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Permalink Reply by Grace Fitzpatrick on September 26, 2010 at 11:38am

*shakes head* You can't even tell they are women. They look like bags of cloth. I have never seen Muslim women pray outside the US - only men. I have seen tons of men drop down and pray in the public square, but no women. Is there a reason for this? Are women not allowed to pray in public? I have seen American Muslim women pray in public.

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Permalink Reply by muhab samer on September 27, 2010 at 8:52am

Yes, Islam urged women to pray at home only, and separately not collectively like men. They are not allowed to pray in public. While praying at home, they must cover themselves completely, even a single hair or a tiny place of the body must not appear or be shown, because if her hair appear or a small place of her body shown, God "Allah" and angels leave the room and Satan and devils replace them. When my wife prays, her look is terrifying and disgusting to the point i hated her, but now they can go to mosques, but there are places dedicated to them only away and separately of men. Only women, but they cover themselves entirely even before women. The situation is miserable.

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Permalink Reply by Grace Fitzpatrick on September 27, 2010 at 11:42am

Really. That is totally different from here. I have often seen Muslim women uncovered praying - maybe not out on the street corner, but certainly in public places. In the US you don't see much of anyone dropping down praying on the street like you do in the Middle East. Those who do are considered a little off in the head. People may be praying non stop in their heads, but they don't make a spectacle of it. I always feel a little bit embarrassed walking in on someone praying even in a place of worship. It's a bit like accidently walking in on someone using the bathroom. Even as a christian, I was never comfortable with praying in public or around other people. I was taught unless a prayer is said in utter privacy, it won't reach god.

The funny things people believe in! Oh well, I am sorry your wife feel such anguish over this whole rules of prayer thing. It does seem very oppressive to me.

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Permalink Reply by Jim DePaulo on September 27, 2010 at 7:28pm

This practice, it seems, is more of a cultural phenomenon than that of a religious dictate. The practice varies widely from largely ignored in countries like Turkey and Indonesia to rigid enforcement as practiced in Saudi Arabia and the former Taliban controlled Afghanistan. This seems to hold true for honor killings and female circumcision

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