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Women & Islam: Tales from the Road - Melissa Vinitsky says, "With Muslim women largely behind the scenes and out of reach, a foreign woman, even modestly dressed, stands out like a bikini-clad girl skiing down the slopes in mid-winter. On top of that, many Arab men, influenced by American movies and TV, subscribe to the common belief that western women are 'easy.'..." Read Melissa's analysis of life and travel in Cairo.
The Answer Bank suggests women travelers' dress guidelines in Muslim countries: cover your arms and legs with loose clothing. Many female travelers suggest covering your hair in Islamic countries to help avoid rude attention from men; women should always cover their hair in mosques, period. The Answer bank also describes traditional Muslim women's garments.
"Not only is it important to be modest there, but loose clothing is more comfortable in the tropical heat. Wear sandals or slip-on shoes when you visit a local's house because most Bangladeshis take off their shoes when entering a home. When I went out in public I often wore sunglasses..." --Becky, Grand Rapids, USA
"I bring groups of American students to India every year, and always ask my students to be respectful of local custom and dress modestly. Several girls last year saw other foreign tourist women wearing tank tops and/or shorts and followed suit. The difference in how they were treated was dramatic. Wearing tank tops and shorts invited countless more lewd comments and attempts to look down the girls' shirts..."

"As is the case in most Islamic countries, it is important for women to cover as much of their body as possible in loose clothing. I've found that in Pakistan, people are really appreciative of tourists who wear the traditional punjabi dress, shalwar (kamiz)

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A true history of human events would show that a far larger proportion of our acts are the results of sudden impulses and accident, than of that reason of which we so much boast.