16% UK Muslims Stand by London Bombers
Irena Akbar July 4, 2006
A good example is a recent Jordanian survey showing that women find it acceptable to be beaten by their husbands!
I`m going to print t-shirts: ``Islam: Because the bitch won`t shut up``
I`m going to make a killing..
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flag objectionable content....``buy we excell in sniffing the goraa-ass in english ...`` yelp , in american accents, the canines from the cantonement & colonies
The Washington Times
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
The veil is not the issue
According to a recent poll, Muslim women care more about voting and their countries’ problems such as violent extremism, corruption and lack of unity among the countries. It is unfortunate that women did not use the survey as a way to express their “own” problems and needs. If they don’t speak up, nobody will do it for them.
It might be surprising to hear that the veil, or even the burqua, is not the main problem facing Muslim women. None of the women surveyed mentioned this issue.
Maybe people should stop stereotyping veiled women and focus on more important problems. A good example is a recent Jordanian survey showing that women find it acceptable to be beaten by their husbands!
What is really alarming is that more women, married and unmarried, found beating acceptable compared to their male counterparts.
Women are not challenging the status quo. In fact, they might be ingraining it even more. Are they afraid or are they oblivious?
— Gihane Askar, Internet Division, The Washington Times
11 Responses to “The veil is not the issue”
The problem with Western civilization is they tend to judge everyone by their standard and do not fully comprehend the power of religious belief. In Middle East like you rightly observed, the veil or wife-beating is part of the socio-cultural-religious system. It should not surprise you that Middle East culture is completely at 180 degrees from the West. The West needs more studies like this to fully understand non-Western culture.
posted at 1:15 AM
Andy Woodward Says:
After 11 eleven years in 3 countries the Mideast I agree the veil is not the issue. There’s no great pressure from women to get rid of it and few are forced to wear it. There’s much more concern about not having access to decent jobs, to being hassled on the street and over the phone by young men, to domestic violence and forced (not arranged) marriages. There’s an awful lot that women worry about in Arab society and the veil is the least of it.
Our belief has the power of Truth to liberate both men and women subject to the erroneous and oppressive morality of a contrary religious conviction.
If we are going to “dialogue” with Islam, we should not tie our religious selves behind our backs. For if we proceed on solely a modern subjective or enlightenment morality, we will fail because they are incapable of pronouncing any reason for its own superiority.
posted at 2:32 PM
Apparently, nobody in this forum is actually reading these “surveys”.
In nearly all cases, the majority of Jordanian men and women DO NOT believe that striking a woman is justified for any reason other than adultery. It is true that, compared to Americans, Middle East cultures are far less tolerant of adultery.
It would also be helpful if someone noted that domestic violence is also one of the major challenges facing the American society. Estimates of the percentage of American women who have been the victim of domestic violence range as high as 33%.
At best, we can only say that Americans might be slightly more respectful of women. But even that is only true if we ignore pornography, a practice that is virtually nonexistent in Muslim cultures.
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Warrier,
I do agree to what u said. I am an unalloyed non-believer but want the system of democracy, where people`s ideas are allowed to flourish. Belief (religious) system is not going to be humanistic.
Science educaton (School text books) in India use to have a first chaper on ``Quest for Truth``. They deleted it now.
I once read an illuminating article by George Monbiot on this subject of humans as a collection of complex molecules with no purpose or agenda.
On any day (in future) we could be slammed by an errant meteorite, then the Islamists or any other religious zealots would find their final moments of realisation that there is no god, leave alone Allah.
Best wishes.
VRV
Regarding including believers and non-believers, I just wonder why did you need to add this line...(a) you genuinely want non-believers to accept you ;... or you cannot see the differences between the reasons for non-believing and reasons for believing.
I had written ``but that is how it is and not only the believers, but non-believers ... and everyone else follows the same truths at one time or another...``
Reference to believers/non-believers was merely in a manner of speaking and meant muslims and non-muslims. You can substitute accordingly and nothing further was intended to be read into it. It was only meant to illustrate that both muslims and non-muslims essentially practice the same unpalatable truths. However one terms it as dictates of Allah`s Truth, while the other terms it as political necessity/expediency, security, freedom, axis of evil, threats to civilization and so forth ... it`s all the same.
The day Saudi Arabia highlights its acceptance of its jewish minorities or Pakistan shows off the achievements of its hindus, is the day we will accept that islam has many positives. Until then, we will stay on guard.
France Muslim School Noted for Excellence
By Hadi Yahmid, IOL
Correspondent
Students at a class in Ibn Rushd
school.
PARIS — The first batch to graduate from France`s
sole Muslim secondary school has scored impressive final results, with
hijab-clad students topping the chart.
"Success rate reached more than 75 percent,
thank God," Ammar Al-Asfar, the principal of Ibn Rushd school,
told IslamOnline.net on Sunday, July 8.
Of the 20 alumni, fifteen male and female students
have succeeded, he said, adding that a majority of 12 hijab-donned
students had scored excellent remarks.
"We are proud of these results for a start.
"We have remarkably ironed out the first
obstacle that faced us since the school came into being," noted
Asfar.
The first batch of graduates tossed their
graduation hats into the air on Friday, July 7.
In July of 2003, the French government approved the
establishment of Ibn Rushd school in Lille, where Muslims make up 25
percent of the one million population.
Seventy students are enrolled in the school, which
came as a source of relief for Muslim girls, who had to leave their
state-run school because of their hijab.
France adopted in November 2004 a controversial law
banning hijab and religious symbols like Jewish skullcaps, crucifixes
and Sikh turbans in public schools.
French Muslims — a sizeable six-million minority
— along with practicing Jews, Sikhs and international human rights
groups strongly condemned the law, saying it violated the freedom of
religion right in secular France.
No Discrimination
Asfar said that the school`s hijab-donned students
were treated well at the state-supervised exam centers in Lille.
"They were neither discriminated against nor
harassed," he said. "They were treated with respect."
Asfar said that the anti-hijab law cut both ways as
it badly harmed French Muslims, but prompted them to establish their
own schools like other minorities.
The controversial law forced many French Muslim
girls to enroll in schools in neighboring European countries or at
private schools at home.
Belgium, Switzerland, Turkey and Britain are among
the countries that were sought by a growing number of hijab-clad
students.
Others have opted for charge-free tutorials
provided by French Muslims.
A number of private schools have also opened
special sections for hijab-clad students shunned by state schools.
The second Muslim secondary school is expected to
open next academic year in Lyon, central France.
Zeemax Sahib:
``3:60 The truth (comes) from Allah alone; so be not of those who doubt. ``
This is entirely a matter of belief.... over 80% of the humanity does not subscribe to it...
I have not read Quran, but I can point to you even this Ayat is so strong.... to define... binaries as the rule... ``do this or else...`` This can be an intepretation.
Regarding including believers and non-believers, I just wonder why did you need to add this line. Of many reasons a couple I can think are: (a) you genuinely want non-believers to accept you (for this you must not worry those who like you they will); or you cannot see the differences between the reasons for non-believing and reasons for believing.
Anil
VRV
It`s not sweet. It`s true. The world is exactly what it is. We are programmed to try to survive just like any microbe. What is good for us is not exactly good for other things. And contrary to all the judgement day ideas , one day perhaps the microbes or something else will take over again.
I quoted the Gayatri Mantra in translation a few posts back on the search for truth.
It is better to gear up to fight for what you believe. If some people believe that violence is the only way to go to change things then if you want to protect your ideas it will come at a cost.
Osama doesn`t think he is evil. He thinks he is a good guy. I and many other people would prefer to look at him over the sights of a SIG-9. So to him I`m the bad guy.
In the end you agree to their way of thinking or you destroy them or mediate, if that is possible. You will have won for some time or they will have .
However the struggle will continue anyway. The very act of creation means that death is inevitable.
French Muslims Proud of Zidane, Ribery
By Hadi Yahmid, IOL Correspondent
Zidane and his successor Ribery played a key role in France`s World Cup victories.
PARIS — One day before the World Cup final
against Italy on Sunday, July 9, French Muslims are walking on the air
with their soccer team and with superstar Muslim footballers Zinedine
Zidane and Franck Ribery.
"We are proud of our French soccer team and
playmaker Zinedine Zidane," Lhaj Thami Breze, chairman of the
Union of French Islamic Organizations (UOIF), told IslamOnline.net.
"We are confident Les Bleus (the nickname for
the French soccer team) will defeat Italy and win the World Cup,"
he added.
Led by legend Zidane, France will go head-to-head
against Italy on Berlin`s 69,000-capacity Olympic Stadium in the world
tournament final on Sunday.
The French team reached the final after winning a
semi-final game against Portugal 1-0 by playmaker legend and
three-time FIFA World Player of the Year Zidane.
Now, the French are only 90 minutes away from the
second World Cup in eight years, the crowning achievement in a decade
of glory that began when France, and Zidane, reached the semi-finals
of the 1996 European Championship.
France won the 1998 World Cup against Brazil 3-0,
two of which scored by Zidane.
Now a global audience of 1.5 billion will focus
their gaze in the final to see if the French magician can pull off one
last, glorious conjuring trick.
Glory
"It is really a source of pride that Zidane is
of an Arab and Muslim origin," said Samira, a female fan of
Algerian origin, told IOL.
"He has contributed to make France`s football
glory," she added.
As France booked a final World Cup place, thousands
of French fans of immigrant origin took to the streets to celebrate
the French win.
"Zidane is France`s president... Mercy
Zidane," was among the slogans chanted by the jubilant French.
The French fans are confident that their team is
going to beat the Azzurri (Italy) because they hold the skeleton key.
"We have Zidane and they (Italy) don`t,"
French defender Willy Sagnol told Agence France-Presse (AFP) Saturday.
Marcello Lippi, Zidane`s manager of the French
maestro for three years at Juventus, agreed.
"Zidane is probably the best player there has
been in the past 20 years," he said.
France and Italy have met five times in major
tournaments, in which the French team has beaten the Azzurri three
times.
Their most recent victory over the Azzurri came in
the final of Euro 2000, when Italy were just 17 seconds away from
winning before France equalized and David Trezeguet struck a memorable
golden goal winner.
Ribery
Zidane`s expected successor, Frank Ribery, has also
added to the jubilance of the French Muslims.
"Seeing Ribery while raising his hands and
supplicating to God as any typical Muslims do makes me feel
proud," said Hamid, of Moroccan origin.
The 23-year-old Ribery has stolen the limelight
during France`s opener in the World Cup against Switzerland when he
was caught while raising his hands and supplicating to God as any
other Muslims do.
"French Muslims feel that Ribery`s
supplication notice is a sign of dignity and honor for the French
suburbanites, most of whom are of Muslim origin," Breze added.
Ribery, who did not make his international debut
until late May, is expected to start the World Cup final on Sunday
against Italy.
The 23-year-old forward has brought energy and pace
to a veteran lineup, his fearless runs causing panic among opposing
defenders and creating regular scoring opportunities.
Named to the World Cup roster without having played
in an international game, Ribery showed his value during three tune-up
matches when he entered in the second half.
The Olympique Marseille right-sided winger and
midfielder is believed to have reverted to Islam after marrying a
Muslim women, of Moroccan origin.
Though he rarely speaks about how he found the
Muslim faith, he recently told Le Paris Match magazine that he felt
"safe" with Islam.
France is home to some six to seven million
Muslims, the largest Muslim minority in Europe.
German Teacher to Wear Headscarf By Zaman, Stuttgart Published:Saturday, July 08, 2006 zaman.com
Dorris G., a German-Muslim teaching at a primary and secondary school who has criticized the headscarf ban implemented by Germany’s Baden-Wurttemberg province has won a legal case against the Stuttgart Administrative Court.
The Stuttgart Administrative Court declared the school administration’s ban on headscarves unlawful since it was contrary to the equity principal and European Human Rights Accord.
The Court decided that Dorris G. may teach while wearing a headscarf. Having taught in Stuttgart since 1973 and converting to Islam in 1984, Dorris G. wears a headscarf that doesn’t cover her shoulders.
The court determined that Dorris G. was unfairly treated because the nuns teaching at public schools in Baden-Württemberg province while wearing their specific dress.
Meanwhile, Nuray A., who taught at a nursery school in Baden-Wurttemberg province was dismissed for wearing a headscarf.
However, the court awarded Nuray A. an 8,000 Euro-composition payment.
`tuum` ko uun sey vafa kee hai Ummeed
jo naheeN jaantay vafa kya hai.............Ghalib
Sateeza kaar raha hai Azal sey taa imrooz
Charaagh-i muustafavi sey charagh-i bu`lahabi..........Allama Iqbal.
Laakh Hakeem sr`b`jaib, eik Kaleem sr`b`kaf: Million intellectuals in the head; & just one Moses with a band around the head (ready to fight)..........Allama Iqbal.
IlmooN bUss kreeN O yaar!
anything new?
[...The powerful thing in this verse is that it recognises change can only be brought about by a few, not many....]
Not always.... sometimes changes are brought about by mass movements... one is going on in Nepal right now.... so not only this verse NOT powerful - it`s actually a false sermon... it is asking people to wait for messiahs - instead of making their own fate....
Perhaps the author thinks that somebody simply misunderstands this “cleric” - bad poll numbers, of course!
Excerpted from The Sunday Times, July 9, 2007.
Joking Muslim cleric mocks victims of London blasts
A SPEECH by an extremist Muslim cleric praising the London bombers and mocking victims of suicide attacks has been broadcast on the internet to coincide with the anniversary of the July 7 attacks.
The audience laughs as Omar Brooks, a British Muslim convert who also uses the name Abu Izzadeen, makes fun of non-Muslims as “animals” and “cowards”.
Brooks — who has previously described the London bombers as “completely praiseworthy” — identifies with the views of Mohammad Sidique Khan, the ringleader of the London attacks.
He contrasts the supposed bravery of Khan’s suicide to the “kuffar” (non-Muslims) who are characterised as debauched binge-drinkers who vomit and urinate in the street.
The speech is peppered with jokes that bring laughter from his audience at the Small Heath youth and community centre in Birmingham, where it was filmed last Sunday.
At one point he announces dramatically that the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center “changed many people’s lives”. After a pause, he brings the house down by adding: “Especially those inside.”
…..
The video of last Sunday’s speech was posted on the Al-Ghurabaa website ahead of Friday’s memorial service for the 52 people who were killed by the four suicide bombers.
Brooks is dismissive of calls for reconciliation. “I know as Friday approaches there will be many epitaphs and speeches and sermons, and maybe the archbishop of somewhere or other is going to come out and say, you know, we’ll call for peace around the world blah, blah, blah.
“But if we took the time to read Mohammad Sidique Khan’s will [the video confession broadcast after the attacks], we will see the answer for our problems.”
Khan, whose bomb killed six people on a Tube at Edgware Road, is held up as an example by Brooks because he didn’t fear death. “We’re talking about people who want to die the way you like to live,” he said.
Aye Zeemax, but I don`t believe there is an Allah, or an Ishwar or the Holy Spirit or something like that in an image of man...
I like the unknown. And of course truth can be very unpalatable. But that is because we are used to believing that we are the pinnacle of existence.
But we could just be an accident of nature. Everything can exist without us, maybe for the better. -)
Sidharata Gautam was the ultimate searcher of `truth`, but I think he found the truth too elusive to be found so he turned to negation of any truth as the ultimate truth. Only `self` and `now` were the truths for him. That is why the Tibetan culture will shrink to extinction in a few years.
Quran however resolves the problem here once and for all. Noone needs to meditate for the truth:
3:60 The truth (comes) from Allah alone; so be not of those who doubt.
That truth, includes a lot of unpalatable stuff ... but that is how it is and not only the believers, but non-beleievers ... and everyone else follows the same truths at one time or another, whether they write it down anywhere or not. So maybe these are indeed the `ultimate` truths. Islam just wrote these down in an in-the-face manner.
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