Islamic bathing suits make huge sales in Egypt

CAIRO (Antar al-Sayed)

Chinese-imported Islamic bathing suits invaded the Egyptian market since the beginning of the summer amidst protests by clerics who argued it is in violation of the teachings of Islam.

Veiled women in Egypt have been flocking to stores that sell Islamic, also called ‘legitimate,’ bathing suits imported from China and which started competing with their Lebanese counterparts that have been fashionable in previous summers.

" Bikinis and one-piece bathing suits are unacceptable in several places and girls wearing them are sometimes molested " Islamic bathing suits are made up of a long-sleeved top, stretch pants covered with a short skirt, and a headscarf. Its fabric is the same as regular bathing suits. As the numbers of buyers remarkably increased, Islamic bathing suits went from dark to bright colors and included vibrant patterns similar to ones printed on their regular counterparts. Contrary to what happened in the past few years, unveiled women are starting to buy Islamic bathing suits due to increased harassment incidents in several beaches, said store owner Sabry Mourad. “Bikinis and one-piece bathing suits are unacceptable in several places and girls wearing them are sometimes molested, so they find it much safer to wear bathing suits that cover the whole body,” he told Al Arabiya. The prices of Islamic bathing suits made in China are also affordable as they range from 75 to 500 Egyptian Pounds, said store owner Mohamed Gamal. “That is why whole families buy them,” he told Al Arabiya. Islamic bathing suits are also sold by peddlers for prices as low as 30 Egyptian Pounds.3 As sales of Islamic bathing suits went sky-high, Islamic scholars refuted the prevalent concept that the outfit is in line with Islamic teachings.

Un-Islamic bathing suits New Chinese bathing suits are affordable Dr. Soad Saleh, professor of Comparative Jurisprudence at al-Azhar University, argued that although Islamic bathing suits cover the entire body, they are still tight especially when wet. “This defeats the purpose since anyway the woman’s body is revealed to everyone at the beach,” she told Al Arabiya. Saleh said that women have every right to enjoy themselves in the summer as long as they abide by the rules of Islam. “They can swim in women-only beaches or not swim at all in mixed beaches,” she added. Dr. Ahmed Omar Hashem, former head of al-Azhar University and chairman of the Religious Affairs Committee at the People’s Assembly, agreed with Saleh. “Muslim women could only use bathing suits, whether regular or Islamic, as long there are no men around,” he told Al Arabiya.

" They just call it Islamic to make profit. There is nothing like a religious or secular bathing suit " Professor Moustafa Emara Dr. Moustafa Emara, professor of Theology at al-Azhar University and member of the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs, called for establishing more women-only beaches in order to avoid violation of Islamic laws of modesty and decency. “A woman should not reveal parts of their bodies unless there is a necessity like a medical condition or a surgical incision,” he told Al Arabiya. When asked about Islamic bathing suits, Emara said it is only a commercial trend that has nothing to do with Islam. “They just call it Islamic to make profit. There is nothing like a religious or secular bathing suit,” he concluded.