Welcome to Pakistan
Our national dress is the shalwar kameez, not the niqab

Our national dress is the shalwar kameez, not the niqab

If culture is food for the soul then we are going mad with starvation.

Noman Ansari January 27, 2016

Through fear of the sword or through promise of eternal torment they spread their regressive ways. Over time we found another reason to abhor each other, to feel divided, to openly judge our own. The foreign culture we adopted didn’t play well with our own, for it insisted in its dark perfection while clashing with our own light.

Whenever I travel from Pakistan I feel a melancholy that slowly hums in my heart overseas until it reaches full tempo when I return home. Other countries hold dear their customs and honour the old roots from which they rose with tolerance and diversity. Pakistan, on the other hand, has turned into a claustrophobic cultural mute.

If culture is food for the soul then we are going mad with starvation. Tragically, we are unable to realise this in our fractured state of mind. For so long we have boiled our meat without salt, pepper, or spice, that we now believe this is the way it is meant to be.

Imagine a Pakistan where you regularly socialise with Christian, Hindu, and Sikh Pakistanis, absorbing the aspects of their traditions that make them unique from you.

Imagine a Pakistan where you are able to attend an event of a culture different from your own, but completely Pakistani nonetheless.

Imagine a Pakistan where heritage sites are preserved with reverence rather than treated as offensive by the intolerant. Imagine a Pakistan where our language, clothing, and music remain unmolested by the Wahhabi sense of conformity.

As a child when I visited Karachi I recall the streets and taxis were full of melody; the latest Pakistani pop songs would blare at every corner. Today, the only tones that feature on the same roads are the sounds of vehicles and angry pedestrians. Full niqabs have replaced beautiful Pakistani dresses, long beards have taken the place of fashionably diverse faces, naats (praise of the Prophet (pbuh)) have taken over from musical numbers. Tellingly, a musician who once enriched our lives has transformed into a hard-line preacher in perhaps the biggest indication of our metamorphosis.

Recently, I came across a meme that compared the full niqab with local cultural dresses, and it reminded me of our unfortunate transformation. Inspired by this meme, I’d like to take you through a pictorial guide across the world.

1. This is a traditional Pakistani dress:

Photo: Pinterest

Not this:

Photo: Reuters

2. These are Bangladeshi dresses:

Photo: Pinterest

Not these:

Photo: Pinterest

3. These are Afghani dresses:

Photo: Pinterest

Not these:

Photo: Pinterest

5. This is an Indian dress:

Photo: Pinterest

Not this:

Photo: Pinterest

6. These are Iranian dresses:

Photo: Pinterest

Not these:

Photo: Pinterest

7. This is a Malaysian dress:

Photo: Pinterest

Not this:

Photo: Reuters

8. This is an Indonesian dress:

Photo: Pinterest

Not this:

Photo: Pinterest

9. This is an Iraqi dress:

Photo: Pinterest

Not this:

Photo: Pinterest

10. This is a Syrian dress:

Photo: Pinterest

Not this:

Photo: Pinterest

11. This is a Moroccan dress:

Photo: Pinterest

Not this:

Photo: Reuters

12. This is a Tunisian dress:

Photo: Pinterest

Not this:

Photo: AP

On one end we have colourful examples of cultural diversity, and on the other we have a misogynistic garb that seeks to paint women of the entire planet in a single colour. What does the world need more?

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WRITTEN BY:
Noman Ansari The author is the editor-in-chief of IGN Pakistan, and has been reviewing films and writing opinion pieces for The Express Tribune as well as Dawn for five years. He tweets as @Pugnate (twitter.com/Pugnate)

The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.

More by this writer

COMMENTS (305)

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the8thhouse | 6 years ago | Reply 1000% agree...thank you sir for this, more needs to know about their actual national dresses, not the black bed sheets that are supposedly more "modest".

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Ali | 7 years ago | Reply So what? Muslim countries are failed beyond belief. No wonder Muslims, especially Muslim women, are so much better off in the west.

Amber Wasim | 7 years ago | Reply I really don't get the article What is the point?we all know what our nationel dress is and same goes for all the mentioned countries above.i feel this article is hit to those women who wear abayas when they go outside.in all the above mentioned countries , doesn't matter what the west says and in which bubble you are living but majority of women including Pakistan cover themselves with scarves ,abayas,hijab,dupatta and caps by there own accord and to say they simply does this because men enforce it is also wrong .most women does this because they know their religion and wanted to please Allah.besides don't worry Pakistani women know how to follow fashion and don't go beyond the boundries set by our religion and culture

SikanderG | 7 years ago | Reply This is terrible. Full of unsubstantiated huge generalizations. There is no single 'traditional dress' for Pakistan. Pakistan is not culturally uniform: it is part of subcontinental/Indian civilization, is not neatly separable from other parts of the subcontinent (especially North India), and contains various ethnicities, religions, subcultures, classes, genders, and individuals, where each of these has its own styles of dress at various times. The image the author has put of the 'traditional' dress is a recently taken image of a modern 'women's' dress worn by a model, and the dress hasn't been in fashion even for as long as I've been alive, which is not that long. More importantly, though, the author commits a logical fallacy: people do not have an obligation to wear what is traditional in the first place. Even if the shalwar kamiz was the 'national dress' or the 'traditional dress' of Pakistan, it would still be okay for people to wear other things if they so chose.

Alnahyan Sarwar | 7 years ago | Reply Uve answered ur question urself. Each and every muslim country u mentioned above have burqa in common. Is that a coincidence? No it isnt. Burqa is our dress. It does represent our legacy and the ideology we follow. The other fancy attires uve shown above are nothing than variety of tools used by west sickened ppl to commercialize and degrade women as eye candy. We in Pakistan dont link ourselves to the pagans of mohenjodaro and harapa. Our ancestors are the one who lived in Madina. So its simple.

chris from UK | 7 years ago | Reply Paranoid keyboard soldier more like. Go away and invite women to contribute if you feel there is a dearth of them. Do something positive please!

Shaha Qamar | 7 years ago | Reply hijab was never been a choice...it is the word of Allah subhanu taalah to his prophet...an order.. to the Nation..the muslim women .if the woman is muslim no question.. no argue in it she hass to follow..same as salah..one has to pray.no excuses...there is no if and but in Allah's order...no question should be raised in this regard as deen is surrendering not questioning...jazakillah

Shaha Qamar | 7 years ago | Reply it is us to choose what nation are we pakistani or Muslims

Sofia Bibi | 7 years ago | Reply theres is no shalwar qameez or pant shirts either in Quran hakeem, there are words about covering your body that no evil eye can see you.

Rahma sheikh | 7 years ago | Reply Don't mix the culture with the religion

Tragedies and Bliss | 7 years ago | Reply You need to realise that women are not objects or toys and their bodies are not something you can play with. Covering them up actually shows that. They're not to be put on display, bare, for the eyes of the wrongful sinners.

Usman | 7 years ago | Reply ISLAM, the primary religion of 90% of the people in PAKISTAN, takes preference over our culture. Its the culture of our region that will have to be adjusted according to ISLAM and not the other way around. I know you are desperate for views and need that adsense revenue but for God's sake research a little bit. .and stop pushing this pseudo-liberal agenda of yours...just because they are wearing a Niqab doesn't mean that there is something wrong with them.

Rizwana | 7 years ago | Reply Very well written; I feel womenshould be free to choose what they wear, if it's Shalwaar qameez, not forgetting the dopatta, or niqab so be it. Let's not be judgemental on this.

Aitch Tee | 7 years ago | Reply Yes the national dress of pakistan is0 shalwar kameez AND dupatta(the purpose of which is getting long forgotten). AND you know what the religion of this state is? islam

Amna Chughtai | 7 years ago | Reply Have never come across a more sick article. Are you even a Muslim? Because if you were, you'd know that religion comes before culture. And just by the way, niqabis haven't stopped wearing their national dress I.e Shalwar Kameez. They do wear it every day. But when they go out, they wear niqab which is an obligation on them as muslim women. Niqabis aren't against culture. They just prioritize Islam first and cultural believes, second. Just because you can't see what are they wearing inside their houses, it doesn't mean they don't wear it and are against it.

Nishat Aamir | 7 years ago | Reply I totally agree with u Surely you disagreed with this blog .

Nishat Aamir | 7 years ago | Reply I think people who agree with this blog are not supposed a Muslim and Pakistani . Every women has to do follow culture or not and also every women has authority to do fashion or not in context of sindhi ,balochi etc you can't say hijab or naqab is not allowed in Islam .To point out naqab you actually want to defame islam

Anjum Hameed | 7 years ago | Reply Ever since our labour went into the Gulf countries have we had to endure this rubbish black-bin form of dressing.. WE ARE NOT ARABS....

Khadeeja Chahat Butt | 7 years ago | Reply Dear Author, Thank you for posting modernized western shalwar qameez and calling it our traditional dress! If you were that desperate to show a comparison to least pics he original post kar datay. A picture of a model wearing so called shalwar qmaeez, took in a staged environment is not what represent the culture of Pakistan. Don't know about Karachi but Aik chakar Lahore ka laga ayn, you will find "authentic cultural dresses worn by real people" Authentic Shalwar Qameez is a decent dress which follows the instructions of Quran i.e. covering oneself in modest way. It has full sleeves, proper coverage and a duppta to cover head. Why you don't find it or the finding bother you is dimag ki kharabi (perhaps not enough flesh is reveling) P.S: Dressing is a matter of choice and ladies used to wear "Burka" a.k.a "Abbaya" before partition as well.

George Carty | 8 years ago | Reply "Eskimo" is the Algonquian exonym for the Inuit -- it literally means "eater of raw meat".

My2Cents | 8 years ago That's very interesting. But, by definition, an exonym is a name for a group given by others that the group does not use for themselves, so again, there never has been a Tribe called Eskimos. It's funny, considering they lived so far away from each other. Almost as if they never met, or would meet, considering the thousands of miles separating their tribes in every direction. Sure they shared Canada, but the Inuit stuck to the extreme northern regions, and the Algonquians never ventured passed Ottawa... so, that doesn't really explain the common usage when referring to the Inuits as "Eskimos," without the "help" of Hollywood.

Marx Tsa Giovanni | 8 years ago | Reply All the traditional ones look gourgeos. They fit the female form and highlight their beauty, but the one that completely covers that is the "diversity" that crazy middle-class ideologues want to protect.

Rohim Kholasin | 8 years ago | Reply Astaghfirullah, this article was one of worst article I've ever known !!!! Obviously, each country have their traditional dress. But, Islam is teaching how women to be dressing on public area. And wear traditional dress can be applied in their (muslim women) home.

yasir baig | 8 years ago | Reply Hijab is not Religious adaptation its more a cultural adaptation and you can never force a cultural adaptation on someone. like in these days asian countries are quite inspired by western fashion so many are adapting that....same as hijab can be adapt if someone likes it to.. that's my believe.

Shajee Fareedi | 8 years ago | Reply I like the first one Green Dress and want to buy, is there available for sell?

Logical | 8 years ago | Reply Where do you work?

Logical | 8 years ago | Reply Your country is already being hijacked by Saudi Arabia and wahhabism.

Logical | 8 years ago | Reply So forcing women to look through a mesh every time they are outdoors is a symbol of Islam? Makes sense, as it is very oppressive to women.

Logical | 8 years ago | Reply Very interesting choice of words, "confinement". Because the Islamic standards of modesty are very confining.

Logical | 8 years ago | Reply Killing people who commit adultery is less moral that actually committing adultery.

Logical | 8 years ago | Reply So you will spend your entire life looking through a mesh?

Logical | 8 years ago | Reply No, the Niqab is part of ARAB culture. Are you saying that Islamic culture is just Arab culture? Notice how small of a percentage of Muslim women wear it, and mostly in Gulf Arab countries?

Riyaz | 8 years ago | Reply Dear Author! Nikab is not a traditional dress. Do you mean that in the pictures you shared from different countries the women in burka are wearing no dress inside burka? Mostly women wear their traditional dresses in their homes not streets. Do you want to display their dresses and their beauty for the evil gaze on streets. Absurd logic in the garb of traditional dress. It is just burka bashing.

aashi khan | 8 years ago | Reply Muslim living all over the world have only one culture ie. Islam! stop criticizing hijab or niqab. this is something I, my mother and sister wear with our own consent. you got no right to judge. we have only one religion and that is our culture.

Logical | 8 years ago If muslims only have Islam for a culture then they must make terrible citizens.

Salma Khokhar | 8 years ago | Reply Im sure shes wearing a shalwar qamiz under her burqa. Im sure she dresses up nicely at home in front of her mahram family. Shes covering up because shes out in the streets...where someone can take a picture of her. And Allah says in the quran that shes to cover when she leaves her home so she doesnt get stared at by shop keepers and drivers and taxi cab drivers or oglers in general. You never know...she may be wearing tight jeans and a t shirt underneath. ?But its not for all to see. As long as a woman reveals bare shoulder and midriffs its all beautiful ? But if she covers and decides not to display herself it becomes ugly ? I think its entirely a womans decision whether to please society....men...bloggers....or whether to please Allah , her Creator. And for those who say there is no such command in the quran....plz educate yourself beyond english ..bollywood and hollywood. Yes...there is a life beyond these three. And yes ...we women can live wonderful lives without getting naked to please the world.

Del Stone | 8 years ago | Reply You confuse and conflate home and public dress. Islam allows for both. It is not a mutually exclusive choice.

just another person | 8 years ago | Reply Whoever wrote this is article is very ignorant. You are trying to elevate your "culture" at the expense of other's religion. You can wear whatever you want to wear, if that is in accordance with your beliefs or principals, but that does not mean that you should write an entire article that is basically criticizing and mocking other people's religious beliefs (wearing burka/niqab/hijab). What has a women wearing a niqab or burka ever done to you? Has a non-ignorant person ever forced you to wear a niqab or burka? Those women wearing niqab/burka are also human beings, sister, wives, mothers, daughters, aunts, and beloved family members. I don't think they would appreciate being the butt of your jokes, with photographic evidence none-the-less. Also, those who say that hijab or burka is not in the Quran, they are perhaps very uninformed- Quran (33:59) - "Tell thy wives and thy daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks close round them..." Quran (24:31) - "And say to the believing women that they cast down their looks and guard their private parts and do not display their ornaments except what appears thereof, and let them wear their head-coverings over their bosoms, and not display their ornaments except to their husbands or their fathers, or the fathers of their husbands, or their sons, or the sons of their husbands, or their brothers, or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or those whom their right hands possess, or the male servants not having need (of women), or the children who have not attained knowledge of what is hidden of women; and let them not strike their feet so that what they hide of their ornaments may be known."

Touba Alemzada | 8 years ago | Reply There is so much wrong with this article I wouldn't know where to start (or finish). Why is it that you talk about cultural dresses and the hijab as if they are two polar opposites- as if they cannot co-exist? It's like saying, if you wish to wear trainers you cannot possibly wear heels; you don't wear them both simultaneously (obviously), but you wear one in one social situation and the other in another. Just because you choose to wear one one day, it's not like you have abandoned the other for ever and can't possibly just wear the other later that day. For me personally, (growing up and living in London all my life, by the way), I choose to fully cover myself when at uni, work, etc, freeing myself from the chains of society, and wearing jeans, dresses, cultural dresses and quite frankly whatever the hell I want when in the privacy of my own home, at dinner parties with friends, and the list goes on. In short, my point is your research sucks as you clearly don't understand the concept of hijab so stop demonizing it and those who wish to wear it. Side point: dear men, please stop speaking my mind for me. I am more than capable of doing so myself.

Nasreen Khan | 8 years ago | Reply You are comparing apples with oranges. There is difference between a Muslim dress and a non-Muslim dress. Depends on who wants to keep their Muslim identity, and who doesn't. One chooses to obey the commands of the Creator, while the other doesn't. May Allah SWT guide all Muslims to the right path. Ameen.

hobbsan | 8 years ago | Reply Just like the fact that you reacted to the rainbow and how should tell everyone all they need to know about you and your motives for agreeing with Noman. Thanks for proving my point, that this is just a matter of men's preferences regarding women's looks and availability to them.

Oxy Moron | 8 years ago Availability! Ha Ha - Nice try, but like I was just telling Noman here, its a complete waste of time, and I'm honestly totally out of it today, Priscilla.

Mother Nature | 8 years ago | Reply From a truly sublime wardrobe to the emblem of the most misogynist political ideology in all of human history.

HKhan | 8 years ago | Reply This attempt to Hijack the ideology of this country is bound to fail, the percentage of liberals in this country is directly proportional to or may be even equal to the percentage of body these liberal want their women to cover, which is very little of course. Even if it isn't, it would just be wrong.

Rubina Majid | 8 years ago | Reply It is called importing the Saudi Culture and looking down on your own culture!!

Chase Steffen | 8 years ago | Reply Those dresses are gorgeous.

Mubaschir | 8 years ago | Reply Niqab has no place in Islam. The Prophet was told in the Quran not to take any more wives even if their beauty inspired him. Now go figure!

asma | 8 years ago | Reply JazakAllah dear sister in Islam for your words, made my belief firm, remember me in your prayers

Ali | 8 years ago | Reply In the exact same way female infanticide is practiced in India

Sephora Ahmed Hijazi | 8 years ago | Reply Ok. So I belong to half iranian half pakistani parents and I am currently residing in the west. Never been forced to coverup or do anything Islamic. I choose to coverup no one forces me to. Under my abaya is my cultural shalwar kameez or whatever western clothes I want to wear but that is only for my family my mahram's eyes not every Tom dick and Harry. The writer is biased. After living in karachi for the last two years, I'd say karachi is very multicultural. Whilst there are women in jubba and burka, there are also women in sleeveless low cut tops etc so live and let live. Who is he to worry about culture in regards to womens clothing? Has he got nothing better to do? And bring on naats, nasheeds any day as opposed to the vulgar Indian songs that talk about vulgar acts and zina. Let Muslim women stay covered let them stay dignified where they are not judged by 36 26 36. Their beautiful cultural dresses are for the eyes of their family and their mahram men. My Muslim sisters, you need to coverup. When an uncovered woman walks down the street, every neck that turns, every eye that gazes her, she shares the sin. And sisters the truth of the matter is, when your body is on that slab being washed with cold water, remember all those men whose neck you have turned? Guess what, they will do nothing for you. Not whilst you are in your grave and not in the akhirah! Prophet Mohammed pbuh waged war against banu qanuiqa and invaded the Jews because they mocked the honour of One Muslim woman- think about it! That's how much your religion honours you sisters. That's how much your Prophet Mohammed pbuh honoured you. And preserving the honour of Muslim women was the sunnat followed by the Khulafa. Khalifa Muhtasam was called upon by one Muslim woman because her honour was mocked and he responded by sending an army to fight the superpower of their time- Rome, who they conquered- just to save honour of one muslima. That's how much our true Muslim brothers our true Muslim men honour us! We are far superior than dressing up for every man on the street in our so called cultural dresses. Yes we dress up beautifully in our cultural clothes but only for the eyes of our family and our husbands. Islam have honoured us dignified us. That fool on the bill board, that's not us. That woman dancing in music videos, that's not us. That girl dressed up to impress men on the street- that's not us. We are dignified Muslim Queens only for our Dignified Muslim Kings. Sisters hold on to La Ilaha Il Allah and believe me, you look like angels walking down the road in your hijab or niqab holding on to La Ilaha Il Allah when every one else is walking around half naked.

cporter73 | 8 years ago | Reply All of the original cultural clothing was beautiful and modest. MODEST Why does it seem like everywhere Muslims go, death and destruction of all things beautiful follow?

Syed Sajid Ali | 8 years ago | Reply Noman Have explained his view and everyone is going nuts i have read the complete comments and everyone is sharing their own thoughts and its not their fault that they are limited to their thinking. Noman have mentioned in comments that he wears what suits him and he was wearing a brown Kurta as well. i'll explain things logically and it's again upon the understanding limitation of human some may find it okay and others may not Doctors, lawyers, judges, engineers and pilots do have and extra piece of cloth to wear when they are on field and performing their duties. Even the students at convocations do wear the black cloak because by gaining a specific degree they are thought capable of wearing this. So why do they have to wear these different dresses while they can wear shorts while operating, slippers in court and rainbow Tshirts? Why they are bounded to such rules? Because by attaining these positions they have distinct from other society and should be regarded and reputed and recognized by their wearing. And you will not find a doctor who doesn’t loves to wear the white cloak or a lawyer because it’s the thing which they have gained after such efforts. So why pointing the beard and veils, if society is forcing Bankers to wear Dress shirts and pants not even the national dress like shalwar kameez, Gym Khana is not allowing entry if you are wearing chppal or shorts and even if a educational institute not allowing it. And you are good with it but not good with the LAW/Guidelines Provided by ALLAH In Quran. And you can search the dresses code of organizations online and similarly there are religious dress codes as well but we can't force them because if you are not following the code and conducts of an organization you can't be the part of that organization similarly you can't be the part of religion if you're not following its conducts and regulations.

Bharat Indian | 8 years ago | Reply Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Malaysian, Afgani, Tunicians..... oh so many cultures have been destroyed by Islam. so sad......

GerryWAG | 8 years ago | Reply Y'know, the traditional dress is very nice and still modest. I for one, being a Celt would not like seeing a Celtic woman dressed in a burqa.

Oxy Moron | 8 years ago | Reply And you had to upvote your own comment to emphasize that. You are as much a rationalist as I am the tooth fairy.

Asra | 8 years ago | Reply First of all it's a highlighting issue brought up by you. Pardah or as u call it naqab has many interpretations. As far as I know, Islam simply tells women as well as man to do pardah..for women it is covering them up in a way which doesn't reveal their body features,if a women choses to wear such an attire then it surely serves the purpose. On the other hand if she chooses to wear a naqab with full face covered,so be it. The choice should be that of woman, and this choice she can only have it when she learns about her religion by reading and understanding on her own instead of carrying the burden of knowledge from her parents and family. We can't attach a dress code for a country in which multicultural people resides. Like Pakistan and India.They can decide so by majority population choice, as in india you showed the symbolic dress to be sari which is an attire of majority population(now worn occasionally).

Babrak Khan | 8 years ago | Reply I didnt like your article

Sarim | 8 years ago | Reply As a muslim, women must follow the dress of Hazrat Fatima (radiAllah anha) and the wives of Holy Prophet (sallallaho alihey wassalam) that is niqab.

Logical | 8 years ago The VAST majority of Muslim women do not wear a Niqab.

El Cid | 8 years ago | Reply Hijab, Burqha and Niqab are NOT in the Qur'an. Women are free to wear whatever they are comfortable with. Men should lower their gaze...women should walk in freedom, free.

My Gana | 8 years ago | Reply Burqas are for conservative rich women, who never need to become primary income earner for the family if the husband dies before them.before them. Gee I guess there are many of them.

Touba Alemzada | 8 years ago Really? Why do I work, study and live an independent life in London fully covered then? I'm not married and certainly not rich.

Lt Col Imtiaz Alam(retd) | 8 years ago | Reply You are out of Sync. Our National Dress can only conform to the Islamic culture once it is worn according to the Injunctions of the Quran & Sunnah.

Oxy Moron | 8 years ago Whoa there! Nice beard tho, Santa. What? You're not Santa!!! . . . Get my point?

Mirza Aasauf Baig | 8 years ago | Reply Just because man likes to see Girl pleasing his eyes. No doubt, Hijab/Burqa disappoints thirsty men.

Oxy Moron | 8 years ago Wow, that's deep, man.

M | 8 years ago | Reply Is it really free choice if they are fed religion from a young age? It sounds like indoctrination to me.

M | 8 years ago | Reply You nailed it.

Kari Hofmann | 8 years ago | Reply You just said a whole bunch of nothing.

Fake Mustache | 8 years ago Just because you didn't understand it doesn't mean nothing was said. I asked for proof, and then explained that it's hypocritical and illogical to assert that men cannot comment on women's issues. Can women not comment on men's issues? Do women want to control men every time women comment on men? Simple questions.

Mick Gasm | 8 years ago | Reply You must be exhausted from the leaps you had to make to come to that conclusion.

Amor DeCosmos | 8 years ago | Reply Great article. thank you for enlightening me. I think Middle Eastern and South Asian women are among the most beautiful in the world... shame to cover them up...

hobbsan | 8 years ago Oh, look at that - my point proven for me.

Happiness Seeker | 8 years ago | Reply How gorgeous these traditional clothes were!

Kashif | 8 years ago | Reply Who says Shalwar Kameez is our national dress? Is that written in the constitution? On the other hand, Urdu is our national language and Islam is our national religion. Write about that too.

Oxy Moron | 8 years ago That's an awesome point! But wait, they forgot to define national dish too. And national drink. And national sweet. What're we going to do now?

Komal Hassan | 8 years ago | Reply We need to keep the diversity alive or we end up being boring and useless beings.

Blankspc | 8 years ago | Reply Wlile Muslims are arguing how to dress how to be good Muslim others are trying to reach mars and trying the unthinkable.

Logical | 8 years ago What direction will Muslims pray to while on Mars?

Ali | 8 years ago | Reply Very annoyed at the comment section. Hijab, burka, niqab is NOT IN THE QURAN OR SUNNAH.

Komal Hassan | 8 years ago | Reply life is so dull today...for any Muslim ....things are being transformed to a single unique identity. there is no diversity...though Allah has appreciated diversity in Quran....we are losing these beautiful gifts...there is little respect for people different from us.....i just wish all this terrorism and extremism gets over from Muslim landscape and we return towards something normal again....

Saleem Adil, Dr | 8 years ago | Reply Dress is a personal matter. Likewise if a woman wants to wear burqaa or Niqaab on her dress, it is her right. The people trying to stop such a woman from wearing burqaa violate one of the basic human rights. Burqaa or Niqaab is not something new. Many women wore it in 1950s too. Dress is a personal matter and so is a woman's personal concept of modesty. Besides, dress is one of the things which are directly onflueinfl by religion.. So commenting on it or interfering in it is not something decent uenced

Faisal Ashfaq | 8 years ago | Reply STOP USING FAIR & LOVELY. ONLY USE MULTANI MITTI. It was zia who promoted Fair & Lovely.

SHS | 8 years ago | Reply Why is 90% of the comment section on an article on women's clothing populated by men? Therein lies the problem.

Bharat Indian | 8 years ago because men are worst affected party due to burqa of women.

khurram shehzad | 8 years ago | Reply nice research over the different cultural dresses of the different countries. shalwar qameez is our national dress its the reality which is written in our constitution.

Muhammad Osama | 8 years ago | Reply There are some people in this world who are obsessed with everything... I mean who take it as their responsibility to comment on everything... My friend give a critical look to all your blogs, they promote nothing but negativity... Hope that you'll take it positively...

Suresh Sanyal | 8 years ago | Reply A country born of hatred, fanaticism, feudalism and without character is doomed for ever in their miseries! A nation that victimizes its women is doomed to failure in every aspect! Pakistan will break into more States soon!

sterry | 8 years ago Take a chill pill. It's been many decades since the British gave you a country called India so enjoy it. Anger over 1000 years of Muslim rule in South Asia isn't healthy for you. Just get over it. Pakistanis can take care of themselves. If you want to talk about abuse of women, remember where most women are raped and why India is called rape capital of the world. If not for the British who freed you, you would still be doing Sati.

Raj | 8 years ago | Reply In the end the whole thing is "show us your women"

Logical | 8 years ago No, it is letting women participate fully in society as much as men can. They can't do that if they are forced to cover. The west used to have similar oppressive levels of modesty for women but we gradually reached a standard of modesty that allows women to fully participate in society as they should.

salman | 8 years ago | Reply Well, I just checked with my wife, my sister and her friend, and neither of them wear niqab (but all wear salwar kameez and sometimes cover their hair with the dupatta). They all say, that Islamically niqab is not mandatory. I've asked them if they are willing to have a discussion with you on this but they are all too busy, and told me to stop trolling nice people on the web. Sorry...

hp kumar | 8 years ago My comments r heavily moderated..I have already made it clear that i dont want any kind of of discussion with a particular person.I have said it only for making my point obvious.thanks for the curtsy though ..But my question is ,wont they be lynched for talking to a non-muslim..Secondly ,coming to the topic ,you seem to be beating your own drum..Topic is about burqua and its significance for muslim women..How do your mother ,sister ,wife etc dress has nothing to do with the topic in discussion.And For you,there is nothing wrong in looking at a women .only thing is that your intention should be good.

salman | 8 years ago | Reply Where does it say that? Can you provide references? And also the context? (I.e. the couple of lines before and after the reference you are going to provide). Thanks in advance.

rationalist | 8 years ago Just a few examples: Quran (2:191-193), Quran (2:216), Quran (3:56). i can provide dozens more of intolerant verses and discuss them, but that would be beyond the scope of this topic.

Muhammad Taqi Abbas | 8 years ago | Reply U have posted pics of specific ethinic groups of different countries.

Patwari | 8 years ago | Reply Very good Minerva ! Very good !

Noman Ansari (Lallu the nallu) | 8 years ago | Reply Why ramble about burka, can't you see jeans.......

Noman Ansari | 8 years ago No one forced a woman to wear jeans... but a burqa... I am sure you can see the difference.

abhi | 8 years ago | Reply you mean imaginary world where you seems to be living? Given a free choice , no women will ever wear a burqa.

Asy ma wail ! | 8 years ago Abhi :) so whoever refutes your statement lives in the imaginary world?

A.Q | 8 years ago | Reply So true. They never stop raising fingers on others, yet once when they raise a finger three fingers are pointed towards them too.

Faulitics | 8 years ago | Reply "Niqab and burkha have been worn by Pakistani women for centuries" No

Sheraz Ali | 8 years ago | Reply worth reading it !i really appreciate your progress of thought .i dont know why every time women are restricted and imposed baseless rules.when women committee a cram,she is stone to death but this law does not exist for men .this is ridiculous!!

salman | 8 years ago | Reply I don't know dude, I can still find some pretty good food Pakistani food in Lahore :)

talha usmani | 8 years ago | Reply I agree with the writer to the point where if women or girls are being enforced by their parents or society to where the extra layer of Abbaya and cover their faces whenever they go out, otherwise it should be left to the discretion of the women what they want to wear when they go out. They are self aware human beings and they can take decisions for themselves, because on the day of Judgment the society will not answer for them but they themselves have to answer for their deeds. So this decision of what they want to wear should be best left to them. The main thing is to educate everyone what Quran, Sunnah & Ahadith teach us in this regard and then leave it to the discretion of human beings for their acceptability.

salman | 8 years ago | Reply Well, since no women have replied to you, I guess you're stuck with me and my incoherent mind! But yes, no doubt if you speak to certain women in Pakistan they will say niqab symbolizes Islamic faith. But you will equally get muslim women in Pakistan who say that niqab is not Islamic, but more of a cultural dress from Middle East that certain muslims have adopted. As I recall, the Quran says to dress modestly, not cover your face. You can easily do that with a salwar kameez, or any loose fitting clothes. My point is, there is no one "Islamic dress"...there are commands to dress modestly...which you can do with a number of clothing items. Its quite a subtle point, and maybe hard for people as yourself who deal in broad strokes and make vast generalizations to understand. I hope you can follow despite my stunted growth as a nonmuslim. Best regards

Kasturi K | 8 years ago But I have answered him and I'm a woman from Pakistan who does not do hijab or niqab. And believe me no one has ever asked me to do so.

hp kumar | 8 years ago Also I have not meant to discuss with them really..I just wanted to give insight into their mind ..You as a male r not authorized to speak about them..Indian muslim women r far more liberal than women in pakistan..I got an opportunity to talk to her about islam wedding ,burqua and different islamic rituals ..she was as liberal as her hindu counterparts and even open to interfaith relationship..My opinion is based on what she felt about burqa and niquab.Nothing more than that

hp kumar | 8 years ago you said "But you will equally get muslim women in Pakistan who say that niqab is not Islamic, but more of a cultural dress from Middle East that certain muslims have adopted." Be careful with your words Burqua symbolizes islamic faith ...there should not be any doubt about it..However I have not said that women who wear jeans r not muslim ....But but I would like to engage in a discussion with a muslim woman who says that niquab is not islamic.I have yet to come across one..Logically burqua belongs to Islam .on a side note none dare say it in open at least in pakistan..You r putting lots of responsibility on them..

talha usmani | 8 years ago | Reply Please disclose where in Quran, Sunnah, & Ahadith the word Abbaya is mentioned. Quran has taught us the etiquette for both men and women when they meet. If those etiquette are properly followed there is no need to disguise women with a extra layer of clothing.

Urooj Hayat | 8 years ago Abaya/burka & hijab/veil are definitely not the terms mentioned in Quran. But what's mentioned in the Quran is to cover oneself in a decent way that whatever she is wearing inside whether shalwar qameez or any other kind of dress doesn't attract any man. So she should wear any dopatta, chadar/shawl when a woman goes out, even if that takes 1 or 2 extra layers of clothing. It's definitely not to be decided by men whether women needs to wear topi wala burqa or abaya. Let her decide herself. But yes, the way our culture doesn't encourage women to wear tight jeans, but shalwaar qameez, the same way in a specific cult, women are asked to wear Abaya instead of wearing chaadar or just dopatta. So it has nothing to do with oppressing them.

salman | 8 years ago | Reply There are terrorists who claim to be Muslims and believe they are following the Quran, etc. In my opinion they have misunderstood or misrepresented the Quran. And if we delve further, there is usually also a political angle to most of these Terrorists groups. So no... Next...

Mubashir Mahmood | 8 years ago | Reply It is for sure that Author has not done proper home-work in this write-up. Atleast do complete research when you are writing for a blog like tribune. As photo shows he has failed in showing dresses. Instead he is focusing on burqa. Iraq, Indonesia, Malaysia, Iran in whole are not wearing this what writer has shown.

Mune Khan | 8 years ago | Reply Respected author, ur article made me a little jumpy, when I found ALL the discussion about BURQA/NIQAB. You touched a very vast field of culture, without knowing that culture is not merely dress. Anyhow, if according to you, women should wear their cultural dress, then why not men. Why not you start a mission to change the army dress to cultural shalwar kameez, official dress to shalwar kameez and no neck tie. And to play the folk music and do cultural dance, not the pop music and western dance. Remember Sir, for Muslims the culture and norms of life is all that is present in Islam, not made by our own will or we would have to fall prey to our desires. I was quite astonished to see, Why the men are targeting women, why they want them not to cover in burqa.?? Is that because in burqa the men can't scan a woman , his eyes can't chase her to the corner of the street, he can't pass vulgar comments??? The world is going up and up in technology and progressing, while here we are just discussing the covered women? Wasting our time only to interfere with women's own business, own's right, own's privacy?? This is OPPRESSION of women, not giving them the right to live as they want, even if it's in burqa. Our country is bleeding nowadays and here we are engaged in writing about burqa and cultural dress?? Is this our conscience??? I can say at the end " Poor Pakistan, i am sorry"

Oxy Moron | 8 years ago You busted the sneaky @#$%, didn't you?

siesmann | 8 years ago | Reply As Hasan Nisar says,burkas were worn by tawaaifs until 70s.Suddenly it changed in 80s

siesmann | 8 years ago | Reply Figures.Mother,sister and daughter don't wear it;only wife does

Jehanzeb Idrees | 8 years ago Don't think too hard, you ought to have one to figure that out.

Jehanzeb Idrees | 8 years ago Don't think too hard sunny, you ought to have one to answer that .. better ask Hassan Nisar he can answer you better.

imwithtruth | 8 years ago | Reply go home u liberals before attacking ur own religion and learn ur religion first! culture has nothing to do with religion, if u dont like to follow religion and just stick to culture then dont mess around the people who are acting correctly. what a rubish article.

Logical | 8 years ago Islam is just 7th century Arab culture.

mimi sur | 8 years ago Culture has everything to do with religion. Culture shapes the religion. Why do you wear a white gown and a rope tied around your head like arabs do ?

Ashhad Kamal Taseer | 8 years ago | Reply To all those pitiable minds who think they can devise better than Allah as to what is right and what is wrong, who present deluded and totally false background of Niqab and Parda in Pakistan and who think women can get recognition and respect only by abandoning the ways that Prophet PBUH has told us and the ways shown us by the Sahabiat RA and wives of the Prohpet, SAW ,, who are mothers to all Muslims, and those minds who think culture has nothing to do with religious values, I condemn you all. Your bias and prejudice against Islam is evident. If you people think the Niqab aur Parda is prevalent because some ruler from the past or any person introduced it or enforced it then I truly believe you have sold your mind and your ability to think and understand. We have had over 10 years under a secular leader, who was also a military general with all the power and might, named Musharraf, who gave a boost to the media industry, thanks to which obscenity and nudity in our media industry is at its peak, then we had 5 years of rule under a secular party and now 2 more have gone under secular minded rulers, but still masses in pakistan choose to wear hijab. It is the way of Allah , not the way of some Army General or a Ruler. This is Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and Hijab is and always has been part of our culture. It is your fault that you were raised in an environment where women did not cover up in front of Na Mehram , where women didnt bother much if they were exposed in front of men in the market !! Even if women didnt use to wear full Hijab, they observed strict Parda in front of men , and the concept of dupatta is an evidence to that. There had been a very strict minority of secular families back then who didnt mind mixed gatherings, otherwise, all the gatherings used to be separate and all. Please go and do a little digging on what truly our cultural values are before taking to a keyboard and painting the people of Pakistan and their preferences with you prejudiced secular brush !!

Logical | 8 years ago I deeply pity a culture that thinks completely separating men and woman is a reasonable method to stop adultery. Men raised in these environments never learn how to properly treat women, as we saw in the Cologne train station in Germany on New Year's Eve.

abhi | 8 years ago I think pity is on those who thinks Allah needs them to enforce his wishes.

mimi sur | 8 years ago | Reply The "not this" dress is the Saudi dress .

Anam | 8 years ago | Reply I do not understand why Pakistani MEN do not wear a burqa, hijab, niqab etc or arabic dress like they force on their ladies.

Logical | 8 years ago That is because they know how stupid it is and the real point of them is to constrict and control women.

Alpha09 | 8 years ago | Reply Thanks Noman. Excellent work. Our civilization is 5000 years old, yet we are a people mired in deep inferiority complex. The cultural dresses our female wore centuries has been changed due to "petrodollar". (The "Allah Hafiz complex"). The love for "Petrodollar" has even affected our culture & faith. BTW, for all those who think the male "Shalwar Kameez" is a historical "national dress", think again. The Kameez part is the British shirt, which Punjabis (Muslim, Hindu & Sikh) government employees in the 19th century had stitched a bit longer to wear over the dhoti/shalwar after office hours.

Bharat Indian | 8 years ago 5000 years old civilization? haha.......... If you are talikng about Indian civilization, then ok...

Sara | 8 years ago | Reply For smart, good looking, progressive, active and modern people, jeans, shirts, shorts, slacks are practical dresses. For lazy, medieval mentality, regressive and boring looking people, shalwar kameez, niqab, hijab, burqa are more suitable.

Muhammad Awais | 8 years ago If you really want to be active by wearing jeans, shirts and shorts, than why don't your forefathers migrated to nonmuslim country where you can wore bikini too. I think burqa didn't bared in progress working but a lack of intention is.

Omer | 8 years ago Your name does not match your statement

hp kumar | 8 years ago Bravo for saying it bluntly

Asy ma wail ! | 8 years ago | Reply Congratulations Noman ! you've kept another brick in the polarization of your people by blatantly attacking the way of life of many who "chose" to wear what they want. I see no difference between you and the one who criticizes female for wearing western dresses. Its people like you who are actually steering hat and pushing people more towards radicalization by igniting anti rationalist thoughts in them and making them hat anything coming from progressive people. The purpose of this debate should have been convincing people that moderation is superior to anything, but you badly failed in conveying this message. If you think that you can change the world like this then go ahead, ridicule them for their way of life and end up living in some "free" country while making a life out of bashing people's choices and opinions. p.s. Technically, the bases of your rational is flawed as what you are showing as a dress is not a dress but a cover, which lots of people chose to do when they go out.

Hassan Wali | 8 years ago | Reply Oh I thought we are Muslim first and then cultural Pakistani! Further, I was told Pakistan was created for Muslims so that they could live in Islamic Culture, not in Pakistani culture! By the way brother Noman, where do you find modest Pakistani culture on Television /Dramas / Films?? No wonder why you have compared a Niqabi women with Shalwar Kameez Pakistani women instead of immodest Shalwar kameez / jeans / tight shirts Pakistani women (which we see on Television) with modest Shalwar kameez women.

DevilHunterX | 8 years ago | Reply THIS IS AN OUTRAGE! Well now that is done, let's see what else we can get angry about this year.

zaka | 8 years ago | Reply This guy really needs to grow up to talk with some sense.

Atheist | 8 years ago | Reply The comments here tells the sorry state the muslims. Hide your women like its stone age, truly pathetic.

Salma Khokhar | 8 years ago Stone age women were naked. Thats where u want them again.

Dana | 8 years ago Women weren't hidden in the Stone Age. This sort of thing dates from the Bronze Age and later.

Suresh Sanyal | 8 years ago | Reply Actually all Pakis are Hindus, now Muslims!! Pakis are brainwashed to think they have Arab lineage but have Hindu ancestors! No matter how much you want to segregate yourself from this reality, it will keep haunting you, generations after generations! So now you face the full force of fanaticism of Islam! In dress, education, lifestyle, society, women's rights, beliefs, etc. But you will always look, talk, eat like Indians.

DrumminD21311 | 7 years ago "Hindu" isn't an ethnicity, and is not transmitted genetically.

Salma Khokhar | 8 years ago Being of the Indian race is not ones choice. We r proud to be Pakistani. But even prouder that we chose Islam. We chose to worship the Creator of this world not idols ...hand made from wood or plastic or plaster of paris. That is what defines us. Our deen. Not our heritage. Are there not millions of American Chinese African British Muslims in the world ? Dont u have Millions of muslims living in India ? They r like everyone else. But they r defined by their worship of ONE GOD. That is enough . You r the ones who r actually haunted. Imagine...brilliant and intelligent Indians...renown for your brains...yet u r idol worshippers ?. Think about it.

stevenson | 8 years ago No Pakistani is taught that he is an Arab. The only Arabs to settle there are likely in Sind who came with the first Arab army of Bin Qasim. Pakistan is a mix of influences due to its location and history - why is that so hard for Indians to understand. There is Central Asian, Middle Eastern and South Asian to be found but it is disrespectful when Indian people ignore this reality. Some Indians have only met Pakistanis from Karachi whose families came from India but Pashtuns, Baluch and others can identify more easier with Central Asia or Middle East culturally and racially.

Mustafa Mirza | 8 years ago | Reply Im sorry, but this is really juvenile. The Holy Quran itself says "There is no compulsion in religion", so anyone is forcing anyone to do anything is against Islam. Since even if it is a good deed its useless, since it is for a reason other than the love and fear of Allah. However, there are hundreds and thousands of women wearing hijab and niqab out of their own choice. We should be speaking out against forcing women (and men) to do things they do not want to do, instead of speaking spuriously against covering up. The author has regaled us with pictures of traditional dresses, I just wonder, does he consider modern versions of the shalwar kameez which expose the arms or back to be acceptable dresses? And if yes, does a non traditional dress become a problem only when it covers women up rather than when it uncovers them?

rationalist | 8 years ago "The Holy Quran itself says "There is no compulsion in religion"," But the quran also later says that you should be killed if you are an unbeliever, apostate or a blasphemer.

abhi | 8 years ago Only reason why women wear burqa is either brute force or social pressure.

J | 8 years ago | Reply Noman: you have touched on a very potent and relevant topic. Kudos to your thinking! Saudi / Wahhabi mentality and culture import has led us to a very intolerant society. The worst part is complete brain wash of women themselves. Women's takes torture so happily and with surity that they deserve it.

PatelPara | 8 years ago | Reply Majority of the dresses that he shows are from Fashion magazines or shows. Seriously?

Shaikh | 8 years ago | Reply Do you realize that the niqab or the face veil is really an outgrowth of the harems of the Persian Byzantium era where concubines were required to wear a face veil to go outside the harem. So we are really calling our women concubines and that may include our mothers and sisters......right? Read up on your history before you start spewing this religion and culture stuff. Don't just read the Holy Quran - study it. There is a difference between the burqa and purdah. The burqa is a piece of cloth and the purdah is a concept that applies to both MEN and WOMEN. Well done, Noman. Its time we bought these issues to the forefront.

Sid | 8 years ago | Reply Salwar Qameez is a traditional and cultural dress. Niqab / Burqa is religious garb, not a dress. What is increasingly dangerous is that people have forgotten the difference and are just concerned about their religious identity and want to prove their religious allegiance they dawn the religious garb more than traditional wear. People should wear what they like and feel comfortable in. Society and religion should not be dictating neither should be driving, the fashion of an individual. This is basic freedom.

siesmann | 8 years ago | Reply Burka is also good for mullahs to escape from tight situations.It is also nice facial mask in cities with pollution.(environmental and mental) And just as Mullahs are not forcing women to wear burkas(per some commentators),so the author is not pushing women to wear the varied dresses.

Arisha | 8 years ago | Reply i agree that naqaab is not the national dress of Pakistan but so is jeans, shirts etc. There has been an increase in the Abaya culture recently but so do we see girls wearing all sorts of dresses other than Shalwar Kameez! You can not target only one faction of the society and criticize it. The article seems to me, to be very honest, anti-religious rather than pro-cultural! I have been living in Karachi since my birth & I haven't witnessed shift from songs to naat! In fact nowadays u get to hear more songs than there used to be about 10 years back and now not only Pakistani songs but English & Hindi movie songs r being played at the loudest possible volume! We live in a free country Pakistan where we are not restricted to wear, eat or listen anything; be it burqa or jeans, music or naat, meat or vegetable!

Muhammad Danish Soomro | 8 years ago | Reply I think the writer have forgotten that got separation on the bases of Islamic ideas not on the bases of man made culture If he does not know what Islam actually is then he is always welcome to learn about it

fze | 8 years ago | Reply Quite frankly, the way hijab or burqa is worn now a days draws more attention towards the person instead of taking it away from her. Specially the way hijab is worn with puffed up hair, kohl lined eyes, powdered face and red lips. Its more of a fashion statement than modesty.

Oxy Moron | 8 years ago OK so now burqa and hijab have become immodest too. That's a new one. What would you have women do then? Stop existing altogether?

Daniel Bluesmith | 8 years ago | Reply Jeans and T shirts are also not our national dress, but you only picked naqab.

Muhammad Bilal | 8 years ago | Reply Just one question. Why double standard, if you raised this issue you should also put men in jeans shirts and say this is not Pakistani dress and this is.

Bairooni Haath | 8 years ago | Reply Unfortunately all that was good about Pakistan, Dress, Culture, Punjabi Language, Food & History all belong to India now. Pakistan is stuck with the fake Arab version of all these. Oh well, you will reap the benefits in the afterlife!

Kasturi K | 8 years ago How can you say that? Do you live in Pakistan? I think Indians wearing skimpy dresses, gyrating provocatively on pirated tunes, promoting drinking, having extra marital affairs and trying to emulate Western culture in every which way have lost their identity and soul. Right?

stevenson | 8 years ago The Shalwar Kameez is a dress brought the region by Muslim invaders from Central Asia along with foods culture and other things. We know much of Pakistani culture is a mixture of its influences from Central Asia and Middle East. Pakistani women are proud of their dresses. Nothing will change that but you do not seem to understand your own culture. If you have forgotten Indian culture and clothing, you can look at the temples and shrines of Kajuraho which shows classic Indian dress like saris. The Indian sari is the classical dress.

Rafidi | 8 years ago | Reply The writer is obsessed with women niqab is an outer clothing it has nothing to do with whether you want to wear salwar kameez or whatever. Try writing some blogs which deal with real issues. Don't mess with people dresses it is there choice whether they want to cover or not.

trololololo | 8 years ago | Reply the "not this" dress is a saudi dress, most probably

abhi | 8 years ago | Reply Nice blog with beautiful photographs to make the point.

A.Q | 8 years ago | Reply The following article is really offensive for all the women in purdah. Neither wearing shalwar kameez, denims or Naqaab will take me to Jannah, its just our actions and intentions that will end up being useful. Religion is more important than culture. Honestly I started the niqaab in a family where even a dupatta is considered optional not mandatory. And throughout my teens I have occasionally worn dupatta, but in last two years I started wearing an abaya because I felt more comfortable and secure in it and there is nothing wrong in wearing a burqa if one itself wants to wear it, I'm completely against the enforced purdah but if someone wants to wear itself then its the individuals discussion not a matter of public discussion. Moreover wearing a niqab doesn't means ladies don't wear designer lawn and high-end designer wear beneath them. And look around around yourself there are dozens of color abayas, niqabs and hijab. Lastly, these days purple is new black in abayas

Logical | 8 years ago " there is nothing wrong in wearing a burqa if one itself wants to wear it" There is something deeply wrong with wanting to wear one though.

PatelPara | 8 years ago Majority of so called bloggers that are hired in Pakistani media are of his type. There is a reason why you will never find anything Islamic on Pakistani media. They won't get money if they started defending the modest Islamic dressing i.e. Hijab.

Kasturi K | 8 years ago why wear designer lawn or jora under abaya? why spend so much money on clothes when one is even going to look at it? If you are doing it for your own satisfaction even then I don't get it. Its precious money you are squandering.

vinsin | 8 years ago | Reply Islamic Culture or Arabic Culture? Can people walk without any dresses or there are laws against it?

Bibloo | 8 years ago Bindi or no bindi. Saree or no saree. That, is the big question. Even the Eskimos want to know who are these people running a 7-11 convenience store, in the middle of nowhere. All with the same last name. Patel.

fze | 8 years ago try it, you'll get to know.

silversurfer | 8 years ago | Reply According to your interpretation of islam, it is part of islamic culture. Even the Islamic ideology council have said that women dont need to cover their faces. This is what it is , 'whether you like it not.'

silversurfer | 8 years ago | Reply Sorry, but cultural dress means something which is visible. Inside a burqa, women can wear anything we dont know. The point is, women used to wear shalwar Qameez at home and outside and were more respected.

Budhita | 8 years ago Respected? That's a hoot.

saleem | 8 years ago visible to who??? I don't know how to respond to such lame arguments. I can debate this for hours by commenting back and forth, but I would rather choose to spend that energy on something useful.

silversurfer | 8 years ago | Reply Many of us have grown up watching our mothers, aunts and relatives wearing shalwar qameez and dupatta, this new phenomenon of niqab and hijab is frankly new in the cities. Dont agree with all of the article, but the point remains that people think if u wear hijab or niqab you become a good muslim and a true pakistani.

Logical | 8 years ago When in reality all wearing a niqab proves is that you are a wannabe Arab

Kasturi K | 8 years ago Pakistan has nothing to do with niqab or hijab. Yes, shalwar kameez with dupatta definitely has everything to do with Pakistan.

Patriot | 8 years ago | Reply Pakistani men should wear Shalwar Kameez and women should wear Burqa per Sharia, Period.

Ali | 8 years ago Please move to saudi then.

Nida Ali | 8 years ago No thanks, keep your silly laws to yourself.

Danish Ahmed Khokhar | 8 years ago | Reply He just want to see women in different colors but first he has to start it from his own house , Its really Diplomacy and vulgar Muslim by name version who is actually defaming Islamic environment by saying this that Salwar kameez without Dupatta ?? you first study about national dress then talk or post grandiosity like that

Danish Ahmed Khokhar | 8 years ago | Reply Salwar Kameez with dupatta !!! i really feel shame on Nauman Ansari Who didn't mentioned about Muslim dressing Islam is not depend on any culture. If you want to see woman in many colors you can get lost from here to European area, Muslim women make Islam her culture. She is not depended on any culture.

Minerva | 8 years ago You give your religion too much credit. There were many religions and cultures before Islam was founded. The founder of your religion wore the same attire and ate the same food of his native land. Islam did not create a new species on earth. It is just another interpretation of how to worship God.

Nida Ali | 8 years ago | Reply Yo chill out, let people wear what they like. You are as bad as people from the fundamentalist side asking everyone to wear burqa, if not worse.

Brain Think | 8 years ago | Reply Actually saree used to be the standard dress for the wives of the diplomats and top bureaucrats up till the 70s. It was ZIA who really promoted shalwar kameez to the "next level" for both men and women in order to appease the saudi wahhabis. Not to mention the "Burqa Revolution" that was launched as a forced fashion statement in the same era.

maheha | 7 years ago Incorrect. Shalwar Kameez is a dress more worn by Indians, not even Pakistanis. If you're gonna lie, at least make the lie good. It is a Pakistani dress but Indians adopted it due to whatever reason. It is damn comfortable.

Sara | 8 years ago Although The topic is about women dressing, The writer is a man and mostly commenters are men. This clearly shows how men want to control women IN PAKISTAN.

Rex Minor | 8 years ago | Reply Our national dress is the shalwar kameez, not the niqab This is the dress one sees you women wearing but this has nothing to do with calling it the National dress? Rex Minor

Noman Ansari | 8 years ago | Reply Actually I'm wearing a kurta and I did write about urdu. But thanks for trying. http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/28635/can-pakistanis-not-speak-in-fluent-urdu-anymore/

Arman Zain | 8 years ago Noman, Nice write up but i beg to differ. Shalwar Kameez and Niqab are two different things. Shalwar Kameez should be wore proudly at home confinement but per Islamic laws it is not sufficient for outdoors. The least requirement for outdoors is Hajib with abbaya. Lets not confuse people. If you have issue with Islamic ruling then I am sure both of us are not qualified enough to discuss Islamic rulings, you should consult few scholars as you consult doctors when you have health issue. I am sure you know self-medication is not good for health, and self-fatwas are not good for society. Regards

Fahim rauf | 8 years ago | Reply Actually mr. Noman ansari u shOuld go seek some real islamic teachings about hijaab and muslim culture before writing these kind of articles .. sorry but really disappointed by your this mindset.

Ali | 8 years ago No trust me, you need to do more research on islam.

Fahad Javed | 8 years ago | Reply Sure you are the one who should tell women what they should wear. All the way from Syria to Indonesia. Who gave them right to chose what to wear and how to express themselves.

Hassam Tahir | 8 years ago | Reply except niqab has nothing to with Islam, Hijab is.

Ali | 8 years ago Hijab has nothing to do with islam either.

Hassam Tahir | 8 years ago | Reply again no one forces jeans on to men nor does anyone say that jeans is the culture. The writer is not asking women to forgo burka. He is nearly pointing out what is the cultural dress as it is confused with burqa

Zeeshan | 8 years ago No one forces your to wear jeans? Jeans is not culture? Brown sahib, your friends at Karachi Grammar forces you to wear jeans so that you look cool. The burger generation/liberals in Pakistan have no idea about the amount forces directly and indirectly applied to them and shape the culture they live in. Pakistani culture is deeply intertwined with our religion. Your own names: Hassam and Tahir are product of that culture.

Hassam Tahir | 8 years ago | Reply but that's not a pertaining issue? No one is forcing anyone to wear jeans or tops. This is a issue thou. One should be writing about the issues.

Guddu, Gullu and Gomnath. | 8 years ago If a woman is caught without a hijab, niqab, burqa, in, say, FATA, or some areas of K-P and southern Punjab [which are heavily influenced by Wahabi/Khawariji Sunni Islam] policed by ever watchful mullahs, then she would be in danger of her life. Women have NO rights in these toxic areas.

Joveria | 8 years ago | Reply I generally don't comment on blogs, but this one really made me feel its my responsibility to enlighten your bogus view of culture. Gentle man you need to have a proper definition of Culture, Religion is part of culture and its a Muslim culture to wear hijab, abbaya or any dress which is less attractive to men, so comparing a religious obligation to cultural standards is a completely insane idea. Women wear under Hijab's what belong to their culture. If you are talking about culture then why is your blog in a foreign language it should have been in Urdu instead of a language, which is understandable by only a few of us "Pakistanis".

Girish | 8 years ago | Reply Tells you one thing for sure across all the world arabic dresses or gown whatever you call them are the most dull for men as well as women ...god knows why people are that idiot to wear these when they have other more beautiful options.

Asra | 8 years ago What you call dull is a traditional wear for them..please do visit gulf countries to increase your awareness about arabic gowns for women as well as men..perhaps your flashy attire would fail in front of them

German Ab | 8 years ago | Reply everybody have the right to wear of his/her choice. one thing i feel in this article that women around the world with different ethnics choose burqa over there local dresses. means there is something powerful in burqa. we should acknowledge burqa who brought women on a single platform.

abhi | 8 years ago Get real, women are not chosing burqa it is forced on them.

Tasurrun | 8 years ago | Reply Burqa can be worn even on top of a t shirt and Jeans , it is not replacing any culture rather it makes it easy for women to cover themselves; and nobody is forcing them to do so! Your article is quite vague and to be honest if Naats are being heard everywhere ,whats so wrong about that?

abhi | 8 years ago You can actually wear burqa only as well. doesn't make any difference.

Noman Ansari | 8 years ago | Reply I'm actually wearing a brown kurta as I am reading the comments. Doh.

honda fit | 7 years ago thanks for sharing Noman!

PatelPara | 8 years ago Then why everyone women in Pakistan trying to wear Jeans & Shirt? which is not there cultural dress? Next time try to write about your inferiority complex.

Zeeshan | 8 years ago Great!! Next time I see you walking around Pakistan with non-Pakistani clothing like slacks and shirts, remind me to call you a hypocrite.

saud | 8 years ago | Reply There are lot more positives to share about Pakistan than whining and crying over the same ghissey pittey topics, as a writer and freelancer you have this opportunity to express good sentiments about the country what is your point behind this article? I don't see any meaning here than showing off to the world that Pakistan is a country where women are forced to loose their culture and wear niqaabs,No sir It is and has always been a free country and no matter what you whiners write about the traffic and all the bads happening it will always be loved, spread love through ur words for we need them more than all this bull crap

pathan | 8 years ago | Reply Yet another liberal talking rubbish without literally wanting to know anything outside of his small, so called intellectual thinking capacity. As saleem suggested, i know for sure, that you will rather commit death rather than writing anything about your national language, urdu, but yet you would love english... writing about jeans, skirts and stuff but yet you will also be wearing the same right at this moment rather than shalwar kameez. Is there any limit of hypocrisy for you? or you are just spending your lives, like every other dummy? I wonder if you even know the abc of Islam, except that you are born muslim.

PatelPara | 8 years ago Majority of so called bloggers that are hired in Pakistani media are of his type. There is a reason why you will never find anything Islamic on Pakistani media and if it comes they will runaway or block us via comments section. never open for a debate. They won't get money if they started defending the modest Islamic dressing i.e. Hijab.

Zeeshan | 8 years ago Pathan, "intellectual thinking capacity." That capacity rarely exists among liberals.

normskyy | 8 years ago | Reply What an utterly shameful article. What gives you the right to question what a woman wears or doesn't wear. You sir, present yourself as a liberal and open minded person but follow the same mindset as those you claim to hate - chauvinistic and as a male telling women what they should and shouldn't wear. They are all Pakistani dresses and it is down to the choice of women what they wear. The beauty of a society is the richness in differences. You sir clearly value a certain type of beauty and have the nerve to write in a newspaper with these patriarchal views. This is the new liberalism in Pakistan. In the west the liberals uphold the values of individual choice, in Pakistan the so called liberals follow more the lines of a radical rightist. Donald Trump would love you.

hp kumar | 8 years ago | Reply Pakistan is an Islamic country and they must adopt Islamic way of living.Woman in first pic,how she looks in comparison with tradition islamic dress read burqua or niquab...She is epitome of immodestyi... coming to pic no .5 ,non muslim women should not be allowed to wear islamic dress unless she convert to islam..so for this reason woman dressed in green sari looks far prettier than her representation in black gown...Hope I have made my point clear to all

Daviduke | 8 years ago Kumar bhai, yes, Pakistan is a Islamic republic but everyone is free to wear what they want. No civil or sharia dress code law exist. Certainly not like Iran or Saudi where women are forced to wear some kind of niqab.

Vinod | 8 years ago Niqab and burkha are becoming very popular in Europe much more than South Asia.These women think they are more muslim than those who wear nice jeans.

Kasturi K | 8 years ago There is no Islamic dress. That's the beauty of Islam. It allows the local cultural customs and values to be adopted if they are within the norms of modesty. Learn something about the religion of Islam before commenting. It's quite obvious your knowledge about it is stereotypical, what you have heard or seen - mind you may not be true.

salman | 8 years ago no, not clear at all. There is no such thing as an Islamic dress. Just like there are no Islamic tables or Islamic chairs, or Islamic hats, etc etc etc...

goldconsumer | 8 years ago | Reply Sir, with all due respect. Dupatta (taken on the head) is also a part of the shalwar kameez that you claim to be our national dress. You look graceful and ""enlightendly moderated with dupatta as well.

Zeeshan | 8 years ago | Reply Niqab and burkha have been worn by Pakistani women for centuries. It didn't come to Pakistan through "wahhabism" or whatever a liberal like you discovers as your latest bogey man. What is the national dress of Pakistani men? Why are you not wearing one? Why lecture Pakistani women to forgo niqab and burkha when you are wearing shirt and slacks? Tell men in suits and slacks to forgo their non-Pakistani clothing. I will be very glad to see no suits, slacks, jeans and shirts in Pakistan.

Ali | 8 years ago I so saddening we have people like you. No, burka and niqab were NOT WORN for "centuries". Keep in mind Allah doesnt like it when you lie. The Mughals never enforced women to cover up. Yes, salafism and wahabism is causing women to wear these burkas and niqabs.

Parvez | 8 years ago | Reply Your use of repetition in pictures to make your point, was very effective.

Linux Novice | 8 years ago | Reply True!

Akhand Bharat | 8 years ago | Reply "If culture is food for the soul then we are going mad with starvation. Tragically, we are unable to realise this in our fractured state of mind. " - Those are powerful lines, keep writing!!

saleem | 8 years ago | Reply Burqa/Niqaab is not a dress, its a gown, women use to hide themselves when they go outside. Inside it they are indeed wearing same cultural dresses. If Burqa was a dress, women would have been wearing it in home as well. Secondly, if you are genuinely in love with your cultural heritage(which I doubt), write about Jeans/shirts/tops someday. There are some universities in Islamabad, that does not let boys wear Shalwar Qameez, write about them.

bashubibi | 8 years ago This Niqab thing is a recent conservative middle class and lower middle class phenomenon. There were no Niqabs in the 70s, they made their appearnce in the mid 80's promoted by Jamat e Isalmi in Pakistan coinciding with the Arabization and wahabization of Pakistan in the name of "real" Islam. Women work in the fields, women work in factories, women work in the armed forces and police, this is not practical and not required by Islam. This is the same as burying women alive or locking them up in their homes in the name of "respecting" them and "honoring" them. Prophet Mohammad SAW gave women rights and stopped the custom of burying women alive. Women tended to the injured Muslims in the battle fields during Prophet Mohammad SAW's time. How did they do that without touching them? This is unnatural and an extreme dress code adopted by ultra conservative Muslims who are trying to promote it as a "Muslim" dress code. There is no uniform in Islam. Morals are judged by actions and not by appearances.

farhan | 8 years ago | Reply I totally agree with you noman.

Adnan Siddique | 8 years ago | Reply Pakistan's national dress will always be shalwar kameez whether you wear a niqab or not! Just as you are free to express your views (to which i think majority will disagree with) so are people free to wear dresses what they like. And BTW, one thing is common in all pics - Niqab. That is a part of Islamic culture whether you like it or not.

Ali | 8 years ago Yeah niqab is not an islamjc practice.

WG | 8 years ago Although influence of niqab in Islamic culture is present but niqab does not really have a relation to Islam; instead it's a garment which women wear in the belief that they are doing something extra in order to please Allah more. Meaning that it is their own opinion or interpretation.

Kasturi K | 8 years ago Ok, then you need to wear a beard. Why are you without a beard? Perhaps you have forgotten 'deen main jabar nahin.' If someone does not wear niqab it does not mean you are not a Muslim.

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Our national dress is the shalwar kameez, not the niqab

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