Maulanas cry foul over a ’suhaag-raat’ Irena my dear, in general skin flicks are considered no-no`s for Muslims, that is those who practice Islam...this business about the actors and whomever also being ``Muslims``, note the quotes, is a bit of sophistry used to deflect an otherwise legit view in the eyes of many Muslims who in fact do care two hoots about their faith...

In Muslim culture, by far and wide...public nudity is a bad thing....get over it.

An Empire in the Making Empire? Perhaps a bit early to use that language, but the Gulf war was definitely a God send for the Iranis...also, Iranis have increased influence in Afghanistan now too...

Syria, and not Iran, turned out to be the big looser in all this...

Looking for a New Islamic Fiqh
jang,

Laws are meant to be rigid...the legal system, though, must be fluid...big difference...

Kulharee,

It`s in fact a meta-ideology that has historically, and no doubt in the future, defined a class of ideologies...trick is to find an implementation that is effective today...

If Robert Fisk were Rameez Farooq… Lay off fisk. He`s simply a journalist. People gravitate towards those journalists who parrot their inner thoughts...not those who provoke one to think.

Any enemy of Bush is a friend of blah blah blah.

Religion In A Clubby Hole Science learns from its mistakes?

When was the last time physicists self-flagellated themselves for nuclear weapons? Or any other weapons for that matter?

Shall we point out that what made Hitler`s campaign so effected was his use of ...ahem...science and technology? Shall we point out that there are armies of scientists working around the clock working on even better ways to destroy all of mankind?

Shall we mention that for the better part of last century, and a trend that is continuing to this century is for science to be an instrument of global capitalism (i.e. it`s about the green, not so much the gray matter) more than anything else?

What Science is not is a code of ethics or a system of morality. It`s a tool. Suggesting anything else is romantic rubbish.

Why Doesn’t the World Care?
In any natural disaster, the prime responsibility of relief is with the host country...not with the international community. Everything ``the world`` does is simply a bonus. In fairness, Iran and China had received scant attention when natural disasters hit their nation.

People can find whatever reasons they want to hate Pakistan or Pakistanis...only a fool would pay attention to them at this particular time.

Ramzaan Mubarak temporal,

Would you believe at Zafar Bangash`s masjid...honest :-)

Of course, the focus was on being a good Muslim...there`s no such thing as an Insaan (not how you define it at least). That beast is a myth...

But yes, the whole be ``good`` during Ramadan, and forget the rest of the year attitude is commonly referred to as being a ``Ramadan`` Muslim, and it wasn`t the first time I`ve heard such a sermon...

Gandhi in The Handmaid’s Tale Mantolives,

Why hate Ghandi at all? Really, why fault him for anything when it`s clear that all that you mention is simply being conjured up as an excuse to smear the man, rather than express a contrary position to what he allegedly believed?

Gandhi in The Handmaid’s Tale 305,

What do we reveal? Pray tell, do tell....

The implication is that such relations are inherently abusive. Duh, clearly not. That is one hell of a well documented relation, btw.

Do I recommend it in the modern era? Nope. Hell, I don`t recommend marriage before the age of 30....but mention of this relationship is NOT to question it`s compatibility with living, but to take what was otherwise widley practiced around the world and to use it as a modern attack on a revered figure.

Cheap trick...doesn`t work.

Now, you can choose to think, or not. That choice is yours.

Gandhi in The Handmaid’s Tale Ghandi was a great politician...leave it at that.

I must admit, the tone of the article seems a bit petty.

Ramzaan Mubarak Just got this same sermon last Jummah...although not in these words exactly...:-)

Gandhi in The Handmaid’s Tale Ranger, #26

LOL, man you know not of what you speak. Bottom line is that she spoke lovingly, and openly about the intimates of her relationship. Deal with it.

Sex and Pakistan vs. Rape and The World Media dehliwala, 85:

``You have lost me now, what did I say that was against what you wrote or not in line?``

The causality between, say, segregation and the rise in crimes against women. It`s a load of...well, it`s a load. Even in Pakistani society as it is, rape is technically a punishable crime. In theory, in principle....all except in implementation.

Sex and Pakistan vs. Rape and The World Media 104:

``In the absence of any metrics or objective analysis of the success the legal system, how can legal provisions be amended or improved?``

In general, true. For rape in particular, irrelevant. It is obvious to all and sundry that a system in which rapists don`t get off scott free, and the person raped isn`t made a victim twice is clearly on the right track...and this one can discern by ``gut``...nuts to metrics and analyses.

The solution, then, is to do the obvious...and it really is as simple as the government asserting control over those aspects of society that have thusfar been left to whoever wished to fill the void.

Sex and Pakistan vs. Rape and The World Media delhiwala,

``Excellent analysis about Muslim Woman history. I kind of knew that was probably the case but you put it in nice words. In societies where they cover woman from top to bottom and men and woman are seggregated crime agaisnt woman rises. ``

Actually, that correlation is probably self-serving rubbish for those who don`t like certain aspects of Pakistan`s social structure.

What the net effect is, though, is a disconnect between the women who are victims and the social and state apparatus which is (allegedly) there to protect them.

I doubt the incident of rape is higher in such places, but the lack of justice is by orders of magnitude higher...to the extent that the victim is almost always ignored and the perpetrators go unpunished.

Given the motivation for segregation and what-not, this is in fact counter-intuitive (in spite of what those who like to put contrarian spins on this may want us to think)...but then, when the disarray of Pakistan`s social and justice system is factored in it becomes all too obvious as to why this happens.

People like describing Pakistan as a failed state, but I think the more accurate description is that of a failed society (dysfunction is to mild a term)...or at least for huge segments of it.

No pean to secular or religious conviction can really cover up this reality, although the idealists do have it right...what Pakistan needs is a heavy dose of civility rather than the animalistic free-for-all that is common in it`s backwaters and alleys.

Sex and Pakistan vs. Rape and The World Media Whatever your grievances with Pakistan`s traditionalist culture are, it should be pointed out that almost without exception, Rape in Pakistan is construed by those who perpetrate the act as a punishment, knowing full well that it is humiliating and life-destroying.

Rape is torture.

Rape does not follow because women`s menstruation is considered impure, or because segregation is practiced, dress code enforced etc. Give it a rest.

Rape is illegal in Pakistan, and is understood to be an illegal act by the vast majority. The perpetrators consider themselves privileged, and so above the law. The question is, when is the state going to assert itself, rather than blame the victims?