Strict Islamic dress - a question to those who wear this

[Epic Beard Man]

I live in a religiously conservative part of the USA.

One of the things I hear regularly from Muslims around here is this. They like American freedom of religion. Because they can practice their Islam the way they think it should be. They don't have any autocratic kings or generals or imams telling them how they must be Muslim.
Or Else!

Tom

There is no such thing as “their Islam.” Most conservative religious governments like Indonesia for instance interpret what behavior or lifestyle a Muslim must lead through the actions by “religious police” or through an extreme interpretation of Quranic text usually done by conservative Muslims themselves. These conservative Muslims are an equivalent to the hard right Christians in the United States. Unfortunately, these conservative Muslim governments are influenced by various elements in the socio-political arena.

The Qur’an says:

“There is no compulsion in religion.”

An Imam cannot force religion or to do what is Islamically right no more than the government so what you said is somewhat false regarding Imams. What I find interesting is most repressive governments that usually press their interpretation of religious doctrine to get people to do right, have historically done the opposite. This is what drove the early English people to travel to the new world and that is why you have so-called Muslim neighbors liking the U.S.

There are many Muslims who want to drink, have pre-marital sex, smoke marijuana, and not wear hijab because religion has been so much pressed in their faces and forced it (religion) becomes something that is dissatisfied.

 

[Poseidon Soter]

Your question has a fairly complex answer which considers the psychology behind the imagined need for such acts. Keep in mind that I am a so-called strong atheist in that it's not that I don't believe in gods, but that I go further and claim there are no gods - certainly not as imagined by human animals. There is so little evidence for god(s) that one would think that theists have a perma-blush over the reality that there is little to backup their claims other than their emotional connection to an idea.

It is partly the idea that a god would look kindly on how you chose to dress AS IF a lowly little human animal is worthy of acknowledgment from a truly celestial being. Given the strong patriarchal underpinnings of this particular admonishment, to dress modestly, rather than how one simply pleases, it is more reasonable to see this as a male domination ploy which the women of the day simply acquiesced to given that they were virtually powerless to resist such an edict. Those who chose to wear it were elevated because they had gone along with what their illustrious leader demanded of them. Obedience, plus, like with the very public daily prayer, at a glance one could see who was naughty and who was nice. It was pretty amazing crowd control, really, to be part of the "in crowd" of that era.

There is a lot more but that is a good start.

So your argument would also apply to all other acts done to please a deity? And belief in deities that desire/dictate that acts be done to please them is what is ultimately primitive, more than the specific nature of the act in this case?

 

[Niblo]

Islam pays but lip service to Jesus Christ. Islam does not believe in any of the gospels. It doesn't believe in anything that is written about him. You should not think for one moment that the homage that Islam extends to Jesus will be recognized by him.

Mat 7:22
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

Mat 7:23
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Matthew 7:22 is addressed to Christians. These are the folk who call him 'Lord.'