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Issues: `Clerics warn women against hairdos'
In a controversial move, clerics in East Java have issued a fatwa forbidding Muslims from dying and straightening their hair, and from holding pre-wedding photo sessions
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em>In a controversial move, clerics in East Java have issued a fatwa forbidding Muslims from dying and straightening their hair, and from holding pre-wedding photo sessions. The edict was endorsed by 250 leaders of Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) in Java and Madura, who convened for a problem-solving forum in Kediri, East Java. Cleric Darul Azka said Friday that hair straightening was regarded as haram for women because it could lead to immoral acts if the intention was to improve physical appearance.
Your comments:
This is unbelievable! Oh Allah, save this country from ignorance of our minds and hearts. We have so many problems in our country, e.g. poverty; lack of education; lack of a positive mental attitude etc., and all they can come up with is fatwa on hairdos and photo shoots?
These fatwa only reveal our moral weakness. These fatwa are solid proof, that our morals are purely dependent on physical temptations. We don't even have the strength to control ourselves, instead we let those hairdos and photos control our morals.
Ram Rahim
Jakarta
I suppose the men who would be involved in such "immoral acts" as may arise from a woman having a hairdo will, as usual, be innocent victims. Will it be a legal defense in a sexual assault case to claim that the victim brought it on herself by having blonde highlights? Meanwhile, Muslim men will be free to have whatever fashionable haircut they choose, presumably.
David
Jakarta
No doubt next they will forbid makeup and high-heeled shoes, smiling, nail polish, washing, deodorants etc. Let all the women live in caves so they won't be exposed to these terrible men who may find them attractive.
Exbrit
Jakarta
There is not a single thing a woman wears that is not to improve her physical appearance. So she should be naked. Being naked is also haram (forbidden), so she should not exist all together.
Tomtom
Surabaya
Two hundred and fifty men meet in a "problem-solving forum" and decide how Muslim women will manage their hair? Did they ask the women if they had any problems? Maybe they even solved problems that women didn't know they had?
Sad really that some of the real problems confronting women in East Java were not being "solved" - like women's health services, children's education, corruption that robs the poor and maintains poverty, the tobacco addiction of husbands etc.
The issue of a fatwa on hair management has just turned many thousands of well-groomed devout Muslim women into sinners.
Nairdah
Sydney
It's just amazing to notice all the comments rejecting the fatwa. We are talking about certain clerics taking a stand against certain acts of behavior.
So what's wrong with that? Isn't everyone entitled to their own opinion? If you don't agree, well you just ignore them or change religion. If you consider yourself democratic, you should also accept the fatwa.
A statement implying that those who issued the fatwa are hypocrites is disrespectful.
Just because you don't agree with it does not give you the right to insinuate or insult.
Not respecting other opinions or other people's culture just fuels misunderstanding, hatred and violence. I am sure no one is waiting for that.
A.R.Tauran
Jakarta
A.R. Tauran, having an opinion is one thing, issuing an official fatwa is something else entirely.
You're probably right about people being wrong calling these clerics (why is the name "cleric" exclusive to Islam these days?) hypocrites as I'm sure that none of them have put highlights in their hair recently.
Scot
Bandung
