Female Muslim medics 'disobey hygiene rules'

[DanaC]

As far as I am aware there is nothing in the qu'ran stipulating total coverage. There is, however, some kind of reference to the wife of the prophet being behind a screen, or veil or somesuch and away from the eyes of men through her admirable modesty. It's a little like the way the Catholic church has argued that there should be no female priests because there weren't any female apostles in the bible. It doesn't actually stipulate, it just provides the means for emulation.

The covering up of females is a cultural phenomenon which has been fitted into a belief system (I think).