Job Discussion Forums

[veiledsentiments]

[darkside1]

Hey DMB,

in Saudi a kilt is only acceptable attire if accompanied by a Dundee United top (it got me big respect). The following link will explain all (although I'm sure DMB knows what I'm talking about):

www.arabfever.co.uk

[amity]

[007]

[ALPH]

[007]

[Queen of Sheba]

[Cleopatra]

Q of S,

Maybe it's for the same reason that some female Muslims (particularly converts) insist on wearing the black abaya, tarha and niqabb, even when they are in the 'West'. Like the thobe, this 'uniform' is not 'Islamic" dress as such, but rather is the traditional attire of Gulf women. Muslim women in other parts of the world do not of course dress like this, so why do some 'Western' Muslims insist on adopting this traditional dress?

[007]

[Queen of Sheba]

Well done 007, once again you have restated and reinforced what I just said. It�s just done in a slightly antagonistic way. So are you saying you agree and merely providing the evidence to support my claims, or are you just going off again? I can�t figure out whether you are coming or going or just posting information on the topic for the sake of posting. Either way I guess it doesn�t really matter because you have not, nor can you reasonably, since you don�t wear a thobe to work or on the street, answer the question I have asked; why do some non Gulf men like to wear thobes? I am genuinely curious and would prefer that someone like goingbald, who says he prefers to wear the thobe answer, and of course anybody else who has their own theories on that topic.

[007]

[Stephen Jones]

I had a UK colleague of Arab descent who on occasion would wear a thob and red checked headscarf.

When I mentioned the fact he said:"Well, I'd didn't feel like doing much work today, so I thought I'd dress for the part."

[MAstudent]

QoS:

�Do you mind explaining the theory behind this to me? I have always wondered why some men, who are not Saudi or from the Gulf prefer to wear thobes? Is it because of the comfort, or that they want to be associated with Gulf Arabs? They are simply traditionaly attire for men in the Gulf countries�

Even though I didn�t raise the issue, I would like to offer some reasons behind this phenomenon. It is true that the �Thobe� is the traditional attire of the Gulf Arabs however it is no longer exclusively an Arab dress inasmuch as the suit is no longer the exclusive dress of the White European as once it was. The thobe is worn in Muslim countries in Africa, Asia (Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, etc) as is it worn in many Western countries. This is nothing strange as the world is becoming a smaller place and people are becoming more open towards other cultures.

Why do some Muslims in the west of non Arab descent wear a thobe in the West?

When many Muslims in the west decided to return to their Islamic roots they wanted to assert their Islamic identity visibly by adopting a dress which was alien to their home culture. The Gulf Arab or Saudi �thobe� was chosen simply due to the fact that the Prophet of Islam was an Arab from the Arabian peninsula and therefore his dress would have been close to that of the dress of the Gulf Arabs of today (this may not be the case). In addition these Muslims wear the thobe so that it conforms to the Islamic tradition unlike many of the Gulf Arabs. They make sure that the thobe remains above their ankles (as comes in many prophetic traditions) and they make sure it is loose enough not to show the shape of their bodies. (in sauid we see that the Saudis were thobes below their ankles sometimes dragging on the floor, also their thobes can be very tight)

Therefore it was for two main reasons: 1) to assert their own identity in a dominate culture and, 2) to resemble (in some way) the prophet of Islam and thereby the spirit of Islam.

In the end, an individual can wear whatever he/she wants from whatever culture he/she wants as long as it�s not illegal in the country they are living.

Cleo:

�Maybe it's for the same reason that some female Muslims (particularly converts) insist on wearing the black abaya, tarha and niqabb, even when they are in the 'West'. Like the thobe, this 'uniform' is not 'Islamic" dress as such, but rather is the traditional attire of Gulf women. Muslim women in other parts of the world do not of course dress like this, so why do some 'Western' Muslims insist on adopting this traditional dress?�

This is not the case. Even though Muslim men�s dress has been left quite open (as long as it covers from the navel to the knee), Muslim women�s public dress has been limited by the Islamic teachings. The Quran states in different places as does the prophet (if anyone would like specific quotes PM me) that women must cover their hair completely and draw a cloak over the rest of their bodies. Islamic scholars (past and present) have provided Muslim women with conditions for their dress being acceptable based upon Quran text and prophetic traditions (e.g. It must be loose, it must cover the body, it must not attract attention, it must be dull in colour, its must not be a dress of fame, etc.) The difference of opinion that exists amongst the Islamic scholars is whether a woman must cover her face and hands or whether that is just recommended.

Hence, the Saudi woman�s �uniform� (without its patterns, colours and fancy stuff) is an Islamic dress for Muslim women all over the world, however it is not the only one. This is the majority view of traditional orthodox Muslims (past and present) globally, so it is not for others to decide what is Islamic and what is not!

[Stephen Jones]

The only religious requirement on a Muslim women's attire is that it should be decent. There is no requirement whatsoever to cover the hair, and the Saudi government has stated this when requested by foreign embassies.

If MA student disagrees please contact the Saudi Foreign Office and the Gran Mufti of France, amongst others, and not waste his time arguing with us.

[Cleopatra]