Yemen: Fornication with the Eyes

I have difficulty with the idea that women should cover themselves up completely. This will be a working essay on two perspectives on this matter (mine and Yemeni).

A little background information…

Behaving in the way of the culture in which one is living is called ‘edeb,’ I think. It is appropriate for women and men coming to Yemen to adopt the cultural practices of the area. If a woman comes to Yemen, it would be wise for her to adopt the practice of covering her body, for modesty. In Yemen, this means a loose, full-length black dress, facial veil with eye slit, black gloves, and usually black socks.

The idea again is modesty, which is not only a cultural practice but is also part of Islamic law, as stated in the Qur’an (??). The holy and untainted text of the Qur’an does not state the manner in which this should be practiced [neither does it say pray 5x/day], but these practices are found in the Sunna and Hadith – the life and practices of the Prophet Muhammad. This is why the practice of modesty, while required, is different in different cultures.

"Wouldn’t you want a hijab wife?"

Isn’t this just a chauvinistic tactic to limit women? Isn’t this a cynical view that women should be modest while men are not because it seems men can’t control their urges when they see a woman?

However, take some time to see the other side. This covering (I’ll refer to it as chador) is a temporary dress worn over one’s clothing. The chador allows women to be anonymous and thus treated equally to one another. Here, chador is a respected practice. Let’s explore each in more depth.

I have walked through a couple stores that sell some nice black dresses that hang like elegant evening gowns. I have walked through stores that sell slinky and lacy dresses that hang like second-hand donations. Yes, there are colorful dresses with sequins and slender shoulder straps sold here – but how? These chadors are a mere covering, and not the national uniform of women who wear their own clothing beneath. The covering is donned for the visitor, for the streets, for all individuals the woman could marry if she were divorced. The covering is removed in private at home or for parties with the ladies.

Imagine not being able to distinguish beautiful, hot lass on the street from your grandmother, without staring. Personally, I’d err on the side of caution and treat each covered woman with respect. Through second-hand information, I’ve heard that women feel empowered from this equal status by lack of distinction; nothing prevents them from being discriminated or stereotyped by appearance (unless you stereotype them simply for wearing a chador).

Finally, the chador is a respected garment in Yemen and other places. It is a respected practice in the Islamic faith, but a head covering also seems to have been a regular practice of ancient Christian and Jewish practice. These women are respected for their modesty and there ability to stand up to outside pressures (with the assumption that she chose this practice). More second-hand information speaks of religious students scurrying out of the way of a group of women out of fear.

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Extra link:
Chador Etiquette