The Word of mAn[S]o0r: A cultural issue ? or a suppression issue ?

I recieved this through email from one of the lists im on. It has really made me, and quite a few other people of the forum, think over where excatly we are heading as a nation....

Im pasting the email as it is at the end, suffice to say, the author raises a few very interesting points.

Why qumee(national) dress is not considered as formal dress while we see in our national assembly and in the govt. sector that people wear “Qomee(national) Dress” with waste-coat as their formal dress. Does this means that are they not working efficiently?
What is the definition of formal dress and who set this definition? pent shirt and tie really means a formal dress? And is it necessary for every culture ad every nation to adopt this definition?
Can’t it be set according to culture of that nation as the west has set it according to their culture? we really think that by following the west culture and impose it to our working environment will really improve the quality of work and efficiency?
In the west women also wear this dress while working in offices, does it means that we should also adopt this policy?

Another member of the forum summarized the email into the following issue's...

Our National (or religious) Identity Crisis (forgetting our history)
What is a professional dress?
In organization where dress in important (probably marketing) and where productivity and creativity is important
Following west blindly (we can adopt good things from anybody)

So in the future, i'll also be posting things related to this issue on the blog, as much sense as i can make out from it anyway. If you have anything to say, please leave a comment !

An Issue which should be discussed positively night my friend Nida came to my home with her parents. She was looking depressed.I knew Nida’s family from a long time. She belongs to a well educated family. She has two sisters and one elder brother. She is studying medical and her two sisters are in school age. Her father is a professor in a govt. university.I asked her if she is O.K. She told me that her brother was terminated from his job today. Why what was the reason? I asked her surprisingly, as I knew that her brother was working in a very good company and he is not only very qualified but very hard worker. She replied that her brother is religious and wears qameez shalwar. I became confused as I did not understand why she was saying this. She continued to saying, his office management decided and ordered that every employee must be wearing pent-shirt with tie and even they are not allowing him to wear qameez shalwar on Fridays. But why, what is the reason for this change in dress, I asked her. She took a deep breath and said that his office management is saying that the environment must be looking professional and the efficiency and quality of work can be achieved by wearing pent shirt and tie. added my knowledge by saying that in many organizations pent shirt is must and considered as a formal dress where “qumee-dress” is not.Many applicant who avoid wearing this type of dress are rejected in interviews even they have the sound knowledge and capable to do that job. Some times existing employees are warned and sent back to home if the come without the tie or pent. on Fridays, when a person wants to perform his religious practices comfortably, it is not allowed to wear. On the other hand on Saturdays relaxation is given that people can wear jeans but still not shalwar qameez. was keep asking me questions which I was not able to give the answers. She was questioning …. we really want to improve the quality of work or we are in great influence of the west? an applicant wears a “Qomee formal dress” should he be rejected only because of this issue? jeans but not “Qomee Dress” Is not an act of extremism? qumee dress is not considered as formal dress while we see in our national assembly and in the govt. sector that people wear “Qomee Dress” with waste-coat as their formal dress. Does this means that are they not working efficiently? is the definition of formal dress and who set this definition? pent shirt and tie really means a formal dress? And is it necessary for every culture ad every nation to adopt this definition? it be set according to culture of that nation as the west has set it according to their culture? we really think that by following the west culture and impose it to our working environment will really improve the quality of work and efficiency? the west women also wear this dress while working in offices, does it means that we should also adopt this policy? she left my home but leaving confusion in my mind. Can any body give the answers of the above questions but it should not be taken against of any person/company as these are the points which should be raised and discussed positively.