Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Haram Thong, Hallal Boxers



These are from Cafepress.com's "muslimteez" section. There is the Haram (Do not touch in Arabic) Thong, with the following product info:
Panty-minimalists love our casual thong that covers sweet spots without covering your assets – putting an end to panty-lines. This under-goodie is “outta sight” in low-rise pants. Toss these message panties onstage at your favorite rock star or share a surprise message with someone special ... later.

And there is the Halal not Haram Boxer Shorts:
Enjoy the roomy comfort of our sexy boxers as underwear or sleepwear. They’re 100% cotton, open fly…for thinking outside the boxers. Boxers, because you don’t want to be brief.

Curious to find these on the same page with Muslim teez that say "Allah" or "Mujahideen" (and "Jihad al-Nafs" in Arabic) or "Allah is always watching." Not that underwear is not Islamic, but that men's underwear is Halal (permissible) while women's is haram. In fact, according to Muslim teachings as I understand them, both are "permissible" if the partners are married, both are forbidden if the partners are not.

The Haram Thong and its description seems to play on Orientalist erotic fantasies of tearing off the veil of the Muslim woman. Or did I get this wrong?

2 comments:

John Schaefer said...

You should point out that "teez" is a naughty word in Arabic, akin to "weiner" in English...

Ted, what about an alternative (feminist?) reading? Pronounce it not haraam but haram, with two short vowels, and it designates a safe, protected internal space, like a campus or refuge. Moreover, halal could refer to just another piece of meat...

John Schaefer said...

oops, "teez" really means "ass"
j.