Cover up between shoulders and knees (July 25 2012) Cover up between shoulders and knees (July 25 2012)

Jenifer Fenton the American freelance reporter based in Doha UAE has published an article on her own blog titled ‘Cover-up campaign hits Gulf streets’ in which she discusses how Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are encouraging expatriates to dress modestly and respect the local culture. Fenton states “…the “One of Us” public awareness push, which hopes to educate expatriates about appropriate dress. …to cover up between the shoulders and the knees. …Most local women in Qatar and the UAE wear an abaya, a black garment that covers most of the body. The men wear the kandura, which tends to be ankle-length and a shade of white. The “UAE Dress Code” campaign … began out of disgust at the sight of foreigners dressed in what they deemed to be inappropriate attire …While the awareness campaigns are not focused on creating dress code laws, they are about respecting cultural norms. But modesty and taste are subjective and without clear laws, what is acceptable attire is often left to the discretion of the wearer. Article 30 of the UAE Constitution says, “Freedom of opinion and expressing it verbally, in writing or by other means of expression shall be guaranteed within the limits of the law.” But to what extent does “other means” cover clothing – or lack of it? There are also no laws that explicitly spell out the do’s and don’ts of dressing in Qatar.”

 

Inspired by Jenifer Fenton ow.ly/clymN image source Linkedin ow.ly/clz02