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Burqa is the standard dress in rural afghan societies (not encessarily in afganhistan). Nothing to do with the Middle East.

In rrual afgan communities it has nothing to do with religion but with gender structures in rural areas (just like in Spain nowadays).

The role of burrqas in the few urban afghan posts is... well highly debatable and I do not know enough about it.

The only place where it is clearly assocaited due to an strange symbolic imaginarium, with religion is in western countries inside non-muslim communities (which would never never in their dreams associate burqa with msulim nor arab).. burqa, for muslims, is a regional and rural symbol (well, more like evocation, like when you heard someone with a different accent and you recognize where it comes from), not a religious one.

A pleasue

I therefore claim to show, not how men think in myths, but how myths operate in men's minds without their being aware of the fact. Levi-Strauss, Claude

by kcurie on Tue Jun 23rd, 2009 at 04:35:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The thing is, Europe based muslims are reinterpreting various forms of head covering that were regional and/or rural as religious.

Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères
by linca (antonin POINT lucas AROBASE gmail.com) on Tue Jun 23rd, 2009 at 07:31:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]
as a reaction to right-wing racism and fear-mongering?

I have no data on this change of view.

A pleasure

I therefore claim to show, not how men think in myths, but how myths operate in men's minds without their being aware of the fact. Levi-Strauss, Claude

by kcurie on Wed Jun 24th, 2009 at 12:30:48 AM EST
[ Parent ]
As a reaction, as a way for girls to show they are "modest yet feminine", as an identity marker.

Also, don't forget that the "muslim" communities in France, at least those that are going the veil or burqa way, aren't the most knowledgeable about their version of traditional islam, and a fair share of the imams are educated in the more conservative muslim countries.

Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères

by linca (antonin POINT lucas AROBASE gmail.com) on Wed Jun 24th, 2009 at 02:23:37 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Since Afghanistan has been Islamic for more than 1000 years, I wonder how easy it is to separate rural dress customs from the implied religious requirements?

--
$E(X_t|F_s) = X_s,\quad t > s$
by martingale on Tue Jun 23rd, 2009 at 10:01:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Difficult, but I have first-hand knowledge here from my grsndma.

Despite looking like religious, and having the stamp of religion, it is actually non-religion.
The key point is gender roles which religion acts as a structure which supports the "stability" of the roles.

Same as rural Spain in the 40/50's.

My grand grand ma used cover and soemtimes face-covers even in cities when she was no longer at all religious.. it was a role marker...Not to say that the church in the town would have not protested/commented... but nothing like the non-church social control to enforce the rules

A pleasure

I therefore claim to show, not how men think in myths, but how myths operate in men's minds without their being aware of the fact. Levi-Strauss, Claude

by kcurie on Wed Jun 24th, 2009 at 12:28:41 AM EST
[ Parent ]

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