1994, Articles, Raiati

Nude Clothing / 17.07.94

I wrote about demure clothing in churches, especially at weddings, but in vain. Now I wonder whether our young and middle-aged ladies are neglecting this aspect of their chastity which requires demure clothing in all places. In fact, purity is necessary not only in religious buildings but also in all venues and on the streets. The pretext, of course, is that our weather is hot, although men also suffer from this hot weather, and nobody died because of the heat. And when we ask “why this nudity?”, we hear the shocking answer “this is fashion”, as if women are doomed to slavery to fashion.

We are not against women’s beauty. But does beauty mean that women have to be provocative for those who look at them? They are certainly aware that they are exposing their beauty, and they are seeking to draw attention as well, which includes causing obscene imagination for men. Aren’t women responsible for their male companions? According to what I heard from some young ladies, I know that mothers sometimes urge their daughters to wear indecent clothes. So our ethical situation is worse than I thought.

It is not a matter of fashion, because people are saying that there is a different fashion trend this year. Thus women wearing short clothes are following last year’s fashion. So this clothing style is based on an intention to be provocative, and on the perception that sexual arousing is a good thing that gives body pride for the young lady and lets the young man be subjugated so that she feels he is a slave to her. Is this a kind of revenge for the chastity that men have required from women since the dawn of time to control them? Studies show that men wanted to dominate women; then women tried to reverse this situation and take control. Do relationships between humans have to be shaped as master-slave? Did women feel that they are in bondage, and they wanted consequently to make men slaves to them?

I agree that women do not think in such a complex way. But isn’t this pattern of thinking inherent in us? Aren’t they mounting this challenge as if they were saying: you wanted to enslave me, and now I want to enslave you? Dare to resist if you were a man. If the young or middle-aged lady said: “this is not how I think”, then this would be a disaster. And if she thought and resolved, then it would be a total disaster. The disaster lies in the fact that many people consider that the body is separated from the personality, which means that it does not represent a human relationship anymore, and it became a spot of contact between flesh and flesh, or eyes and flesh.

The greatest disaster is that we hear some non-Christian citizens saying: nearly-nude women are Christians, and Christian women are characterized by indecent clothing. Where do some of our women stand on the Lord’s words: “whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart”? How do our indecent young ladies want men not to commit adultery in their eyes? Don’t we have a girl or lady that would say: I am a person having a soul and a body; my contact with people is, first and foremost, a spiritual one that would be damaged by arousing instincts? If my soul was gracious and sublime, I will be loved. Then, I would know that the person who is fond of me appreciates my qualities. His heart would be attracted to me; and if our hearts met, our bodies will definitely meet within a pure relationship that we, the Christians, call “marriage”. For us, marriage is not about surrendering to a body; it is an act of accepting the body of a girl to whom we are engaged in an eternal commitment.

Beauty paves the way for the meeting; but debauchery is not a meeting. Whoever wants only a body knows that there would always be a more beautiful one. As for those who seek a union based on uniqueness, on internal magnificence and on one sincere commitment, they would be more faithful. All generations have tasted beauty, but they have also tasted the soul. Why would this generation be contented with bodies and clothes partially hiding them? Has the soul vanished and nobody has patience anymore to wait for a sublime meeting? More surprising is the fact that some married women are not more decent than single ones. After vowing to make her body a means of communication between her and her husband, which means that her body would be only for her husband who seeks the heart lying inside, why would the married woman expose her body to voracious eyes as if she was available to all, and not to one partner only? I want to be convinced.

Translated by Amani Haddad

Original Text: “الأزياء العارية” – Raiati no29 –

Translated by Amani Haddad

Original Text: “الأزياء العارية” – Raiati no29 – 17.07.94

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