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Joel's newsclippings:
PILGRIMS SHOULD FOLLOW DRESS CODE: Tourists often think they have come to a fools' paradise. And the faithful are often scandalized by their indecent attire in a place of worship.But neither the ASI nor the Basilica Committee at Old Goa has evolved guidelines for the pilgrims and visitors to follow during the 43-day event. Says N Taher, deputy superintending archaeologist, referring to tourists who are vulgarly dressed, "It becomes difficult and embarrassing for us to bar their entry in churches.".Says Olavo Velho Pereira, Director of Diocesan Centre for social Communications Media, "Perhaps, we should place some board with instructions regarding the dress code." (GT)
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The big cover-up
IN THE world of dress codes, rulings are more commonly aimed at educating visitors than residents. Even those who haven't done much globe-trotting are aware that when visiting religious sites of any denomination, modest dress is required, usually covering the legs, shoulders and sometimes head. Try to enter the Vatican in a mini skirt or Bermuda shorts and you'll be turned away.
Respect for other customs and religions is generally accepted without question, but in some cases it causes friction. Earlier this year the Malaysian state of Terengganu made moves towards banning bikinis. For the legions of tourists who go there to enjoy the idyllic beaches this was something of a turn-off, which was exactly the effect their lack of dress was having on the local, mostly Muslim population.
Most conservative Islamic states require women to cover up in the traditional black abaya and headscarf, but a US female fighter pilot brought a lawsuit against the US defence secretary, pointing out that men in Saudi were not being forced to wear traditional dress.
While dress ethics at religious sites come as no surprise, codes imposed for social occasions are a little more curious. Royal Ascot is the prime example, where this year Rod Stewart was turned away from the Royal enclosure for being inappropriately attired. And three years ago Germaine Greer was turned away because the split in her skirt was too high. But times change and even Ascot has decided to modernise its outlook. Gone are the tape measures for checking skirt length, and bare shoulders are no longer banned. Instead ladies are required to look "elegant", although if the Queen takes a dislike to your outfit - as she did to a BBC film crew this year - you may well be out on your ear.
It's dress codes in the workplace that seem to cause the most controversy. In June of this year ladies of the East Africa Legislative Assembly were told they would be required to wear skirts with below-the-knee hemlines. During one lively debate on the subject it was pointed out that dictating skirt length still left tightness and split size up to the wearer. Similarly, former New Zealand prime minister Jenny Shipley was last year pictured in a purple mini skirt, worn in support of a colleague who claimed she'd been fired for wearing revealing clothing.
For every clothing ban there is an individual willing to fight for their right to bare all. It's interesting that the US is at the forefront of passing legislation against nudity while at the same time warring against fundamentalism. In the meantime, the debate about whether skirt length is a matter for fashion designers or governments will rage on.
Source: http://news.scotsman.com/features.cfm?id=1143272002
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