Jennifer30853
There are several reasons many Middle Eastern women cover their bodies completely in public. The origin of this type of dress is both religious and cultural. The Quran says people should dress modestly, but does not specify hijab or any other type of clothing. Because of this, there are varied interpretations of what it means to dress modestly. To some people that means long sleeves, to others it means a burqa. According to the Islamic religion, dress is a matter of personal choice. Culturally, the practice of women covering themselves completely came about as a means of protection. There is a history of war in the Middle East, and many times a warring tribe would kidnap the women of another tribe and sell them into slavery. As a form of protection, Middle Eastern houses were built like fortresses with interior courtyards and rooftops for the people to be outside yet still protected, and women wore clothing to obscure who they were so that any potential kidnappers would have no idea who any of the women on the street were. This tradition has continued and become part of the culture. Currently, several of the totalitarian governments in the Middle East require that women wear a hijab or otherwise completely cover themselves as a form of social control. These governments claim they are being true to the Quran, but really they are using this as a method to immobilize half the population.