Sep. 7--It might just be the most provocative lingerie in the world. Forget Victoria's Secret; think Frederick's of Hollywood, and then some.

But there's a twist. This skimpy apparel is designed and made in a place embroiled in political turmoil, where women's bodies, when out in public, are usually covered. This Middle East location is home to many people who are conservative and deeply religious, and apparently have a penchant for outrageously sexy negligees.

The Souk al-Hamidiyeh is the largest and most famous marketplace in Damascus, Syria. Here, shoppers can find lingerie with feathers, crocheted bodysuits and edible bikinis.

Some of the pieces light up; others play songs like Old MacDonald Had a Farm.

In The Secret Life of Syrian Lingerie, graphic designer Rana Salam and Bath Township native and journalist Malu Halasa, who covers the culture and politics of the Middle East and now lives in London, give us a peek into part of the Muslim world not often heard of, or seen, in the West.

"There's an idea that because it's Islam, they don't have sex," explained Halasa, who is a co-author of several other books and writes for the British press. "We cannot make assumptions about the private lives of Muslims."

Lingerie is a luxury item in Syria. Halasa doesn't suggest that the women are wearing racy panties beneath their burqas; they are worn at intimate moments.

When a woman gets married, she often collects up to 30 outfits for her wedding night. They are gifts to herself and from folks like her mother, future mother-in-law and groom. The lingerie represents a rite of passage from virginity to respectable, married womanhood.

"Some Syrian women think that buying lingerie is a waste of money and it has no role in their sexual lives. While for some traditional people, it is a must to buy lingerie with all different colors and styles before getting married," an unidentified woman says in the book. "I think that not being able to wear what you want in daily life is a factor, which makes some girls feel that only marriage will give them the chance to show."

While Middle Eastern women are often seen in public wearing drab colors, what goes on behind closed doors might be a different story. Flamboyancy is reserved for the home, where clothing can be bright, cheery and sometimes tantalizing.

In The Secret Life of Syrian Lingerie, published by Chronicle Books, Muhammad Emad Haliby, manager of a women's clothing store, says the erotic wear is about fun.

"There has to be laughter in the bed. If the man doesn't make the woman laugh, the sex is dead. The more she laughs, the better the sex," he said. "If Syrian lingerie didn't exist, sex would be boring."

A sense of humor will come in handy, because some of the outfits are, well, tacky. You can find thongs with singing Tweety Birds and plastic cell phones attached to the crotch.

"The underwear makes me laugh so much. It is not sexy at all! At least, I don't think so," remarked another unidentified woman in the book. "It is so old-fashioned and mirrors the very old-fashioned ideas about sexuality in the less educated classes of Syria."

The visually driven 176-page book explains lingerie's role in the Arab world with a rare behind-the-scenes look at the industry, a filmmaker's diary of shooting a lingerie documentary in Syria, frank talk from Syrian women about what part undergarments play in their lives, and an interview with a former fundamentalist. It's complete with unretouched photographs of women modeling the lingerie.

To order the book, available in stores in September, visit http://www.chroniclebooks.com or online retailers such as Amazon.com.

The 1974 Revere High School graduate, who was recently in the area visiting relatives, has another new book -- Transit Tehran: Young Iran and its Inspirations. It's an anthology of new writing and images from Iran published by Garnet Publishing.

Kim Hone-McMahan can be reached at 330-996-3742 or kmcmahan@thebeaconjournal.com.

-----

To see more of the Akron Beacon Journal, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.ohio.com.

Copyright (c) 2008, The Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

NYSE:LTD, NASDAQ-NMS:AMZN,