Burka not a part of Islam, say scholars

[khalsa1699]

Burqa not a part of Islam, say scholars

New Delhi, Aug 20 (IANS) The Karnataka college that disallows its students from wearing either burqas or headscarves has found unexpected support amongst a section of Islamic scholars who say rules should be followed because Islam is not particular about imposing any dress code.

'Burqa is not a part of Islam. It is a part of culture, the culture that the people of the subcontinent have been following since ages. Nobody can enforce a dress code in the name of Islam. It is categorically un-Islamic,' renowned Islamic scholar Maulana Wahiduddin Khan told IANS.

'If a college has a rule to not wear a burqa or headscarf then that should be followed and respected. If you don't agree, you quit the college,' Khan, who has authored 10 books, said.

His comments came a day after Mangalore's Sri Venkataramana Swamy College disallowed 19-year-old Ayesha Ashmin to attend classes for 12 days because she insisted on wearing a headscarf. The B.Com first year student alleged she was being persecuted for her religious beliefs as she was wearing a headscarf.

The college has denied the allegation and said the girl had violated the rules of the institution.

Khan, 82, does not disagree with the college.

'Islamic dress is your inner character, not what you wear outside.'
'Man or woman, anyone can wear anything they feel is decent. What matters is your truthfulness and honesty in character,' said the author of 'Discovering Islam From Its Original Sources' that draws a distinction between Islam as presented by Prophet Muhammad and modern day Islam.

Fareeda Khan, who is also an Islamic scholar and teaches in the capital's Jamia Millia University, echoed the views.

'The burqa has become the symbol of rigidity and has nothing to do with Islam. You should accept that the burqa, a part of subcontinental culture, has been misused for suicide bombings. Why not avoid the burqa? Burqa is not part of any Islamic dress code,' she said.

'I also suggest to my students to not wear a burqa in the university. What is the big deal about it?' Fareeda, who is also the daughter of Wahiduddin Khan, said.


©Indo-Asian News Service

http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=3159984

if burka is a part of the indian subcontinent, then how come women in middle eastern countries are wearing it?

[HGRazorR]

Is there any critical thought and analysis or even historical evidence to support this theory? Love to read more about it.

[Wahnsinn]

if burka is a part of the indian subcontinent, then how come women in middle eastern countries are wearing it?

I imagine because they have misinterpreted it as a symbol of Islam. :cantbeli:

[Lov3ll]

“ Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: And Allah is well acquainted with all that they do. ”
— Qur'an [24:30]

“ And say that 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 ... ”
— Qur'an [24:31]

“ O Prophet! Tell thy wives and thy daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks close round them. That will be better, so that they may be recognized and not harassed. Allah (SWT) is ever Forgiving, Merciful. ”
— Qur'an [33:59]

[khalsa1699]

“ Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: And Allah is well acquainted with all that they do. ”
— Qur'an [24:30]

“ And say that 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 ... ”
— Qur'an [24:31]

“ O Prophet! Tell thy wives and thy daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks close round them. That will be better, so that they may be recognized and not harassed. Allah (SWT) is ever Forgiving, Merciful. ”
— Qur'an [33:59]

so we have confused islamic scholars in india?

[black mamba]

no, because burqa as practiced today in most islamic countries is not what the Quran says should be. What it states is that a woman can NOT cover her hands, feet and face.

“And say to the believing women to lower their gaze, and guard their private parts, and cover their necks and chest with their khimar (head covering).” that is from Surah Noor

also, as for the verse that you posted, it is actually:

"O Prophets! Tell thy wives and thy daughters and the women of the believers to
Their cloaks close round them (when thay go abroad). That will be better, that
So they may be recognized and not annoyed. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful"

[black mamba]

btw, abroad means out of their houses

also, the covering of one's head has been recommended by all the Abrahamic religions; judaism, islam and christianity.

[Kit]

“ Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: And Allah is well acquainted with all that they do. ”
— Qur'an [24:30]

“ And say that 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 ... ”
— Qur'an [24:31]

“ O Prophet! Tell thy wives and thy daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks close round them. That will be better, so that they may be recognized and not harassed. Allah (SWT) is ever Forgiving, Merciful. ”
— Qur'an [33:59]

In a nutshell, don't go showing off skin or cleavage. That's what it sounds like.

Anyway, I've heard that he headscarf custom is not Islamic at all, but instead has Persian cultural roots.

[seraosha]

The proclamation to go forth dressed modestly for both men and women has been changed through innovation in Islam...which is against Allaah's will as told in the Quran.

The burka may be tradition, but that should not come before faith.

[vinny_121_ND]

Islam require women to dress modestly, not being covered from head to toe. It's a bad image to wear a burkha or a niqab, nothing good that comes about it. A Carleton University sociology professor wore a niqab for a day, and she could see people just staring at her like WTF are you wearing that for?

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/10/20/professor-niqab.html

[Zarak]

btw, abroad means out of their houses

also, the covering of one's head has been recommended by all the Abrahamic religions; judaism, islam and christianity.

Is a Redsox cap sufficient?

[BloodyTalon]

In a nutshell, don't go showing off skin or cleavage. That's what it sounds like.

Anyway, I've heard that he headscarf custom is not Islamic at all, but instead has Persian cultural roots.
It's been a while, but from what I can recall the mass wearing of headscarves/veils/etc. originated as either a Persian or Mesopotamian custom (my guess is Mesopotamian since that's the region of origin of Muhammad). The basic gist of the tradition was that as soon as a woman was married she wore more modest clothing, including veils and headscarves, as a way to keep herself from being an object of lust for other men.

As you've mentioned, the general letter and spirit of the law in the Koran is simply "don't dress like a slut." However, when practitioners of Islam from other cultures noticed the veils and other restricting clothes, it seems that they assumed that their style of dress was they exact standard they had to measure up to, and as a result we have all of this burka nonsense going on.

[Panchito12]

Is a Redsox cap sufficient?

Red Sox nation = INFIDELS!!

[ggk]

i told ya....

a head scarf is sufficient....and cover the ****s too....and show no skin for the rest of the bodies except hand and feet. That means any kind of fashion and colour as long as it cover the said area...... but Burqa is just plain weird.

[rajkhalsa]

'Burqa is not a part of Islam. It is a part of culture, the culture that the people of the subcontinent have been following since ages.
What the hell is he talking about? There isn't any major religious tradition indigenous to the subcontinent that has anything close to the burqa.

Indeed, the Victorian standards of prudishness in modern India are literally just that -- Victorian. Pre British and especially pre Muslim dress showed far more skin.

[59Diesel]

In a nutshell, don't go showing off skin or cleavage. That's what it sounds like.


They have to cover up the good stuff shame:cantbeli:

I will never understand it. To me it's just another form of male domination.

[black mamba]

and you think making women *** objects is not male domination? an extreme of everything is bad. whether its extreme forms of religion or 'freedom'

[happyslapper]

A couple of years ago, the BBC ran a Panorama series about changing Islamic culture. A common theme throughout was how conditions have been deteriorating for women, and also that where the Quran used to be touted as moderate, it has increasingly been the case that the only 'acceptable' interpretation in many societies (as promoted by governments and religious orgs) is that of a radical extreme.

[vinny_121_ND]

and you think making women *** objects is not male domination? an extreme of everything is bad. whether its extreme forms of religion or 'freedom'

agreed as well. The media/Hollywood has made it what it is. When Transformers 2 came out, all the talk was megan fox and how she's the sexiest woman alive, and her new crush named Rain.

[Erik Sleivöks]

It is probably just that men that believed in these stories and hence made the rules where not really men or not really strong or at least not as we see a strong and intelligent man in modern society of today.
Maybe they lacked control of their basic animal ****** instincts, who knows?
However and in their fear of female intelligence and power, they felt an urgent need to oppress and force women in to slavery.

More than a thousand years later they are still blocked in an absurd way of thinking.

[AgentX]

A couple of years ago, the BBC ran a Panorama series about changing Islamic culture. A common theme throughout was how conditions have been deteriorating for women, and also that where the Quran used to be touted as moderate, it has increasingly been the case that the only 'acceptable' interpretation in many societies (as promoted by governments and religious orgs) is that of a radical extreme.
Conformists must suffer.

[khalsa1699]

so its a man's world after all?

is it safe to say that?

[59Diesel]

and you think making women *** objects is not male domination? an extreme of everything is bad. whether its extreme forms of religion or 'freedom'

Yes but those women treated as *** objects truly are free. Weather is be **** or bdsm etc.

Compared to forcefully making a woman wear one.

I don't know about everyone else. Personally I like it when my woman gets viewed for her beauty. Although it's a little weird when it comes from other women:|

[black mamba]

and what makes u think that all women may not want to cover their head. like i said, the burka is wrong, covering their head is something that is prescribed by all abrahamaic religions.

and i dont think being reduced to being an object of ****** degradation etc as freedom even if they think they are free to choose this path. its only to feed the male need for it