[MD] What is the intellectual argument about Islamic veil wearing?

[Khaled Alkotob]

Hello, Mark, SA and Arlo

Arlo's respond to this is on the money.

Mark you are asking a very valid question. We have been down this road
before but here we go again. I am going to make a few points, if there
are any questions please ask.

A catholic nun is admired for showing her devotion by wearing a habit. So
if the whole Catholic female persuasion decided to wear a habit, would
that be considered odd.

There are those who wear it out of devotion, and those who were it
because the government tells them to do so. Afghanistan, Iran and Saudi
Arabia ( I may have missed some)

There is the head cover, and there is the veil (face cover)

Religion does not require neither.

Most of it is Cultural

Most of is a backlash to the failure of society to maintain it's morals
while attempting modernization
Modernization is looked as westernization and it's a last ditch effort to
hang on to things past.

Some wear it out of convenience ( ever woke up late, put on a cap because
you don't feel like showering and looking proper )

Some wear it because it makes them feel as they belong to something,
especially in immigrant groups.

In some society, where keeping the males in check might be a problem, a
head scarf is a solution ( a bad solution, but a solution nonetheless)

In places like Malaysia, it becomes as part of the school uniforms, you
don't have to think about what to wear.

Some of it is cultural, in the Mediterranean basin, once  woman becomes a
widow, she wears black the rest of her life. The scarf, is a way to say,
I have had my youth and beauty, now it's time to be modest, and women
will wear a head cover once they are  in their 60s and over regardless of
nationality or origin. Italy, Spain, Greece, turkey come to mind.

So it's not all black and white. Yes some of it, ( actually most) is
becoming in-your-face political statement. Once they settle down, that
will go away

Khaled


[Mark]
 Hello SA.
> The first consideration is to distinguish between Social patterns of 
> static  
> quality and Intellectual patterns of static quality:
> Social patterns are imitated behaviour, rituals and celebrity 
> status.
> Intellectual patterns are symbolic manipulations.
> Clothing such as viels are not functional, they are:
> 1. Imitated rituals,
> 2. Symbolic representations of celebrity status.
> 1 may be thought of as purely static social structure.
> 2. may be thought of as a Dynamic function.
> Any Intellectual objection to these social patterns would be made in 
> order  
> to support intellectual patterns over social patterns. However, DQ 
> is not  
> patterned, and neither social nor intellectual patterns can contain 
> it.
> So, 2 may be ambiguous; imagine a T-shirt with MOQ or DQ printed on  
> it.
> 1 is a method of social organisation which controls biological  
> patterns.
> 2 is a method of celebrity status which organises social rituals and 
>  
> behaviour.
> The central deity of Islam is the ultimate controling celebrity 
> which  
> subordinates all other social patterns.
> If this celebrity does not sanction the veil there is no requirement 
> for it  
> to be worn.
> This celebrity IS the law in Islamic culture.
> Love,
> Mark
>