...available in Chinese night markets. Needless to say, like Syrian lingerie, they are purely for consumption pleasure rather than contraception purposes.

The Damascus souk is the mother of all souks, which means the mother of all malls. You can find pretty much everything possible there, from oranges to weaponry, and of course, lingerie. (And especially jewelry, the 'gold souk' section of the Damascus souk has to be seen to be believed.)

But it is the most absolutely freest possible of free markets; while you can buy damn near anything there, and all prices are negotiable, a very very healthy dose of caveat emptor is also in order, because there is no recourse at all if you are cheated. What one particular merchant is selling, and usually lying about, indicates precisely nothing other than his desire to make a buck.

It is a very amazing place, but just about the worst place in the world to gather information about the real world. Think of a convention of Minneapolis used car salesmen's thoughts on American sexual trends and you get the general idea.

But damn, I have wasted many many hours there, and I don't even like having stuff, let alone buying stuff. It is one truly amazing place.

Actually, this line of goods is pretty well known in the Middle East. And they've got plenty of items for men as well so nobody can complain of sexism.

..you have to know how to haggle or you'd might as well just stay home.

Some of the more gimmicky stuff may be new, but the trend of women in the Middle East having a stash of highly exotic underwear is nothing new. I know several western women who have traveled and lived in that part of the world who all commented on the rather odd (to them) trend of women taking their female guests into their bedrooms and underwear drawers to admire their collection, and this was many years ago. (One experienced this in the 1970s).

Uh... errr, ah-- is that for consumption _before_, or after?

"Uh... errr, ah-- is that for consumption _before_, or after?"

Since they provide no real protection, you should eat them before.

Edible condoms have long been popular in the gay community. I had a gay friend living in China who asked me to bring him some. Then when I saw them in the market I told him, "Look you don't need me as your personal trans-Pacific shopper." Even Watson's Drug Store, a Hong Kong-based chain, now carries them in China.

Everyone would give edible underwear as gag gifts in the office grab bag?

The same part of the world that invented the burqa is also the land of the belly dancer, and a lot of other "exotic" stuff. Why should we be surprised?

Every other B.S. column decries the brutality heaped upon women in the Muslim world and then columns like this come out pretending that the Muslim world is really no more than a slightly more exotic and swarthier version of Amsterdam. So which is it? Are we supposed to love them as directed or hate them as directed?

Are there pray tell some neo-conner knobs hawking their old rusted out crap, prepping the peeps for another pre-emptive war? Evidently.

Here, try the couscous.

where women must wear the equivalent of a burka (minus face mask) outside, they can (and do) wear very stylish (and sexy) attire underneath. They just don’t wear it in front of male family outsiders. It certainly doesn’t accord with our image of Muslim women. Here they are approximating the behavior of professional sex workers in an effort to keep their husbands from taking a second wife which would drain money away from their own children. To be convincing, however, they have to enjoy it and that’s one component of feminist liberation.

That liberation stance was in reaction to the Madonna/Whore Complex which traditionally prevailed in the West and much of Confucian Asia as well. Wives, in short, were for “clean sex” while whores were women a guy could really get in on with. This comes up in Spike Lee’s great movie, "Summer of Sam," in which the male protagonist is seen by a serial killer while engaging in anal sex with another woman in his car. A friend suggests he initiate such activity with his wife but the suggestion isn’t even considered because “come on, you can’t do these things with your wife.”

"Ah, yes, you can" would be the reaction of a Syrian souk shopper. Though Islamic culture is quite dysfunctional, in this regard they may be on to something.

I used to work in Syria through the 90s, and I don't think the racy underwear trend is anything new. The sight of black fishnets peeking out from under a black robe was not so uncommon.

And I have long, long regretted not buying a set I saw in the Aleppo souk - black satin bra and panties, with a appliqued hand on each bra cup, and another on the front of the bikini bottom.

Just because there is this hyper-crazy "don't let any man but your husband see you!!!!" morality, doesn't necessarily mean you don't get to be freaky in private.

I've heard stories about the fabulous lingerie of covered women for years.