Islam owns Purdah but Burkini was never its part

World War I not only provided impetus to the freedom (openness, secularism, liberalisation, etc) movement but also it took to its extreme heights. The anti-conceptionist movement had affected France in particular. For over 40 years birth rate in that country had constantly been falling. Only 20 out of 87 French Districts birth rate was higher than death rate. Whereas in the remaining districts the average death rate was as high as 130,140, and even 160, against every 100 births. The nation lacked in a sufficient number of combatant youngmen. There was no other mode, except by raising the national birth rate by all possible means. So the writers, journalists, speakers, even scientists and politicians came out and raised one universal cry requiring the people to bear more and more children without even bothering about marriage formalities. Any spinster or widow, they said, who offered her womb voluntarily in the service of the motherland, deserved to be honoured rather than censured. Lovers of freedom seized this opportunity for spreading among the people all their devilish ideas.

About the same time, the Paris Faculty of Medicine approved a doctoral thesis and published it in its official bulletin. It contained the following sentences also:

“We hope the day will come when without cynical boasting or false modesty we shall say: ‘I had syphilis at twenty years old,’ just as we say nowadays, ‘I have been sent to the hills for spitting blood,… Whoever has passed his youth without contracting those troubles which are as it were the price of pleasure, is but an incomplete being who through cowardice, a cold nature, or religious scruple, has missed the accomplishment of what is perhaps the least degraded of his natural functions”.(Towards Moral Bankruptcy, p.151)

French neo-Malthusian leader Paul Robin says:

“Under the influence of a licentious literature and an immoral stage, divorce and adultery, anti-conceptionist practices and abortion, are acclimatised in our plan of life. Five-and-twenty years ago the very words aroused in the immense majority of people violent feelings of revulsion, even of profound horror and disgust… The automatic reflexes have lost their vigour because the moral atmosphere has changed”.(Towards Moral Bankruptcy,p.152)

“More coffins than cradles”, wrote a German author with regard to the French; and added, “Thus must disappear through their own fault the nations who have broken the fundamental laws of life”.(P.280)

“A people whose women are not convinced that there is nothing more beautiful for them then to be a good wife and mother is a people who has serious reason to be alarmed for its future”.

(Conquest of Happiness by Bertrand Russel, p.209) – Tr.

“There is probably more emphasis on sex in America today than in any nation in history. American life is saturated with an unnatural and unhealthy emphasis on sex”.

(“Nor or Never”, by Dr Smiley Blanton, p. 189)-Tr.

These were some highlights of the social conditions in so-called ‘Civilised Nations’. All wrong traditions are guiltless in the beginning and are least effective in a group of people having a religion, ethnic, profession, or another particular characteristic in common. But as they are handed down from one generation to the other they are corrupted assume unusual dimensions. Even in Europe and America, consequences of the reorganisation of community life on wrong footing did not appear forthwith; they have rather fully groomed now after three or four generations. Therefore, the blend of the Western and Islamic ways and observance of the so-called Purdah is no solution at all. It indeed reflects a strong inclination towards extreme Westernism. People who are treading this path should clearly understand that the beginning they have made may not bring them to grief, but it will surely lead their children or grandchildren to grave consequences.

Making you familiar with this pastiche advanced and innovative world, here starts our discussion on Burkini which was never a part of Islam. The system of Purdah in Islam is pure and based on practice. Hence, human beings can interpret it on their own but nobody is allowed to grease it, set run for their own garnish aim.

The Burqa is well-known word nowadays. What does it mean? The definition arises country to country and mind to mind. Unfortunately, one definition rules out all other definitions, i.e. Burqa is a symbol of Islam representing Muslim women all over the world. Now what type of it represents, we can debate on it and settle it nowhere in the world today.

Muslims grow equivalently in line with other human beings on the earth. What makes difference is the mind, region, education and of course the society in which the child is brought up. The mixture of all these unseen components gives birth to ideology.

Girls are given an extra care in Muslim societies and it is something to be commended. But today the condition of such ethics is changing continuously in the downward direction. Girls are given the same rights as boys until the childhood remain full of life. As soon as the adolescence period start certain rights are imposed butchering the previous rights given to the same girl child.

Girls are ordered to wear Hijab and this is the very first right to be imposed upon the girls. Further girls have certain restrictions to walk out despite their own personal work. Now a girl can’t talk to her closest neighbor or spent time with xyz who was her closest childhood friend. Mostly after intermediate or let’s say due to globalisation and rising awareness of today Muslim girls are married during graduation. No matter she wanted to be a doctor, engineer, social servant, CA or any other person of her choice in life.

The obligation of a woman to wear a Burqa is dependent on her age: young, unmarried woman or young married woman in her first years of marriage are required to wear the burqa. However, after this the husband usually decides of his wife should continue to wear a burqa. Man will dress to his satisfaction level and woman will also dress to the satisfaction level of his man.

My conversation starts from the last year ban controversy in France on Burkini. Now a question arises on what is a burkini? So, burkini is a type of swimsuit for women, designed in Australia by Aheda Zanetti. The suit covers the whole body except the face, the hands and the feet while being light enough for swimming. The design is intended to accord with Islamic traditions of modest dress i.e. Purdah.

Now imagine a situation in one of the beaches at a beautiful country France, where people are enjoying under the in blue water. Here a Muslim lady too wants to enjoy which is prohibited in Islam if she knows or her family. But she wants to observe Purdah even during a bath. Well, Muslims should pause here for a second and think if they are not affected with madness. What kind of a believer you are if you want to bath and enjoy on a beach leaving aside your religious virtues of Islam. Islam totally disagrees with your version of Islam and somehow match with the decision of a Burkini ban i.e. Supporting the decision of French administration of banning burkini.

There are many advantages when it comes to living in France as opposed to other countries around the world. From urban sophistication to charming country living, France has something for everyone. Breathtaking landscapes, historic buildings, quaint villages, bustling metropolises and a rich quality of life. France offers all this and more for anyone looking to escape the mundane and experience life at its fullest. People are balanced here. Imagine a country whose motto begins “Liberte,” will not allow people to follow the right to practice religion. If one want to set his own religion definitely you can not temper the law.

No doubt, the Islamic law also, like all other systems of law allows for strictness or relaxation in accordance with circumstances should be examined and viewed in accordance with determine strictness or relaxation in a particular case, circumstances should be examined and viewed in accordance with the spirit of Islam itself. Judging Islam with the choices of enjoying at beach, watching porn, indecency and sexual love, nudism etc and tempering laws give birth to another religion certainly which is not Islam.

To examine circumstances from a different angle and then attack the provisions of the law with a view to relaxing their severity is simply and purely tampering with the law. The circumstances which are giving rise to the demand for “relaxation” are in fact being examined from an “un-Islamic point of view” they would indeed warrant that the law should be strictly enforced, and not relaxed, if the same were examined from the Islamic point of view. Similarly Islam can not allow the concept of Burkini to be added in its dictionary when it has nothing to do with Islam except bringing it badness.

The verses of the Qur’an that enjoin Purdah are translated as follows:

Order the Muslim men to lower down their sights a little and to guard their private parts. This is cleaner for them, undoubtedly, Allah is Aware of their deeds.

And order the Muslim women to lower down their sights a little and guard their chastity and show not their adornment but as much which is itself apparent and remain putting their head coverings over their bosoms. And disclose not their adornment but to their husbands, or to their fathers, or the fathers of their husbands, or to their or the of sons husbands or their brothers or the sons of their brothers or the sons of their sisters or the women of their religion or their handmaids who are the property of their hands or servants provided they are not men of sexual desire or the children who are unaware of the private parts of the women; and put not their feet forcibly on the ground that hidden adornment may be known. And repent to Allah, O Muslims all together, haply you may get prosperity.

(Quran- 24:30-31)

‘O wives of the prophet’ you are not like other women if you fear Allah, therefore be not so polite in your speech lest one in whose heart is a disease should feel tempted, yes, speak good words.

And remain stay in your houses and be not unveiled like that of the unveiling of the former days of ignorance, and establish prayer and pay the poor-due (Zakat) and obey the commands of Allah and His Messenger. Allah only desires O! The members of the family of the prophet! That He may remove from you every uncleanness and purify you well after cleaning you thoroughly. (Quran-33:32-33)

‘O Prophet! Tell to your wives, and daughters and Muslim women, that they should keep putting a part of their wrapping covers over their faces. This is nearer than this that if they are recognized, they should not be annoyed. And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. (Quran-33:59)

One the one hand, men has been instructed only to restrain their eyes and guard their morals against indecency. On the other hand, women have not only been enjoined like men to observe these commands but they have been given some additional instructions also for observance in social life. This clearly shows that for the protection of their morals it is not enough for the women to “restrain their eyes” and “guard their shameful parts” only but they have to obey some other laws also. Therefore, we should understand carefully how the Holy Prophet(PBUH) and his companions enforced these brief instructions in the social system of this world, and how their saying and actions explain and illustrate the meaning of these instructions in the actual practical life.

Islam cannot be followed properly without knowledge. It is a rational law, and to follow it rightly one needs to exercise reason and understanding at every step.