Comment by Lewal on December 22, 2012 at 11:30pm

Well, men have urges. Firstly. And in the civilized world, we've sort of agreed "Hey you know, we shouldn't just bend our wives over or pin them down whenever we feel the urge to copulate. Because they're people too, and they have feelings and stuff and we should treat them nicely." But in some places, men haven't agreed to this.

Also from time to time it's a matter of punishment. I remember one occasion (in Afghanistan) where there was a bit of a commotion outside one of the checkpoints in the village during my team's patrol. It was two men, brothers and neighbors, arguing at varying levels of loudness, sometimes passionately and sometimes more constraintedly, as if appealing to one another's reason. The ANP (Afghan National Police) couldn't decide what to do about the situation, and though it didn't strike me as being my business I noticed my interpreter listening in keenly and asked him what was going on. He said that the first man raped his daughter for disobeying him, and apparently had started to develop a habit of it, and the second man-- being his brother-- was concerned about this. And so they were waiting for the mullah Rahmat (a sort of village elder that was so respected it was said people kissed his hand). Anyway, I didn't get the play-by-play on how this whole thing panned out because I had security stuff to do, but before we left my interpreter told me that the mullah said the daughter had to move out of the house and marry. Now this is an extreme example, usually men only command their wives to make themselves available for copulation, but technically men have complete command of at least the women they marry and produce, so man-wife rape is relatively common to varying degrees. In rural village life anyway. I imagine in Jalalabad it may be seen as something of a breech of taste in some circles.

Comment by Ray R. on December 23, 2012 at 12:32am

In many Muslim countries , it is illegal to execute women if they are virgins. The fate of these women is to be gang raped by their guards , then led to execution . Praise Allah .

Comment by Ed on December 23, 2012 at 9:02am

Eastern women are starting to gain courage and protest these abuses:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324461604578194662249...

I'll never understand the mindset of middle eastern males. Their attitude of expected subservience and consummate control over females is totally defenseless.

Comment by Strega on December 23, 2012 at 10:57am

I think the whole idea of the burka as protection against the urges of the male puts the 'blame' on the woman rather than the man.  The messages seems to be that men not only cannot control their urges - but that they don't even have to try.  It is clearly the woman's fault if she inadvertently arouses one.

Comment by Gallup's Mirror on December 23, 2012 at 12:49pm

How topical. The all-male Supreme Court in Iowa just ruled it was legal for a male dentist to fire a female employee because he found her too attractive.  A pretty face is a career limitation in the Hawkeye State.

 

Comment by James Cox on December 23, 2012 at 1:33pm

I quess the men have some form of immagination. Why would full body cover help? If the population suffers from such sexual tension, how would their culture even work. I have been to nude beaches, and an clothing optional pagan gathering. While there was some sex going on, mostly the folks are being very kind and considerate of each other. At my first experience with a nude beach, I noticed a slow reduction in the feeling of novelty concerning female nudity over the day I was there. While some women are very beautiful, I started to consider them as if they were a form of art, not sex objects. As that day progressed, walking with friends, sand between my toes, brite sun over head, it was nice to not suffer under much tension at all. We were just people on a nice beach...  

Comment by jared manley on December 24, 2012 at 12:22am

The answer is no. The reason for the cover is to prevent "lust". Also the koran says something about looking at the ground rather than at a lady you might lust after.

 I understand your question but if it were that simple then if I ever went to prison I'd simply cover up. It's a little idealistic to say this is x therefore this should be x.

Comment by James Cox on December 24, 2012 at 12:31am

Interesting, people can 'lust' after money, without seeing any. ...

Comment by jared manley on December 24, 2012 at 12:51am

It's true. Staring at the ground wouldn't help them either.

Comment by jared manley on December 24, 2012 at 1:03am

Lets give everyone a fair trial... The bible says, yet the bible also says... I actually read it. (the key is skipping the lineage). The Koran says and also the Koran says... That the prophet has a change of mind when the god has a change of mind. Did you know they cover their asses a bit more than the christians?

 I'll give them all of that and yet they still can't give great answers. I am at least willing to know what all is written before making my assumption. Are they?

 @james Cox Not sure if that was rhetorical or not but it's really not interesting. What would be "interesting" is if people didn't compare ladies to valuables.

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