The Body in Islamic Culture

The concept of the body is of special importance in Islamic and Arab societies. Much of daily interaction between peoples in these societies is related to the strict Islamic division of the universe into different spaces; the feminine and masculine, the pure and the polluted, the private and public. This classification affects social, cultural and sexual behaviour. Consequently, the body becomes a tool used to communicate attitudes, desires, doubts and intimacy, but also to define social discourse and mores.