You know, it always strikes me that the burkas are black. If you have ever been in the Middle East, you know that it is *hot* and the sun is intense. Forcing the women to wear black is an obvious way to make them stay indoors.

The men, of course, wear white...

Historically the black was made with dye from the indigo plant. It was achieved by dying th cloth multiple times. The deeper the hue, the more dye you could afford. Status symbol.

When I was in Italy someone asked our tour guide why she always wore all black with it being so hot and humid (high 90s when we were there) and she said it was like the people who lived in the desert. They wore dark clothes because it blocked heat better, which is the opposite of what I've always been told.

Whoo hoo! Take it off!

Mattress girl hardest hit.

Now, who will come along and inform them that such behaviour is hateful to Muslims, and that they should refrain from provoking them? they might cut your head off!

@NicoleK: I can believe that, but who's status? The guy has the money, the woman cooks in the sun.

I don't buy black blocking heat. I play tennis, it's been pretty warm, one day I forgot and took a black t-shirt. Definitely a mistake...

There's got to be massive vitamin D deficiency in burka-wearing Muslim women, shrouded from the sun.

A random guy,

It depends on if there is wind.

White reflects better. So it reflects heat away from the body better. But it also reflects self generated heat back to the body.

Black absorbs heat better. So it 'pulls' heat from outside in and from inside out. My explanation on black is terrible I know, but I can't think of a better way to say this right now.

The key is if you have some wind to dispose of the gathered heat from the black cloth you will stay cooler than if you used white cloth. Or even better have white on the outside and black on the inside.

Looks to me like if you have it shrouding your entire body, not much wind is gonna get to your parts. It's suffocating them.

That red dress pattern on the left is really fun. It's a shame she had to hide it.

Amy tes vitamin d can be a problem

Womns status has been lunked to men in many cultures, and in mant cultures theyve been happy to be uncomfortable for status. It is odd as youd think high status would give you the right to be comfy but no

White burka, black burka - who cares which is better for blocking the sun. really!

That women were forced to "cover up" or be stoned to death is what really matters.

Let's hope more and more women (men and children too) get away from ISIS and that others help to defeat them.

I just picked up a copy of Ayaan Hirsi Ali's latest book - "Heretic - Why Islam Needs a Reformation Now."

As expected, her book is great. Sadly, I think her message doesn't reach those who need to heed it.

Beautiful bright colors are the new black.

If memory serves, I believe women of nomadic Arab tribes were required to wear black because it can be easily spotted in the desert from quite far away. An honorable and devout man would then be obliged to circumvent the woman by a generous margin.