can someone translate this into easier english for me?

Question

"Can you see any parallels between this dictum for Muslim women and the very different ways that contemporary American women are encouraged to think about aspects of their physical appearance?"

Hi Lisa. I don’t know the specific dictum being referred to in that sentence but I’ll try to simplify it for you.

“Can you see any similarities between the ways women are expected to behave in some Muslim cultures compared to the ways modern day American women are encouraged to focus on body image in American culture?”

In other words, many Muslim women in the Middle East are expected to behave in a certain way. In many cases these expectation are enforced by religious or national law.

In contrast, modern day American women are not bound by law to behave any differently than men and they have all the same rights as privileges (by law anyway). However, the American media and our society in general routinely sends the message that women are expected to look a certain way.

Can you see any common trends in these two examples?

That’s my take on it. I hope that helps.

If the dictum is about modesty, American women ought to think about it in choosing bathing suits, exposing midriffs, and skirt length.
If the dictum is about fashion, then the answer by Schwa addresses that.