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The letter Non-use of Tudung has brought moral decay made interesting reading, but I'd like to comment further.

I read the English translation of the Quran by Dr TB Irving ( Al-Haji Ta'Lim Ali , 1992) and under Surah An-Nur, Ayat 31, the passage appears to have a particular word translated differently.

It reads: 'Tell believing women to avert their glances and guard their private parts, and not to display their charms except what (normally) appears of them. They should fold their shawls over their bosoms and show their charms only to their husbands, or their fathers ... '.

The difference is the word 'shawl', as opposed to 'head covering' as was stated in the letter above.

The shawl is hardly headgear or tudung. Can it be that different people have translated the word differently? Maybe yes, perhaps unlikely. Anyway, let the language experts figure it out.

Notwithstanding that and for argument's sake, there is no such thing as standard Islamic dress. The 'purdah' (Afghan type) or the veil type is never mentioned in the Quran.

Bear in mind, this passage quoted above touches on the topic of the modesty of women and this matter could be subjective. What is considered modest dressing here might not be modest in conservative countries and vice-versa.

So, why does Zainol have to criticise the dressing of Siti Nurhaliza or Misha Omar?

The writer also argued that a woman is deemed 'naked' if her figure can be made out in a tight outfit. This is only so if the mind of the man is weak. Surely not all women, small girls and old ladies elicit 'naked' fantasies. We don't lust after every girl in tight jeans.

With regards to the argument of tudung in relation to the breakdown of moral values, there is no evidence whatsoever that there is a positive correlation between tudung and the rate of sex crimes.

In a liberated society and developed country like Sweden, the sex crime rate is much less compared to some conservative countries in Asia. The tudung is a non-issue there because almost no one wears it.

Therefore, we cannot simply conclude that non-use of tudung has brought moral decay. I guess the writer was trying to address social issues using a purely religious approach.

Finally, I think it is uncalled for a Muslim to pass judgement on other Muslims. It is not up to him to judge others for only God can judge, nobody else.

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