Posted on 08/21/2005 11:04:41 AM PDT by echoBoomer
.."Not in all my years had I ever seen anything quite so bizarre," Muhtar wrote in a recent column in the daily Sabah newspaper.
The women were wearing Islamic-style swimwear, which is becoming increasingly popular among Muslim women who want to bathe without baring their flesh. The outfit consists of a full body suit and hood that is pulled over a tightly fitted bonnet. A long vest completes the ensemble.
Muhtar's column has touched off a debate about the merits of such outfits in a country where most women wear Western-style swimwear, and some even go topless.
Yet the flurry of discussion has remained free of the politics engulfing the Islamic-style head scarf, which is banned in all Turkish government institutions and schools as a symbol of religious militancy. Rather, the emphasis has been on style.
"Silly, tasteless and weird," commentator Ahmet Hakan wrote in the daily Hurriyet.
Hakan's assertion that modest women should forgo swimming rather than make themselves ridiculous in such gear has angered some conservatives. Mustafa Karaduman, founder of Turkey's biggest Islamic-style fashion chain, Tekbir Giyim, or God Is Great Clothing, went so far as to suggest that Hakan was not a good Muslim.
All of this is welcome publicity for Mehmet Sahin, who while attending law school in 1993 designed his first modest bathing suit — not for women, but men.
"As a pious Muslim, I wanted to wear a bathing costume that did not cling to my genitals," he said in a recent interview. His baggy, mid-calf-length shorts became an instant hit with similarly religious-minded students. Sahin, who abandoned law, has since branched out into women's swimwear and now commands the country's largest Islamic swimwear empire, Hasema. His customers include the Turkish foreign minister's wife, Hayrunnisa Gul.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Just looking at that pic, makes me HOT! I can't imagine wearing that in 90 degree weather. Those poor women.
See 39
They are made of lycra, and light in the water. The fabric does not get soaked and heavy. These suits (usually minus the head cover) are also worn by some Christian women who want modest dress - Quakers and Mennonites, etc.
That one cracked me up! Thanks ASA!
ROFL bump.
maybe the elastic around the wrists and ankles traps air in the garment, thus allowing the wearer to float.
LOL!
Yep, I was 70 seconds too late.
Guess I can ditch my sunscreen...
I find it to be an earworm. It will linger for days if I listen to it. And of course I had to click the link to insure it was working so now it's playing over and over in my head.
Ankle biters will all have to be registered...
That just got sent out by e-mail,Funny
This looks like a good option. I've seen women at the beach who would've looked much better wearing these bathing suits than the bikinis they had on.
I haven't seen this yet. LOL pretty funny. Thanks for posting.
Hubba hubba!
"From Google--Your search - islamic bathing suits - did not match any documents. "
LOL!!!!great.
You could go into a bar and they had a tape of the show playing all the time. The Muslim men went nuts.
I should have told them that Yasmine Bleeth is half Jewish. That sure would have freaked them out. But then again, many of them were too drunk to communicate.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.