Muslima
Post 09/02/2014 21:53     Subject: If you or someone you know is anti-Islam, Why?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:PP, thanks for stating this so eloquently. I was taught as much at university. Islam grew out of an Arabian trading culture and many of the traditions are specific to that culture. The Koran is God's own words, as transmitted to Mohammed. Therefore, every line is perfect. This has created small-scale problems interpreting difficult individual verses. But the real tragedy for Islam is that the inviolability of the Quran has made it (almost) impossible to have the sort of Reformation that Western Europe experienced.

Ironically enough, the only place where you will find more critical thinking - not completely, understand that - but to extent, is in Iran. This is because in the Sunni tradition, interpretation of religious texts rests on scholarly consensus, and overruling what two hundred turbans said before you is very difficult. The Shia tradition relies on individual interpretation, and Shia Muslims are free to follow the scholar they like best. This is why, for instance, IVF clinics in Sunni countries do not allow donation of genetic material extraneous to husband or wife, as traditionally this is tantamount to adultery. In Iran, though, the Shia scholars found a way to see donation as allowable, and so IVF clinics in Teheran or Beirut accept both sperm and egg donation.


False! All Muslims are free to follow whatever scholar they agree with if there is a difference of opinion. The blessed prophet saw said, "Difference (of opinion) in my Ummah are a blessing." He didn't mean that Muslims should argue about everything or be divided, rather, he was pointing out that it was good for Muslims to think, to reason together, to discuss things and that if they disagreed over something, that it was all in the pursuit of knowledge. We are blessed as a community in that we have our original book and the complete record of the life of our prophet. If anyone comes and says, "This or that is Islam," we can easily check and verify whether or not it's true. If it doesn't come from the Qur'an or Hadith, then it can't be Islam. So we must use those two sources to explain what Islam really is. Sincere people seek to learn and practice the truth and Allah guides those who seek him. Anything else is opinion.On many occasions Muslims have disagreed over what something means or what to do. The key is to follow the Islamic manners of how to deal with differences. We don't have to agree all the time, but we don't fight over disagreements as if we were enemies. If we have a disagreement, especially between the followers of one Madhab (School of Fiqh) and another, we must respect each other's opinions and present our evidence and each person is free to choose whatever they agree with!
Anonymous
Post 09/02/2014 21:46     Subject: Re:If you or someone you know is anti-Islam, Why?
And didn't Muslima claim to live RIGHT her in the District of Columbia?

Once again, she is a farce.
Anonymous
Post 09/02/2014 21:33     Subject: If you or someone you know is anti-Islam, Why?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:PP, thanks for stating this so eloquently. I was taught as much at university. Islam grew out of an Arabian trading culture and many of the traditions are specific to that culture. The Koran is God's own words, as transmitted to Mohammed. Therefore, every line is perfect. This has created small-scale problems interpreting difficult individual verses. But the real tragedy for Islam is that the inviolability of the Quran has made it (almost) impossible to have the sort of Reformation that Western Europe experienced.

Ironically enough, the only place where you will find more critical thinking - not completely, understand that - but to extent, is in Iran. This is because in the Sunni tradition, interpretation of religious texts rests on scholarly consensus, and overruling what two hundred turbans said before you is very difficult. The Shia tradition relies on individual interpretation, and Shia Muslims are free to follow the scholar they like best. This is why, for instance, IVF clinics in Sunni countries do not allow donation of genetic material extraneous to husband or wife, as traditionally this is tantamount to adultery. In Iran, though, the Shia scholars found a way to see donation as allowable, and so IVF clinics in Teheran or Beirut accept both sperm and egg donation.


Interesting, thanks!
Anonymous
Post 09/02/2014 21:29     Subject: If you or someone you know is anti-Islam, Why?
Anonymous wrote:PP, thanks for stating this so eloquently. I was taught as much at university. Islam grew out of an Arabian trading culture and many of the traditions are specific to that culture. The Koran is God's own words, as transmitted to Mohammed. Therefore, every line is perfect. This has created small-scale problems interpreting difficult individual verses. But the real tragedy for Islam is that the inviolability of the Quran has made it (almost) impossible to have the sort of Reformation that Western Europe experienced.

Ironically enough, the only place where you will find more critical thinking - not completely, understand that - but to extent, is in Iran. This is because in the Sunni tradition, interpretation of religious texts rests on scholarly consensus, and overruling what two hundred turbans said before you is very difficult. The Shia tradition relies on individual interpretation, and Shia Muslims are free to follow the scholar they like best. This is why, for instance, IVF clinics in Sunni countries do not allow donation of genetic material extraneous to husband or wife, as traditionally this is tantamount to adultery. In Iran, though, the Shia scholars found a way to see donation as allowable, and so IVF clinics in Teheran or Beirut accept both sperm and egg donation.
Anonymous
Post 09/02/2014 20:48     Subject: If you or someone you know is anti-Islam, Why?
PP, thanks for stating this so eloquently. I was taught as much at university. Islam grew out of an Arabian trading culture and many of the traditions are specific to that culture. The Koran is God's own words, as transmitted to Mohammed. Therefore, every line is perfect. This has created small-scale problems interpreting difficult individual verses. But the real tragedy for Islam is that the inviolability of the Quran has made it (almost) impossible to have the sort of Reformation that Western Europe experienced.
Anonymous
Post 09/02/2014 20:36     Subject: If you or someone you know is anti-Islam, Why?
Anonymous wrote:I am not anti-Islam per se, but do not agree with the ideologial views held by many radicalized populations of this religion who believe that those who do not share the same beliefs are the enemy, and that it is ok to resort to violence to prove that point.

I'm not anti-Islam, but you may call me a realist on Islam. It's a religion born out of specific historical circumstances to satisfy specific political needs. Like all other religions, it's full of beautiful things. It's also full of errors, inequities, terrible gender imbalance etc. And it is also burdened by an utter and complete ban on critical thinking that stems out of "today I have perfected your religion for you." It is a letter of Islam that Islam is perfect and therefore not a letter, not a line in the Quran or ahadith may be canceled or no longer relevant, despite all the reasons to the contrary. This is why it is, for instance, very difficult to find an Islamic scholar who will come out and say outright that slavery is banned. Since slavery is in the Quran and ahadith, then it cannot be banned. Muslim work this particular issue by going on and on about how Muslim slavery is qualitatively different from Christian and therefore it's not all bad. The same on Muslim women marrying non-Muslim men. The same on privileged minorities including only Jews and Christians. Islam's downfall is not its scripture, it is the lack of social permission to interpret that scripture within the context of our time.

I grew up in a Muslim-majority community. I happen to be married to a Gulf Arab. I've studied Islam extensively. So what I say is borne out of deep familiarity with the subject. I've received numerous solicitations to convert but I simply see nothing appealing in the philosophy.
Anonymous
Post 09/02/2014 20:28     Subject: If you or someone you know is anti-Islam, Why?
Muslima wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Here are the differences between Jizya and Zakat, according to Wikipedia:

Zakat
obligatory upon Muslims
net worth of assets must exceed the Nisab (excess money for personal need) for Zakat to be obligatory
only payable on assets continuously owned over one lunar year that are in excess of the Nisab
the amount of Zakat paid is fixed and specified by Sharee'ah
paid only by the owner of the assets himself/herself
refusal to pay Zakat has no specific punishment by Sharee'ah law in life; punishment is delayed to the end time[35]
should be paid seeking God's pleasure [Qur'an 30:39]


Jizya
obligatory upon Dhimmis
required even if the Dhimmi's wealth or property does not exceed Nisab
paid according to a contract, but usually paid yearly regardless of Nisab
the amount paid is not fixed or specified by Sharee'ah, but is at least one gold Dinar with no maximum amount [32][33]
paid by all able-bodied adult males of military age and affording power[34]
refusal to pay Jizya is considered a breach of The Dhimma contract; as a consequence the Dhimmi's blood (life) and assets would become permissible[36]
is a tax on non-Muslims.[37]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zakat


Once again, what Muslims *claim* about Islam is different from what is actually practiced around the world. Jizya has often been used as an excuse to confiscate Christian and minority property in an unfair way.

Separating people into different groups under the law is, and always will be, a lousy idea. Ever heard of "separate but equal?" Segregation laws? And guess what, people enforcing those laws always had some rationale that it was "fair" or "better for everyone." This type of system invites inequality, discrimination, and worse. This, by itself, should be enough to convince a person that Islam is not perfect. No religion should be dictating laws.


If you want to have a serious discussion about Islam, please refrain from quoting Sheikh Wikipedia. The web is full of salafists, wahabists,fatwa lovers, islam bashers, ect. The most reliable and authentic sources of information about Islam is of course the Qur’an and Prophet Muhammad PBUH’s Hadiths, that's what Muslims live by, not wikipedia. Islamic Figh (jurisprudence) is very complex, as the rules are not static. For every situation, the Fiqh can change depending on the person's specific circumstances~

If you want to have a serious discussion, start with acknowledging that "salafists, wahhabists, fatwa lovers etc." have as much tafsir on their side, along with voluminous scholarship, as your peace-loving interpretation. Islam's stance on religious minorities is more progressive than Christianity, but the fact of the matter is that in Islamic state and in the Shariatic discourse, a Muslim and a non-Muslim are not equal. They are not. They differ in their rights and they differ in their privileges, which are decidedly on the side of the Muslims. Sheikh Wikipedia may be a lousy source, but Umar's dhimma agreement is not, and and its language ain't at all pretty toward minorities.

Then, it is usually never mentioned that Islamic tolerance toward minorities applies to only two of them: Christians and Jews. Everyone else is not included in the protected class.
Anonymous
Post 09/02/2014 20:22     Subject: If you or someone you know is anti-Islam, Why?
Muslima wrote: I have lived in both Muslims and Non Muslim countries, I have never ever met a Muslim woman who was forced to cover her head, not one. .

If you haven't encountered societies where there are serious social costs attached to non-covered women and their families, then I do not believe that you have lived in Muslim countries.
Anonymous
Post 09/02/2014 20:20     Subject: If you or someone you know is anti-Islam, Why?
Muslima wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I just hink of our trip to Hawaii, sitting on a beach next to a muslim family. The husband and sons were enjoying the beach in their biard shorts. The wife and daughters were covered nearly head to toe in heavy black, long sleeves, heavy head scarf, sweltering in the July sun.

Sitting on a beach in the middle of paradise, those poor ladies looked sweaty and miserable. The guys looked like they were having a blast.



I'm not Muslim, but having traveled to a Muslim country where I dressed in hijab and abaya, I can say that I was actually cooler than I would have been with the sun on exposed skin.


Then why aren't the men dressed like that too, so that they too can be so comfortable?


Devout Muslim men typically are covered. I actually find it odd that the men in the family you saw were so exposed. My childhood Muslim guy friend and his Dad would never have been without a t-shirt on the beach.


Way to miss the point.

If it's so comfortable to be covered from heat to toe -- not in a t shirt -- why aren't Muslim men covered from head to toe, whether they are devout or not? Obviously no one would choose to dress that way.



WE, Muslim women make that choice, please STOP speaking for us. I made choice to wear the hijab at the age of 25, CHOICE!!!!!! I have lived my life both uncovered and covered .I was a highly educated, independent woman living alone, woke up one day and put a scarf on my head, by my own free will, my life, my choice, please allow me that freedom. Thank you!!!

You are just one woman. There is no WE. Every Muslim woman is different, stop pretending to know everything about all of them.
Anonymous
Post 09/02/2014 20:18     Subject: If you or someone you know is anti-Islam, Why?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I just hink of our trip to Hawaii, sitting on a beach next to a muslim family. The husband and sons were enjoying the beach in their biard shorts. The wife and daughters were covered nearly head to toe in heavy black, long sleeves, heavy head scarf, sweltering in the July sun.

Sitting on a beach in the middle of paradise, those poor ladies looked sweaty and miserable. The guys looked like they were having a blast.



I'm not Muslim, but having traveled to a Muslim country where I dressed in hijab and abaya, I can say that I was actually cooler than I would have been with the sun on exposed skin.


Then why aren't the men dressed like that too, so that they too can be so comfortable?


Devout Muslim men typically are covered. I actually find it odd that the men in the family you saw were so exposed. My childhood Muslim guy friend and his Dad would never have been without a t-shirt on the beach.

Devout Muslim men, actually, are typically exposing slightly more of their ankles than good taste dictates.
Anonymous
Post 09/02/2014 20:17     Subject: If you or someone you know is anti-Islam, Why?
Muslima wrote:Throughout history, in every society, honorable women did cover their head, for ex in Arabia, before Islam women of high lineage covered their heads, only servants woke around with bare heads . Besides following modest dress codes appropriate to the different natures of a man and woman, both Muslim men and women should abide by a certain modest and respectful code of conduct.


The difference between high-lineage women and servants is not one of honor, but one of means. Covering your face simply meant, just like it did in Judaism, that you don't have to work for a living.
Anonymous
Post 09/02/2014 20:14     Subject: If you or someone you know is anti-Islam, Why?
Anonymous wrote:There isn't a single contradiction in the Quran. I know exactly the verses you are referring to, feel free to cite them and I will give you the story behind each. The Quran wasnt revealed over night but it was revealed in 23 years and verses were revealed according to what was going on at the time and there is a clear explanation of each verse of the Quran. If you want to learn the meaning of verses, you have to read what we call Tafseer of the Quran which will tell you when a verse was revealed, why it was revealed and what the meaning is



Perhaps there are no contradictions in the Quran, but the Muslims then certainly contradict what is in the book of Allah-especiaqlly the radical fundamentalist ones-they seem hell bent on the destruction of humankind.

There are lots of and lots of inaccuracies in the Quran, just like in all man-made books starting from the erroneous description of the Jewish faith. I have heard the argument that contradictions are explained by historical events and I don't buy this because a book "for all times, all people" shouldn't rely on time-bound examples that clearly expire with the passage of time.
Anonymous
Post 09/02/2014 20:12     Subject: If you or someone you know is anti-Islam, Why?
Muslima wrote:

Muslim women who choose to wear the hijab are not oppressed, but consider themselves liberated. For many women, the adornment of the headscarf is the representation of the antithesis of female objectification and subjugation in a social sphere where the female body is, essentially, a capitalistic transaction. Women’s bodies are used to sell us, nearly everything, and this undoubtedly has an effect on how women engage with their own bodies and how men and women both engage with one another. Also, you have to understand that everything in our religion (islam) aims to free us from the chains of our egos, from vanity and from self-consumption, all through the belief in one God and through worshipping Him (and how this belief plays out in our daily interactions and self-pursuits). And some Christian (catholic nuns) and Jewish women do cover their hair too, but they are never seen as oppressed, so I don't understand the double standard. For ex, I've never seen a picture of the Virgin Mary with her head not covered but I don't think anyone would look at her as an oppressed woman.

I may agree with you about Muslims women who choose to wear the hijab, but the fact of the matter is that in Muslim-majority societies, there are serious social costs attached to NOT wearing it, and so for every Muslim woman who chooses to cover, there are others who don't have a choice in the matter. And that little matter of choice distinguishes them from catholic nuns who took the orders on their own free will.
Anonymous
Post 09/02/2014 10:45     Subject: If you or someone you know is anti-Islam, Why?
Muslima, or whoever that is, isn't helping dispel Islamophobia. With her childish jabs and intellectual dishonesty, she's started to make it worse.
Anonymous
Post 09/02/2014 10:34     Subject: Re:If you or someone you know is anti-Islam, Why?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Muslima wrote:What is your point?


you are being paid to post positive comments about Islam. Another reputation saver posting from some all girls school in saudi arabia.


this!!!

more Saudi money going to spread Islam.


Huh. This is what I was starting to think, too. Except I think it's a grown man from a madrassa or other Islamic charity in a country like Pakistan or India where many are taught English.

My other theory is that this is Muslim Woman (that's what Muslima means), back again with her act cleaned up because she made herself so unpopular under her previous moniker.

Whoever she is, if she can't bring herself to march against something as evil as ISIS, then she's part of the problem.