Flowers for the Women Wearing Veils - Volume I — Page 333
! ! 333 After this , I would like to give the ladies tw o important tasks. They should consider th em and then report back to me with the results , so that we may implement this in our whole community. First and foremost is the question of burqa and p u rdah. T he previous version of burqa wa s useless when considering p u rdah in accordance with Shariah. Along with p u rdah , women also need fresh air for their health, which cannot be enjoyed when wearing the previous style , nor can one hold a child. If it flaps open with the wind or if one must lift something, only the back remains covered , while one’s front part of the d ress is revealed. Some do not like the new style of burqa as it reveals beauty and charm. Theref ore, they believe it to be useless and a chado r is also inc onvenient. This is why I am requesting talented women and expert seamstresses to come up with a burqa which is comfortable from the point of health, and is in accordance with Islam ic requirements , and then pass it onto us. I do not know how to sew , and women are more in tune regarding this matter. It is my hope that they will ponder over this and let us know, so we can review and implement it. The second matter concerns the women’s exhibition, concerning arts and handicrafts. A sample of every type of product crafted in your town , should be brought to be exhibited at headquarters. The present exhibition appears to be of the Lajna themselves, rather than the products. Ladies should direct their attention to this matter and a rrange t o send the highest quality product in their hometown. O r inform me, so I can make arrangements towards this. I will show th e Lajna how an exhibition is done. After attempting to do so in the last two to three years, I have observed that they have not accomplish ed anything. Therefore , women should strive in this regard. The y have been assigned these two responsibiliti es , and I hope that you will have accomplished them by next year. Lastly, I pray that may God Almighty help you with these blessed tasks. ( Misbah , January 15, 1933)