Neither the Catholics nor the Protestants admit women into priesthood.

Neither the Catholics nor the Protestants admit women into priesthood. Catholic nuns are obliged to cover their whole body even in their dormitories; and a woman going before the Pope must cover her whole body, even if she, in her public life, is a 'striptease artist'. So, the 'anti-discrimination' laws have not compelled the Christians to relax their rules that are obviously 'based on sex-discrimination.

Now coming to the Shia Ithna-asheri Sheriat: - It is the unanimous ruling of all the Mujtahids, right from the beginning upto now, that:- 1. A woman must cover her entire body and hair in such a way that it is not seen by any man who is not within prohibited degree. (Within prohibited degree: with whom marriage is prohibited, like father, brother, son etc. ) It is 'Harem' (unlawful) for a man to look at the body (or part thereof!

📌of a woman who is not within prohibited degree, whether it be with lusty intention or without such intention.) Also, it is 'Haram' for a woman to look at the body of a man who is not within prohibited degree; The above rules are for her whole body except the 'face' and hands (from the wrists to the finger-tips); Note: Neck, ears and hair are not included in face' and must remain covered.

So far as the face and hands (as explained above) are concerned, it is the unanimous ruling of all the Mujtahids that it is Haram (unlawful) to look at the face and hands of a woman, if that look is with lusty intention; The only difference of opinion is about looking at the face and hands of a woman (who is not within prohibited degree) without any lusty intention. Some Mujtahids say that it is allowed; others say that it is not allowed.

The present great Mujtahids (Agha-e-Khoui, Agha-e-Milani, Agha-e-Shahrudi and Agha-e- Shariatmadari) say that it is not Haram to look at the face and hands of a woman who is not within prohibited degree, without any lusty intention. But even then, they say that it is 'Ihtiyat-e-Wajib' to refrain from such looking. Looking at non-Muslim women, who usually do not cover their bodies, is allowed if it is without any lusty intention.

Now if someone is prepared to reach the furthest limit, he can do so only if the womenfolk are prepared to cover their whole body from head to foot in a proper way (not in revealing clothes). To put it in a more clear way, a woman must cover herself as is done in Ihram, covering her neck, hair and ears also, leaving only that part of the face open which is washed in Wudhu.

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