Re: strange monthy customs was website items

On Sun, 23 Nov 2003 12:11:55 GMT, Joy Hardie <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

>
>>> Here is a link, tell me what you think.  See the safety pins?
>>> Sanitary Napkin Belts
>>> http://www.mum.org/belthick.htm
>>
>>Well, ain't that site a mine of information!?
>>
>>Strange that it seems to be collated by a bloke, but nice to know someone
>>is archiving this 'secret' history, given the amount of ignorance and fear
>>girls stiff suffered from while I was growing up. I am only 40, but I had
>>school friends who weren't allowed to water plants while they were
>>menstruating, because the plants would die, or cook food, because it would
>>be tainted and all the rest of that superstitious nonsense.
>>
>>:) Trish 
>
>Well, with great respect to Muslims,  Yet it has come to my attention
>and knowledge that they are not allowed to wear nail polish because it
>can disguise a lack of cleanliness (probably true - if you have ever
>seen under some  long unkept painted nails).  BUT, the exception is,
>when they are menstruating, they can wear nailpolish because they are
>deemed "unclean" anyway and can't do the regular prayers.
>I can respect that.
>But, oh how horrible to "advertise" when your time of the month is
>when you do wear nailpolish.
>I guess it is better than getting sent to the "unclean tent"
>Joy
>

Right off the top of my head, given the different positions of the different
parts of prayer, I wouldn't want to have to pull that off wearing the sanitary
products of a few hundred years ago... especially with my kid or my neighbor
praying directly behind me!

But seriously, among the handfull of Muslims I have known well, the opinion on
nail polish and other makeup is all over the place.  All of this depends
entirely on the strictness with which scripture is interpreted and applied, with
an overlay of the cultural and familial traditions of the individual.

In general, among devout and conservative Muslims, things that make a woman look
more womanly should be saved from public view.  Even in conservative households,
fashions/whatever worn in private life can sometimes be more... exotic, but are
also sometimes reserved only for view between husband and wife.  I know of women
who think nothing of wearing makeup in public, and other women who only wear it
for wowing their husbands when the kids are out.  And then again, some things
are thought to be in opposition to having a devout religious life because they
are like gilding the lily of what we all got in from the Creator... or like
cheapening it.  Not unlike in conservative Jewish households, hashing out the
details of what is ok and what is not can get to be the stuff of scholars.

Xena, who is not Muslim, undertook a study of Islam with the help of friends.