Re:U.S. Soldiers Told to Ignore Afghan Allies’ Abuse of Boys
by simonh on Monday September 21, 2015 @08:00AM
(#10251625)
> ...there seems to be a problem for men not being allowed to see the face of potential mates; is this custom associated with Islam or not?
Well, that's a digression on to a different topic. There's no law in traditional Islamic jurisprudence that requires wearing a veil, only modest forms of dress, and in fact it was not a common practice in the earliest history of Islam. Veils for women were adopted in later Islamic ruling courts as a fashion copied from Byzantium, as Greek women had worn veils since ancient times. Of course if you ask people in Afghanistan why they wear veils they will invoke Islam, but historically that's not the whole story.
In case that's taken in a pejorative sense, as a Christian I have to accept that many of the practices in Christianity have accumulated through later history in the same way. That's just how tradition and culture work.
Well, that's a digression on to a different topic. There's no law in traditional Islamic jurisprudence that requires wearing a veil, only modest forms of dress, and in fact it was not a common practice in the earliest history of Islam. Veils for women were adopted in later Islamic ruling courts as a fashion copied from Byzantium, as Greek women had worn veils since ancient times. Of course if you ask people in Afghanistan why they wear veils they will invoke Islam, but historically that's not the whole story.
In case that's taken in a pejorative sense, as a Christian I have to accept that many of the practices in Christianity have accumulated through later history in the same way. That's just how tradition and culture work.