotry. Since you introduced yourself as a devout religious person, I'm guessing you wouldn't want to give that impression. From the perspective of a Muslim women: They are accepting responsibility for who has the right to appreciate the beauty of their form. They feel good about that, and I support the notion. Of course, as you pointed out men have a responsibility also. In Islam, men are required to lower their gaze if they notice something that could present a temptation. In western culture we have a different perspective. Women are welcome (sometimes encouraged) to wear provocative clothing (provocative comes from 'to provoke'). Men have no right to comment or react to this provocation. Its OK to look but not touch. Muslims would agree that this doesn't give men license to be rude. The only difference here is that Muslims hold women who dress in a way that provokes public attention to their sexuality, also responsible (for that provocation, not the reaction). So, we see Muslim women as responsible, not hiding. If you didn't grow up that way, you may not see it the same but I'm hoping this helps you appreciate the customs of the culture.