The Reality of the Looking Glass: Seeing Muhammad

Re: # 143

Bharath

Why should the divorcee wives of the Mullahs should find it difficult to remarry? I think there should be much demand for a Mullah trained ex-wife. My point is why we men are so eagerly presumptuous and overly feministic when talking about or with women. My Ustad Ghalib had committed the same mistake once with dire consequences as evidenced by a couplet of his:

Mein ne chahaa kih bazme naaz chaahie gher se tahi
Sun kar sitam zareef ne mujh ko uthaa dia kih yoon

I think Arab culture is more realistic in dealing with the female gender and is diametrically opposed to the Hindu culture as it has come to be romanticized by Bollywood.

Re: # 144

Urstruly

Thank you dear Urstruly for the `elaboration`. Frankly speaking when I first read the Hadees in question I felt aghast as I could not believe a blind man, a sahabi, could be so cruel to kill a female slave of his, who was perhaps pregnant and was a mother of two sons of his and afterwards accuse her of blasphemy when called upon by the Prophet (PBUH) to speak up, the matter having been reported to him. It is still hard for me to believe such a Hadees which contradicts the very image of the Prophet(PBUH) as `Rehmatulaalimin`.

As for the law, the hadees does not prescribe any. If at all, it purports to condone a `lynch law` which, as a matter of course, is being practiced openly in the Pak land. It is in pursuance of this very `law` perhaps that gift money is being proclaimed for lynching `blasphemers`.

As regards the state, I believe that Islam did not establish or envision the establishment of a state. What it established in Madina was not a state but a direct social democracy, bereft of the coercive essential apparatus of the state like police, professional army, taxation, etc. In fact Quran and hadees express sympathy for the prisoner and hatred for the police and the tax-collector, the fundamental basis for the state. It may perhaps be taken as a revival of the true democracy of the historical Greek City State. But how has all this been subverted to establish despotic tyrannical state in the name of Islam that made its subjects incapable of thinking.

With regards

teshah

hisexcellency,

i agree with you about many idioticities in hindu religion. my bitch is that when islam was imposed in the sub-continent, it was not as a solution to the sillilness, but as a substitution of one set of silliness with another. in india both indus and the muslims have respect for the brit, who rarely tried to impose his religion..but the illumination of his ways was glaring (ignoring minor stuff like not using the lota)..i wish ghori or aurangzeb tries to abolish sutee or thugee, but alas..the sufi charlatans were just happy to have ignorant followers.

re#147

The mind of a bigot is like the pupil of the eye; the more light you pour upon it, the more it will contract.-
Oliver Wendell Holmes

Jang
[i agree with you about many idioticities in hindu religion]

Damn, and would that include Bombay, Madras, Calcutta or only Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata........-) Silly chaps, this missionary zeal for conversions........terrible, terrible.-)

#148 the guy you are quoting, is he british? else, shy does his view matter?

Re: # 76

Is by converting to Islam the sin of Shirk is also forgiven? In corollary, can a Muslim be a Mushrik as Dewbandies or Wahabis claim that both Barelvis and Shias are Mushrik? What about Mushrikin Arabs who converted to Islam, some of whom might have been lynched if Blasphemy law or Sharia was in operation then?

Salams
A wonderful article. And first I would like to say congrats ot echoboom for contributing what the Non-Muslims have to say about our Prophet (Peace be upon him).
Other than that..all religions have their followers and everyone has a right to their opinion. If a Muslim wants to express himself than its his right..and if anyone has their comments..they have a right to express them too..but if they get out of hand..well then they show their own personality traits.


``But the point is the desire of all non-muslims to join together and dig dirt on your Prophet is provoked by the `misuse of Islam` by the muslims for political ends (among many other things) ``

Like you said Bharath- MISUSE OF ISLAM..Islam does NOT teach us all this. There hasnt been a more peaceful religion. And it is being misused..I am so glad you used the word. It means you KNOW Islam is not terrorism.
Of all the things Islam is said to be barbaric? Well what would you call someone who blows up cities with Atom Bombs? What happened to Hiroshima and Nagasaki was displays of affection? Or however the prisoners of Iraq and Afghanistan were treated..was that overwhelming love? It was NOT! but is anyone blaming the Christians and Jews for it? Are they saying BECAUSE they were Christians and Jews their religion taught them to act like this? No..no one is saying that.

The same with our religion..there are always good people and bad people everywhere. And please everyone try to see both sides of the story.
Thats all I got to say for now.

Jazak Allah Shariar for trying to enlighten so many others about our Prophet (Peace be upon him)

Allah Hafiz