Do the women of Muslim countries have to wear black or is it a choice?
340824
I am a muslim woman and No we don't need to wear black:-)\n\n\nOur head dress is often refered to as a hijab, but a better term would be a khimmer. Hijab means the whole dress and demenour of modesty whilst khimer means the head covering. Both words come from arabic. And the robe is  called an abeya. \n\nThe purpose of the head scarf is to cover all our hair (and ears and neck). The colour is unimportant. We don't need to wear black , infact some schoolars say wearing black is discouraged. We often might wear black because it is chic and easy to wear.  Also in some cultures it is the tradition.\n\nI hope that helps. I have linked a site for you as well.\n\nFeel free to ask muslim women questions like that. We don't bite !! And we like to talk to people about our religion and cultures :-D
845248
White is seen as the colour of death in many countries. Also, black is considered to be a more modest colour. In places like Bharain, burkahs are often only worn when the women are outside, over the top of their normal clothes, like jeans. In hot countries, where burkahs etc, are worn, the people are used to the heat, unlike people in Britain where anything over 28 degrees makes people wilt.
1103872
In most Muslim countries (North Africa from Morocco on over to Egypt; the entire Middle East; much of Central Asia, so, Iran, Afghanistan, etc.; certain areas of China, especially in the Northwest; Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia),\n\nmany African people groups (i.e. countries or parts thereof), Muslim or not (and oddly, in some of these groups, it's perfectly OK to show your breasts, the idea being it's a pain to feed your children if you have to constantly be raising and lowering your shirt, but God forbid you show your knees in public)\n\nand India,\n\nit is customary for women not to show their legs, for religious and/or cultural reasons.\n\nFor that matter, in much of the Far East, I think in particular of Southeast Asia, so, places like Vietnam, it is traditionally considered immodest to undress even in front of your spouse!
761281
Face Masks only for women is cruelty and uncivilized. We in 21st century welcome ban of such a medieval practice. In Turkey, Muslim women do not use burqa, why the Muslims who protest against Netherlands go there and insist, since it is an Islamic state.
1022026
Lily has it right, I second her answer.  I would add that clothing varies a lot in the Arab countries, depending on whether you're in Lebanon, with mild climate, with Westernized groups but also muslim conservative groups, or deeper East, where it's very hot and sometimes clothing is dictated by the law, especially for women, as is the case in Saudi Arabia.  One other thing, the Abaya is often white not dark colored, to not absorb heat.
777834
well, im a muslim woman, well girl, but i have regular clothes like u and ur frineds. my mom has some traditional clothing but most of the time, she wears normal casual clothes. some families are reely relioigous and they always wear the traditional clothing, but of coarse, most of us wear the scarf. i started wearing it 4 a year now, and since i have to wear it in school, trust me, its not hard, wen i become like 30 i will buy some of the traditional clothing to actually wear, but th ones i have now i wear them 4 like culture day, or stuff like dat. trusst me, i have the same thing u might have. i have all kinds of generic and name brand clothing and im hoping to get the new puma's. if u wanna noe more, instant message me at : chimp_lover93@yahoo.com
758283
Yes, they have every right to condemn such a law. What a person wants to wear is up to a person's personal choices, as long as it levels to decency. That country is violating rights to religious freedom. No one has any right to interfere into other people's faith's.
1125871
Hello...I'm a Muslim woman living in England..and I will try to give you an answer..\n\n\nIt depends on your definition of Chador and Burqa...\n\nLet me explain what a hijab is first.. It meaning covering..and to protect our modesty.\nIn Islam for women this means that we most wear lose clothes that do not show our curves, and covers all our body except our hands and faces,\nThis is interpreted in many ways in many different countries..and chador and burqa are just one of them.....\n\nA chador is large cloak...that covers the whole body except for the face (and hands). It is originally from Iran..and is named after the Farsi word for tent(because that is really what it is) And is only culturally common in Iran. There is a modified version with arms..that is worn in some countries such as Iraq as well.\nChadors are mostly black...though they are highly coloured ones worn by some traditional groups such as the Bandari. \nPray chadors..worn when making pray are patterned mostly in dark colours..I have one in navy blue with white flowers. \nThere is a fashion now in Iran to have the chador in a pattern..There are still black but with an embroidered type of material. And some young girls wear opaque chador :-)))\n\nThe burqa covers all the body including the face. A common image would be the blue burqas typically worn in Afghanistan..\nThough amore common type of clothing ..that covers the same areas..  would be a niqab..where a separate piece of material covers the face. This is traditional in the gulf states and Saudi Arabia. Also I know in some areas in Pakistan they do that as well.\n\n\n\nOK..back to your question...\n\nI would think that there are very very very few women in the west who wear chador. I have not seen one!! This clothe is traditional only to Iran..and is difficult to wear and manage. You really need to grow up wearing one to be able to control it well.\nMost Iranian women who live in the west do not wear any type of hijab..(or a very small one), and women from other cultures would not wear it because it is very hard to wear. It is also very strange on the streets of London..or New York rather than Tehran.\nI had a friend from Iran who visited Belgium as a tourist who wore a chador for her first day..but then took it off because it was so unusual!!\n\n\nAs for the niqab (it is more common style than burqa) there are a few women that wear it. (and the number is increasing) I would say about 1-3% of Muslim women in the west do, depending where you live. Most of the women who actually wear it are converts to Islam rather than born Muslim. OF the 4 friends I know who wear it 3 are converts.\nIn cities in the UK.. You can see women wearing Niqab in parts of Birmingham, and in areas such as Whitechapel in London. \nYou will also see women from the gulf states wearing Niqab..in central London department stores such as Selfrigdes and Harrods.\nIn Britain most of the women who wear niqab are White British converts (With a few Black British as well..but they tend not to cover their face) and a few Muslims of Pakistani or Bangladeshi origin as well wearing niqab. There are women from the gulf states who wear it but..there are mostly in London (and tourists) Britain does not have a large population from gulf countries,\nIn the USA..again most who wear niqab are converts. There are more Gulf State Arabs in the USA..and some women in places like Dearborn Michigan also wear niqab. But note that most women from most Arab countries such as Egypt do not wear niqab...\n\n\nAs for other types of hijab..I think it is quite common. There are many women who wear western type clothes with a headscarf, or a jilbab(outer coat) and head scarf.\nI would take a guess in the UK at about 40% of Muslim women wear hijab depending on the area.\nAnd it is now getting more popular with young women wanting to practice their religion more. I think it is much more common in the younger generation now. I know many young women /girls who wear the h
7954
A hijab is not a requirement from Al Quran, but it has become a *traditional* and *cultural* requirement in certain traditions and countries that also profess Islam.  \nIn some countries with a Muslim majority in their pouplation, hijab for women is optional, a choice of the woman (either married or single) - e.g. in Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia.\n\nSo it is more a question of whom you are marrying, and what their tradition and expectations are.
841527
OK my answer might be a little bit different than other Muslims. women have to dress in a modesty, that doesn't mean to cover their hair. if they want to its OK but they don't have to. and the same for men they have to dress in a good way. and in the quran God said in 24:30 "tell the believing men that they shall subdue their eyes (and not stare at the women), and to maintain their chastity. this is purer for them. God is fully Cognizant of everything they do. and in 24:31 He said "and tell the believing women to subdue their eyes, and maintain their chastity. they shall not reveal any parts of their bodies, except that which is necessary. they shall cover their chests, and shall not relax this code in the presence of other than their husbands, ......" as we see here God ask the men first then ask the women.\n\npeace, hope i answered you question\n\ni believe and follow only the Quran.. the prophet cant say something is "haram" or no. his mission is just to give the people the quran. so when people say gold and silk is "haram" for men that is not true. there is no where in the quran that say that. i ask every Muslim to read about it and to go to www.submission.org
323007
Why Do I Wear Hijab?\n\nI probably do not fit into the preconceived notion of a "rebel". I have no visible tattoos and minimal piercings. I do not possess a leather jacket. \nIn fact, when most people look at me, their first thought usually is something along the lines of "oppressed female." \n\nThe brave individuals who have mustered the courage to ask me about the way I dress usually have questions like: "Do your parents make you wear that?" or "Don't you find that really unfair?" \n\nA while back, a couple of girls in Montreal were kicked out of school for dressing like I do. It seems strange that a little piece of cloth would make for such controversy. Perhaps the fear is that I am harbouring an Uzi underneath it. \n\nOf course, the issue at hand is more than a mere piece of cloth. I am a Muslim woman who, like millions of other Muslim women across the globe, chooses to wear the hijab. And the concept of the hijab, contrary to popular opinion, is actually one of the most fundamental aspects of female empowerment. \n\nWhen I cover myself, I make it virtually impossible for people to judge me according to the way I look. I cannot be categorized because of my attractiveness or lack thereof. Compare this to life in today's society: We are constantly sizing one another up on the basis of our clothing, jewelry, hair and makeup. What kind of depth can there be in a world like this? Yes, I have a body, a physical manifestation upon this Earth. But it is the vessel of an intelligent mind and a strong spirit. \n\nIt is not for the beholder to leer at or to use in advertisements to sell everything from beer to cars. Because of the superficiality of the world in which we live, external appearances are so stressed that the value of the individual counts for almost nothing. \n\nIt is a myth that women in today's society are liberated. What kind of freedom can there be when a woman cannot walk down the street without every aspect of her physical self being "checked out"? When I wear the hijab I feel safe from all of this. I can rest assured that no one is looking at me and making assumptions about my character from the length of my skirt. There is a barrier between me and those who would exploit me. I am first and foremost a human being, equal to any man, and not vulnerable because of my sexuality. \n\nOne of the saddest truths of our time is the question of the beauty myth and female self-image. Reading popular teenage magazines, you can instantly find out what kind of body image is "in" or "out." and if you have the "wrong" body type, well, then, you're just going to have to change it, aren't you? After all, there is no way that you can be overweight and still be beautiful. Look at any advertisement. Is a woman being used to sell the product? How old is she? How attractive is she? What is she wearing? More often than not, that woman will be no older than her early 20s, taller, slimmer and more attractive than average, dressed in skimpy clothing. \nWhy do we allow ourselves to be manipulated like this? \n\nWhether the '90s woman wishes to believe it or not, she is being forced into a mold. She is being coerced into selling herself, into compromising herself. This is why we have 13-year-old girls sticking their fingers down their throats and overweight adolescents hanging themselves. When people ask me if I feel oppressed, I can honestly say no. I made this decision out of my own free will. I like the fact that I am taking control of the way other people perceive me. I enjoy the fact that I don't give anyone anything to look at and that I have released myself from the bondage of the swinging pendulum of the fashion industry and other institutions that exploit females. \n\nMy body is my own business. Nobody can tell me how I should look or whether or not I am beautiful. I know that there is more to me than that. I am also able to sa
430820
sometimes. depends which ones. muslims wear stuff geared for muslims. there's goth. amish and mormin wear dresses.....
737953
Please don't confuse tribal customs with Islam. Muslim men are commanded to cover themselves. The Muslim women who wear the burka do so because of tribal and social customs, it is not a command of Islam. Women are commanded to cover their beauty, draw their veils over their bosoms. Most Muslim women dress just like everyone else, we just wear looser clothing that does not reveal our body and we cover our hair. There is no command that we wear a specific type of outer garment such as a burka or a abaya, that is a custom of the country's where they are worn. Men are commanded to cover certain parts of their bodies and both men and women are told to lower their gaze and not to look for members of the opposite sex in a sexual way.
548497
No.the taliban were told, give up bin laden or else.they chose or else The united nations sangtioned the invasion.Nothing has changed and the women still wear the burka
760680
No, you don't have to unless there are males in the house and you would like to pay some respect to their belief.  But if you're going to a house where there are only females, it's not necessary.  Did you know that when Muslim women go to a all female gathering, they can take the head covering off.  In fact most of them adorn themselves (make-up, jewelery, fancy clothes, etc) when they go to such places.  \n\nHowever, if you choose to wear one out of respect and tolerance to her religion, by all means go ahead.  It's not disrespectful at all being the fact that you are not Muslim.  It is actually a very friendly and respectful gesture.  \n\nI know my old principal of my elementary school was very fascinated by Islam and very respectful.  So on the Islamic Holidays, she would wear a head covering to school.  I found that awsome.
640266
I wear a hijab everywhere, and most of the time, a burkha. Sometimes i get stares and weird questions, and that makes me feel different, but mostly, it's ok, and im respected by all the nonmuslims i know.
860589
I agree with you... Let the women choose what they would or wouldn't like... I am planning to visit Turkey and maybe get the picture of what's going on there first hand... I was shocked for the first time some years back when watching news... A lady who was a member of the Turkish parliament entered wearing Hijab... and all the men and other people there stood up raising their voices angrily asking her to remove her Hijab or else leave the session... It was indeed very rude... And she was defiant of neither removing her hijab nor leaving the session... Imagine an educated lady going through this... Yes, UAE is a very good example where no one is forced into anything... I have been to the UAE on several occassions and did wear my Hijab... Seeing some people not wearing Hijab did not encourage me to change my mind... It should be about choice...