I have not read the Koran and no very little on the subject of Islam. Can anyone here share why the Burka came to be, what is the logic for it? It seems a severe form of repression to an outside observer such as myself.

“And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what must ordinarily appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, or their brothers' sons or their sisters' sons….” (Quran 24:31).”

Hope this is helpful

Both women and men have a dress code in Islam. It is a form of modesty and protection for women.

I found this site which I think you may find interesting.

Good site Empress

Very helpful. Is that the only place it comes from? That one passage in the koran? All I get out of that is they should cover their breasts. Those really traditional Burkas only have the womans eyes showing. I'm not seeing anything in this passage that says cover yourself except for your eyes.

Does it say in the Koran that men must lower their gaze as well, if not that is rather sexist, don't ya think?

Maybe, but that is not for me to say. I wish people would stop worrying about others religion and start thinking about things like medicines, food, clean water, for impoverished places.

and as you can see above Empress has provided you a pretty informative site

She did and I appreciate the link, it has been very informative

I don't "worry" about others religions but I would like to understand them. I'm not trying to be provacative with my post, only trying to understand.

I do think about things like medicines, food, clean water, for impoverished places, by the way. But I believe actions speak louder than words and so I have traveled to third world countries and I believe I have made a positive difference in many lives in those countries. In fact there are three or four villages in Sri Lanka who's children have recieved imunizations against Japanese Encephalitis because of my efforts.

So, please don't condensend and let me ask my questions.

I like your avatar by the way, he's cute

Maybe I was speaking to generally but that wasnt directed at you

thanx, his name is mustard

I can't help wanting to tickle mustards belly!

I wouldnt, he looks sweet and all but he is a known finger eater

Well I got eight of them and two thumbs, I'll take my chances

I'm social phobic, and if it wasn't such a contraversial subject around here (West Yorkshire, a few miles from where the school teacher lost her job) I'd wear one myself. Not for religious reasons, simply for the fact I'd feel "safer" with my face covered in public (I get panic attacks if people stare at me, silly I know lol) I often go round in the winter with a scarf round my face for that reason, it's harder to get away with in the summer. I can completely understand the "protection" side of it, especially psychological from the wearers viewpoint. I feel that if a woman wishes to wear it on her own terms then fair enough, if her husband/family insist even though she doesn't want to wear it then that's different.

Only thing i know they must figgure if a woman had a pretty face she would be in danger of getting pounced on and raped by the men that surround her . Geese i could see covering up a little better then some do in the west as we all know their is perverts around at times . But they must think they have alot of men that could not control themselves or stop coveting other mens wives .


In north west africa muslims circumcise women trying to make it so sex is not pleasurable . i guess they figgure if it was a pleasure for the woman they would be out looking for it somewhere else .

I knew a guy married 4 woman in africa they all had it done to them , woman was next to a possession like a car or a house in that area . He told me sometimes people would just offer you women to keep .

HEY you want my sister ? he said one guy asked him on a street .

I actually met a few muslims from that country one time . One grew up christian and told me he converted to Islam as he got crazy when he drank jungle juice . And also i think he liked the 4 wife deal the muslims got .

What is jungle juice lol ....

Ahh to cover a woman's beauty is a shame, besides the things look very hot. It is a wonder you don't see Muslim women lying in the street passed out from the heat in those things.

That isn't silly at all, I am the same way . I wear a hijab when I go out for the same reason, it makes me comfortable in my surroundings.

I guess some type of alcohol .


I had a brother lived Over there for a while (wasn't him had the 4 wives ,i think he had 60 lol) he had a goat for a pet . They kept coming offering to sacrifice it or something . After a while somebody just stole it .

You should see the Muslim swimwear that women are allowed to wear. It seems to me no matter what their religion dictates it seems extremist and causes repression in their society. I suppose they could say we over expose in our society. Men are supposedly visually stimulated and this may be their reasoning aside from religion. The Muslim men seem to want to make up for it when they die and get 72 virgins in heaven. What a moronic mindset.

A religion inspired by the Penis id say (72 virgins i should tell my brother about this faith lol ) . Of course isn't that what a steeple on a Christian church represents a erect Penis ?


Be something now if when they get to be spirit beings and then their penises no longer work .

I did a paper on this business of steeples as there is much debate over the origins. It seems it can go two ways in archaeological history. The more ancient theory is that it dates back to the obelisk and sun worship. the tempels were naturally to point to the sun. It is believes the "phallic cults took this idea over by the sheer nature of the shape of the structure aand adopted it. All modern buildings that point upward could certainly fit that bill as well, but obviously that is not the intent at all. I know that there is an Obelisk in front of St. Peter's. I am not sure what it is doing there but it is. Another theory of this is that these structures point to heaven or are closer to heaven, like the idea behind the tower of Babel. But, it is a bit of a stretch to say that steeples were intended for worship of the male genitalia, no pun intended.

I just put church steeple orgins in google this came up nothing I made up, i don't really know what they are . Some Pagan sign is all i know .

http://atheism.about.com/b/a/031884.htm

here is a other one i just found don't know who its from.
http://www.piney.com/Asherah.html

seem to know a little about steeples orgins .


Back to the Burka . Isn't saying much for the muslim men if they have to keep women coveredup like fort knox . They can't trust each other around a nice looking woman.

I don't claim to know everything about Islam, but I am quite certain that the idea of recieving 72 virgins upon entering heaven is a misconception. The aramaic term "hur" stands for "pure white grapes" but was rather misinterprited as virginal. Perhaps the virgin concept came from the words pure and white, both assoiciating with the term virgin.

common misconceptions about Islam
Islam Q&A
Grapes? Virgins?
women in islam

As far as the swimsuits for muslim women; they are made that way because Islam is supposed to determine every aspect of your life. If it is customary in the Islamic way of life to be modest and cover your body, that doesn't mean going out in the water is an acception to the rules.

this page came up on the search too moondoggy . http://www.nazarite.net/the-churches.html its cute .


Some muslims do teach the 72 virgin thing ,ive seen it . and heard tapes on it . Its a reward for suicide bombing Innocent peoples .

http://www.guardian.co.uk/religion/Story/0...,631357,00.html i just found this with a search , sounds like quite a place that muslim Paridise place . Be a good place to be a ****** salesman lol.


I just read it all setting here laughing eternal erections !!!!!! i told you it was the religion inspired by the penis. wow eternal erections ! and 72 virgins !

Just think what you athiest are going to miss!

Did you not read any of the articles I posted?

I myself have seen Muslim clerics teach this 72 virgin doctrine . online on pal talk and also in a article that was put out by a muslim cleric one time . It is a Popular teaching .


Islam better Find out What alot of Islam teaches .

At least in Christianity we mostly beleave false christians are around in large numbers .


one of islams biggest problems is the don't try to seperate their sheep from their goats in the least .

if they will embrace the 5 pillers of islam they are in .

I wont disagree with you that there are those who preach the wrong word of Islam. Things like that are prevelent in all religions in my opinion, but the point of my going off a tangent and disagreeing with you is because even though there may be some that teach that way; that doesn't make it the true teachings and meaning of Islam. Those who teach such misconceptions are ignorant to the truth.

I been surfing the web about this 72 virgin thing .

http://god-bless-hitler.blogspot.com/2006/...-and-jihad.html

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=4103

I am unaware of an aramaic text of the koran, would that be arabic? I have heard them on Al Jazeera discussing the virgins Allah will reward them with and they were not talking about grapes. But who knows. Does an aramaic version of the koran exhist because I know that they despise the language because of its Judaic ties.

Here is a book about aramaic in the Qu'ran.

What with all the nifty concealable video camera's one is able to buy today, I think it would be an excellent experiment to be a woman and dawn a Burka for a week, in their home city/town. Concealed, no one would know it was you but you would then see what everyone thought of you , on sight. How humbling to the opinions of what it means to be a muslim woman, if one were to actually live as one for awhile. Imagine the potential for broadcast after. Even if networks didn't pick it up, you could still compile a short film enough to broadcast yourself on You Tube, or some such. Women of Islam, from inside the Western non-muslim perspective.

I like that idea, and a Nifty title you created . I can definately see CNN picking that up, IFC, or NOVA.

Thanks for the info empress. Goddess I think that was actually done. I saw this on CNN I think a few years ago. A woman had a camera while in a burka going about daily activities. It was interesting and you might be able to find it on the net.

I stumbled on a article in the jerusalem post on honour killings in palistine yesterday I should of posted it . I think if I was a woman living in that type of situation Id wear a Burka too . I probly would never go out Door .

Maybe we have forgotten the public stoning of women in Afghanistan in the soccer stadium. For alleged adultery of all things. There is the difference between the teachings of Jesus and the Muslim religion. Jesus asked the accusers who were about to stone a woman, "He who is without sin, cast the first stone..." I wonder why you never hear of Muslim men getting stoned to death for adultery? Oh, I forgot, Muslim women are only one step up from dogs in their society.

Thats what was in this story on honour killings . (I relise it was wrote by jewish author) It claimed if a woman got raped she was the quilty one and he man wasn't . She could be killed for loseing her honour the man walked .

No wonder why they wear burkas . They live amonst men thats goal is to go to that big eternal playboy mansion in the sky and get a eternal boner . 3/4s of who can't have a wife to take their frustrations out on because somebody else had to have 4 . And if They get mollested It could be their fault .

And they want me to trade my Bible in?

Kind of off topic again, but did you hear the story of Nazin, an Iranian teenager who killed a man that was trying to rape her younger cousin. She is on trial now for the death penalty.

It seems to fit the topic, I do recall seeing this or a similar one. I think the one I saw dealt with a woman fighting off the man who was raping her and they jailed the woman. What is this the stone age or what? We see stuff like this and it enrages us. We were enraged enough to have an against the odds Revolution, why will these countries not do the same?