Salam
I think this is a very good thread. I have seen many, many women in Kuwait (not necessarily all Kuwaiti women, but majority of them are Muslim) dressing their little girls,well, frankly, like mini-prostitutes (I went to the birthday party of an 8 year old relative of my husband, and the 8 year old was wearing a TON of makeup, a mini leather skirt, FISHNET STOCKINGS, high-heeled boots, and a skimpy little belly shirt with fish-net like sleeves). At this same party, there was a girl who was 11 or 12, wearing a skin-tight dress, who was doing belly dancing is such a suggestive manner that literally EVERY MAN at the party (all the fathers of the girls) was staring at this girl, and her mother thought it was great that her daughter was "so sexy"! My husband and I have since made excuses not to go to parties of any sort at this relative's place any more.
When I asked, I was told that since the girls will have to dress so conservatively when they are older, it is fun to let them dress however they like when they are little. I was like, WHAT?!? So, rather than having some perverted guy staring at your teen age daughter, you would rather him stare at your 8 year old? And what kind of message does that send these little girls?!
Now, I don't necessarily say that little girls need to be all covered in abayas at age 8, but geez, how about just "normal" little girl clothes? Normal cute dresses, jeans & t-shirts, khakis & blouses, tennis shoes or sandals - normal stuff!
Ok, off my soapbox.
Lana