Can someone tell me if it is customary for a mother of a baby girl (in
Arabic, so in the Middle East, perhaps Israel or Palestine) to tattoo
something on her daughter's chest? If so, what would be likely to be
tattooed? If this is a cultural tradition, what area (or areas) is it
common to? I am trying to help a friend (an adoptee) sort out the
origin of her tattoo. She has no information about her birth parents.

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Request for Question Clarification by politicalguru-ga on 07 Apr 2004 06:29 PDT

Dear boleynma

First of all, as mentioned before, if her parents were strict Muslims,
it is very unlikely that they would tattoo something on her chest.

However, as another commentator mentioned, some Bedouin women are
tattooed (although I have not heard of such a tattoo done on someone's
chest). However, their tattoos are not usually a script or words, but
just patterns.

Is it possible for you to post a photo of the tattoo?

Hi

Tattooes are prohibited in Islamic law, so they are very unlikely to
have come from a Muslim family.

http://islamonline.net/fatwa/english/FatwaDisplay.asp?hFatwaID=39874

Albanaich

not entirely correct Albanaich, Lots of beduin tribes tattoo thier
girls on the chin once they reach a certain age. These are generally
very simple designs (vertical lines). It is also common to see tattoos
of islamic history/mythology such as a lion holding a sword or cresant
moons on men in lower classes mainly farmers or again beduin tribes.
But to tattoo someone's chest is not common practice in my experience.

Thanks, Sam