Why?

[1IDVET]

Wahhabi Islam, the Real Enemy of the West
By Robert G. Williscroft

In the world most of us know, we have nothing analogous to Wahhabi Islam. This may explain why we appear to be ignoring this ominous threat, despite everything we have accomplished against international terrorism and radical regimes in Southwest Asia in the past two years.

The Wahhabi sect is a branch of Sunni Islam. A bit of background will facilitate an understanding of where Wahhabi adherents fit into the overall Islamic scheme.

Islam is based on two writings, the Qur'an, believed by Muslims to have been revealed by Allah to Mohammad during the 7th century, and the Sunnah, which records the Prophet's life. Taken together, the Qur'an and Sunnah form the basis for Islam as a religion and for Islamic jurisprudence, very much like our Constitution forms the basis for our secular laws; except that Islam does not distinguish between "religious" and "secular" as we do in the West.

The Shari'ah, which is analogous to codified law in Western society, consists of the Qur'an, the Sunnah, and a constantly evolving collection of Fatwas, or rulings, that deal with every aspect of Islamic life from ideology to practical daily matters. Throughout Islamic history, Imams and Mullahs have issued Fatwas, which have the force of law among Muslims, similar to a ruling by a Western court. As in the West, these rulings can be confirmed or overturned by a higher authority, by issuing a Fiqh.

From the beginning, two branches of Islam evolved: Sunni and Shia or Shi'i. As in every religion with internal differences in belief, how these differences are described is very much a function of who does the describing. All factions, however, seem to agree on at least two points.

The Shia (or Shi'ites) believe that they derive directly from Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet. Ali died in AD 661. Shi'ism, as their brand of belief is called, derives from the Arabic phrase "shi'at Ali," which literally means the partisans or party of Ali. The Shia believe that the Prophet chose Ali as his rightful successor. Today they fall under one of twelve Imams, and most live in Iran, Iraq and Lebanon.

The Sunni, on the other hand, specifically reject that the Prophet selected Ali as his successor, and went to war repeatedly in the ensuing 1,400 years to prove their point. The Sunni is organized under four schools of law or jurisprudence called madh'habs. Their differences don't matter here.

The second point is not so obvious in how it matters, but has been material in the wars fought between the Sunni and Shia over the centuries. The Sunni passionately believe that certain body parts of Allah are real, physical objects. The Shia just as passionately believe that Allah is entirely immaterial. I don't mean to trivialize these differences, but only to indicate that relatively minor differences in belief or in perspective have resulted in profound differences in behavior.

In our own Judeo-Christian culture some believe in the literal meaning of the Bible, whereas others choose to interpret the Bible according to one or another religious point of view. In this sense, Islam is no different.

In another sense, however, Islam is dramatically different from both Christianity and Judaism. The Judeo-Christian focus is mainly on peace and nonviolence, turning the other cheek. Granted, in practice, our own heritage has had its share of faith-based wars, but in today's modern world, both Christianity and Judaism can be considered entirely benign.

No so Islam, and especially not so the Wahhabi branch of Sunni Islam. The Wahhabis believe that Allah's organs are physical, and that Allah sits firmly on a ruling throne in Paradise. They take in a literal sense every Qur'anic statement, especially when it relates to warfare, and most particularly to jihad, religious war.

Sometimes called the Salafi school, Wahhabi is an 18th-century offshoot of the Hanbali madh'hab. In 1818 Wahhabi was nearly defeated and deprived of influence, but the Saudi dynasty breathed new life into the movement in the early 20th century when it drove the Hashemites out of Arabia into the present Jordan.

According to a prominent Lebanese Islamic scholar (who remains anonymous for obvious reasons), during the last decade, Saudi Arabia has financed all of the Wahhabi movements in the region either directly or indirectly through non-governmental organizations.

This means that al Qaeda, 9/11, and all the other terrorist acts against the United States and other nations received their funding from the House of Saud.

"This was really a strategic mistake," says this scholar. The Arab rulers, as well as the policy analysts, have really underestimated the [fundamentalist] regeneration in the region. I would expect a war of Wahhabism against the Gulf countries, particularly Saudi rulers.

In effect the House of Saud tried to purchase protection for itself by channeling some of its vast wealth to the Wahhabis. Recent events, of course, have put the lie to this point of view.

In most of the Islamic world, the Wahhabis control basic schooling. Between the ages of 7 and 15, students are taught fundamentals of strict Islam and religious obligations. Initial introduction to basic education (reading, writing, and arithmetic) is entirely absent, except as an adjunct to the teaching of strict, literal Islam. Between 15 and 25, young men are taught to fight, are prepared for jihad.

Wahhabism flourishes in every Muslim country. Lebanon has about 4,000 Wahhabis. In Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan it is far larger. Wahhabism goes by many names: Ikhwan, Wahhabi, Salifiyya, Mowahabin, and the Taliban. What all of them have in common is a strident, militant view of Sunni Islam, and financial support at the highest levels of the Saudi government. They also share a hatred of anything not strictly Wahhabi.

Osama bin Laden has capitalized on this widespread Wahhabism to unite Muslims across the Islamic world. The movement grows by indoctrinating youngsters in its hatred while ostensibly educating them. It is fueled by massive infusions of Saudi money. And it is legitimized by Fatwas issued almost daily by Islamic clerics throughout the Islamic world.

The system feeds upon itself, and is growing stronger by the day. In recent weeks, Iraqi clerics have begun issuing Fatwas to their local congregations that, in effect, put at risk every non-Islamic person anywhere in the region.

These people cannot be stopped by reason. They cannot be starved out. And they certainly cannot be changed. Their message of universal fundamentalist Islamic rule over all Muslims now and over the entire world as soon as possible cannot be ignored if we value our freedom and way of life.

The specter of universal Jihad is upon us. The longer we wait, the stronger the Wahhabis become, and more capable of achieving their goals.

Will the entire Middle East become a Wahhabi-ruled theocracy? Quite possibly. Will the rest of the world fall to the Wahhabi sword? Not likely, so long as the United States remains willing to apply its overwhelming force to prevent this from happening.

With the arrest this week in Saudi Arabia of the terrorists who attacked the residential compounds, and the subsequent arrest of several militant clerics who vociferously supported them, the Saudis have taken another small step in the right direction.

In the meantime, we cannot allow Wahhabi schools to exist, let alone flourish in any area we control, or over which we exercise influence. The moment a cleric utters a Fatwa calling for anyone's death is the moment for us to act. These clerics must be stopped permanently, no matter what it takes. We must speak to them in the only language they understand, force and violence. We must disperse Wahhabi communities and require their children to be educated in secular schools that Coalition forces and their follow-on civilian counterparts control, schools where they will learn about the real world, and how to build a self-governing society on the ruins of the Wahhabi disaster.

If America lacks the will to take these drastic steps, I fear that our presence and influence in Iraq will be a momentary splash in the frying pan of history.

[judyvillecco]

Saraja if that is who you really are... I could never believe in any religion that treated women the way Islam treats its women as inferiors. What I have seen of Islam in the past year makes me very prejudice against it as only a male religion designed by men to take care of men's egos. As a matter of fact it is about as real as reading science fiction reading the Koran. I'd as soon believe in Alien's from outer space as idiots running around oppressing women and children and sending children to commit suicide. i used to be tolerant of it but no more!

[PHO127]

The teachings of the First Selfrightous Church of the Gooey Death and Discount House of Worship.

[saraja]

Whenever the topic of Islam is brought up among Westerners, it has been my experience that the first objection that immediately springs into their minds is: "But women are so extremely oppressed in Islam."
And, "But women are second class citizens in Islam." For example, they see that Muslim women usually observe modest standards in their clothing and they automatically equate their modesty with oppression.
They appear to feel that freedom is in some way directly proportional to how little clothing one wears, and that oppression is directly proportional to the degree of modesty one exhibits in their clothing. Although this topic does not directly relate to the main topic, still it seems inevitable to touch on this subject even if only very briefly due to it's importance.
The problem is twofold: First of all, those people who make such objections usually only have a very superficial knowledge of what the true teachings of Islam, and secondly, they do not realize what The Bible requires of all believing women.
I was once passing through Canada with my parent's in law and their family. As we walked down the street a Canadian Christian girl (in her late teens to early twenties) passed by us with a group of her friends. She looked at my mother in law who was dressed in modest clothing and had a large scarf wrapped around her head such that only her face was showing. She then stopped my mother in law and said words to the effect of: "Why do you allow your men to oppress you? Why do you wear these clothes?"
Now, my mother in law is a university graduate, a straight a student, highly respected by her peers, and gainfully employed as an inspector of the public educational system back in my home country. My mother in law has also distinguished herself in her study of the English language and it's grammatical structure.
However, she did not have an extensive working knowledge of American and Canadian pronunciation and slang, and thus, she missed the tone with which this question was delivered to her.
I decided to move a reasonable distance away and let her handle this situation herself. My mother in law was very happy to answer this girl's question and went on to explain to her about our religion and customs and how we prefer to dress modestly, and that Allah Almighty requires us to do this. However, this was not the answer this girl was looking for so she retorted: "Thanks for sharing!" then spun around and stormed off.
Now, in my home country, our elders are quite used to being highly respected by those who are younger than them and being served by them. For this reason, it did not even occur to my mother in law that this question could have been anything more than a young girl respectfully asking an innocent question of a trusted elder, and I hated to tell her otherwise. I would have hated for her to leave Canada thinking that all Canadians or all Christians speak this way to their elders since I know that this is not the true case. However, this episode did indeed sadden me.
Many non-Muslims feel sorry for any Muslim women they see adorned in their modest clothing. They feel that they are deprived the freedom to roam around in more scant and revealing clothing. Anyone who lives in a manner other that which they have become accustomed to is seen by them to be oppressed and forced to live in this manner. There are certain tribes in the Amazon jungle, in Australia, and in Africa, which have become accustomed to walking around in a simple g-string around their waist. What would the people of the West say if these people were to condemn the Western habit of "forcing" their women to wear "excessive amounts of clothing" and to demand that all women in the west immediately stop wearing anything but the simplest g-string around their waist? What if they were to say that the Western society should immediately stop unjustly persecuting their women and preventing them from freely roaming the streets wearing only a pair of socks? They would say that the people making these demands have no morals or shame. Philosophers would have a field day with such a question.
What if someone were to claim that it was immoral, discriminatory, and unjust to separate men and women indifferent public bathrooms just as it is not just to do so with blacks and whites. What if this person were to then call (in the interest of equality, fairness, and constitutional freedom of course) for a merging of men and women's bathrooms into one "unisex" or "equal-opportunity" bathrooms for both men and women? Once again, the philosophers would have a field day. Anyone who follows the news will see that this may indeed be where the USA is now headed. In the New York Post (31 Aug. 1994 or a little before) it was reported that women have now won the right to appear topless in the New York subway system. Where will the USA be a few years from now? That is anyone's guess.
Who has the power to determine what is decent and modest clothing? Who is to determine what is decent
and modest behavior? Muslims assign this right to God alone. This is the essence of "Islam." "Islam" means "The submission to the will of God." What God commands, a Muslim does. They do not demand that God justify his commands before they accept them. Once they have verified that a command is indeed from God then they abide by it without hesitation.
We can indeed find this lesson in the story of Adam. In the Islamic version of the story of Adam (slightly different than that of Judaism/Christianity), Adam and Eve were created by God, educated, clothed, and then allowed to inhabit heaven. God told them that they could have anything their hearts desired except they must not eat from the tree. Out of envy, the devil encouraged them to eat from the tree and told them that its fruit would make them angles or immortal. They ate from the tree and immediately, their bodies were revealed to one another, so they took to scooping up the leaves off the trees in order to cover themselves. This is when Allah sent them down to earth. What mankind learned from this lesson is that just because a person does not know the wisdom behind a command of God, and others tell him to disobey it, then if they do not abide by it, by the time the reason for the command is made apparent to them it may be too late.
Example of dress worn by a Christian nun.
Compare it with how Muslim women dress today
Well then, what is the Biblical view on these matters? Actually, even in this day and age there still remain traces in Christianity of the common ancestry with Islam with regard to the accepted norms of modest dress for Christian women as ordained by her Creator. In the above figure we have an example of the sort of dress codes observed by Christian nuns. We are strangely amazed to find that it is almost the striking similarity it bears to the sort of outfit, which most Muslim women wear. Why is that? Well, although there are quite a number of very pronounced differences between Biblical and Qur'anic laws in this regard, let us start with the

Biblical view:
What the New Testament has to say:
1 Timothy 2:11-14 "Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression."
1 Corinthians 14:34 "Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church."
1 Corinthians 11:5-10: "But every woman that prayeth or prophesied with her head uncovered dishonored her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. For if the woman were not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it were a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch, as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels."
1 Corinthians 11 "Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God (with her head) uncovered?"
What the Old Testament has to say:
Genesis 3:12-16 "And the man (Adam) said, the woman (Eve) whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the woman, what is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, the serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee."
Leviticus 12:2-5 "Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, if a woman have conceived seed, and born a MALE child: then she shall be unclean SEVEN DAYS; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean. And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying THIRTY THREE days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled. But if she bear a FEMALE child, then she shall be unclean TWO WEEKS, as in her separation: and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying SIXTY SIX days."
Ecclesiastics 7:26-28 "And I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare.... while I was still searching but not finding, I found one upright man among a thousand but not one upright woman among them all".
Leviticus 15:19-30 "And if a woman have an issue (her period/menses), [and] her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever touched her shall be unclean until the even.
And every thing that she lieth upon in her separation shall be unclean: every thing also that she sitteth upon shall be unclean. And whosoever touched her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe [himself] in water, and be unclean until the even. And whosoever touched any thing that she sat upon shall wash his clothes, and bathe [himself] in water, and be unclean until the even. And if it [be] on [her] bed, or on any thing whereon she sitteth, when he touched it, he shall be unclean until the even. And if any man lie with her at all, and her flowers be upon him, he shall be unclean seven days; and all the bed whereon he lieth shall be unclean. And if a woman have an issue of her blood many days out of the time of her separation, or if it run beyond the time of her separation; all the days of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days of her separation: she [shall be] unclean. Every bed whereon she lieth all the days of her issue shall be unto her as the bed of her separation: and whatsoever she sitteth upon shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her separation. And whosoever touched those things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes, and bathe [himself] in water, and be unclean until the even. But if she were cleansed of her issue, then she shall number to herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean. And on the eighth day she shall take unto her two turtles, or two young pigeons, and bring them unto the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And the priest shall offer the one [for] a sin offering, and the other [for] a burnt offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for her before the LORD for the issue of her uncleanness."
SEE ALSO WOMEN IN THE BIBLE

In other words, the Bible teaches us that:
1.Women should learn in silence and subjugation.
2.Women should not teach.
3.Women should not have authority over men but should remain silent.
4.Adam and Eve were not equal in sin. Adam was not deceived but Eve was.
5.Women are commanded to be under obedience to men. God ordained that men should for all time rules over women
6.Women must keep silent in Churches. It is shameful for them to open their mouths therein. If they have a question they should ask their husbands before going to church and then their husbands will ask for them in the church.
7.A woman should neither pray nor profess with her head uncovered.
8.If a woman prays with her head uncovered then she might as well shave her head.
9.Man was created in the image and glory of God, and Woman was created in the glory of Man, thus Man must have power over her.
10.Any woman who delivers a male baby shall be unclean for one week. But any woman who delivers a female baby shall be unclean for TWO weeks. Thus, females make their mothers DOUBLY unclean as compared to males.
11.While it is possible to find one upright man in every thousand, it is impossible to find even one single upright woman in every thousand
12.Woman is a snare, her heart is a trap, and her hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but she will ensnare the sinner.
13.If a woman had her period and touches a chair or a bed or anything else then that item immediately becomes unclean. Anyone who then touches those things shall also become unclean. They must then bathe themselves and wash their clothes because they have touched an item that a monstrous woman has touched.
What the canonized saints of Christianity said about women:
"Woman is a daughter of falsehood, a sentinel of Hell, the enemy of peace; through her Adam lost paradise"
(St. John Demascene)
"Woman is the instrument which the devil uses to gain possession of our souls" (St. Cyprian)
"Woman is the fountain of the arm of the devil, her voice is the hissing of the serpent" (St. Anthony)
"Woman has the poison of an asp, the malice of a dragon" (St. Gregory)
St. Tertullian, while he was talking to his 'best beloved sisters' in the faith, he said, "Do you not know that
You are each an Eve? The sentence of God on this sex of yours lives in this age: the guilt must of necessity live too. You are the Devil's gateway: You are the unsealer of the forbidden tree: You are the first deserter of the divine law: You are she who persuaded him whom the devil wasn't valiant enough to attack. You destroyed so easily God's image, man." Once again, St. Augustine wrote to a friend, "What is the difference whether it is in a wife or a mother, it is still Eve the temptress that we must beware of in any woman."


Centuries later, St. Thomas Aquinas still considered women as defective, "As regards the individual nature, woman is defective and misbegotten, for the active force in the male seed tends to the production of a perfect likeness in the masculine sex; while the production of woman comes from a defect in the active force or from some material indisposition, or even from some external influence." (All these quotations can be found in Karen Armstrong's book, The Gospel According to Woman, London: Elm Tree Books, 1986, pp. 52-62. See also Nancy van Vuuren, The Subversion of Women as Practiced by Churches, tch-Hunters, and Other Sexists Philadelphia: Westminster Press pp.28-30.)
Orthodox Jewish men in their daily morning prayer recite, "Blessed be God King of the universe that Thou hasn?t made me a woman." The women, on the other hand, thank God every morning for "making me according to Thy will" (Then a Kendath, "Memories of an Orthodox youth" in Susannah Heschel, Ed. On being a Jewish Feminist, New York: Schocken Books, 1983, pp. 96-97)
According to the Jewish Talmud, "women are exempt from the study of the Torah." In the first century C.E., Rabbi Eliezer said: "If any man teaches his daughter Torah it is as though he taught her lechery" (Leonard J. Swidler, Women in Judaism: the Status of Women in Formative Judaism, Metuchen, N.J: Scarecrow Press, 1976, pp. 83-93)
According to Rabbi Dr. Menachem M. Brayer (Professor of Biblical Literature at Yeshiva University) in his book 'The Jewish woman in Rabbinic literature', it was the custom of Jewish women to go out in public with a head covering which, sometimes, even covered the whole face leaving one eye free (Psychosocial Perspective, Hoboken, N.J: Ktav Publishing House, 1986, p. 239). He quotes some famous ancient Rabbis saying, "It is not like the daughters of Israel to walk out with heads uncovered" and "Cursed be the man who lets the hair of his wife be seen.... a woman who exposes her hair for self-adornment brings poverty." Rabbinic law forbids the recitation of blessings or prayers in the presence of a bareheaded-married woman
Since uncovering the woman's hair is considered "nudity" (Ibid. pp. 316-317. Also see Swidler, op. cit., pp. 121-123). Dr. Brayer also mentions, "During the Tannaitic period the Jewish woman's failure to cover her head was considered an affront to her modesty. When her head was uncovered she might be fined four hundred zuzim for this offense." Dr. Brayer also explains that veil of the Jewish woman wasn't always considered a sign of modesty. Sometimes, the veil symbolized a state of distinction and luxury rather than modesty. The veil personified the dignity and superiority of noble women. It, also, represented a woman?s inaccessibility as a sanctified possession of her husband (24. Ibid. p. 139). It is clear in the Old Testament that uncovering a woman's head was a great disgrace and that's why the priest had to uncover the suspected adulteress in her trial by ordeal (Numbers 5:16-18).
St. Tertullian in his famous treatise 'On The Veiling Of Virgins' wrote, "Young women, you wear your veils out on the streets, so you should wear them in the church, you wear them when you are among strangers, then wear them among your brothers..." Among the Canon laws of the Catholic Church today, there is a law that require women to cover their heads in church (Clara M. Henning, " Cannon Law and the Battle of the Sexes" in Rosemary R. Ruether, ed., Religion and Sexism: Images of Woman in the Jewish and Christian Traditions, New York: Simon and Schuster, 1974, p. 272.).
Some Christian denominations, such as the Amish and the Mennonites for example, keep their women veiled to the present day. The reason for the veil, as offered by their Church leaders, is "The head covering is a symbol of woman's subjection to the man and to God?: The same logic introduced by St. Paul in the New Testament (Donald B. Kraybill, The riddle of the Amish Culture, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1989, p. 56.)
Russian Orthodox women are expected to wear a head covering when in the church. Most don't outside of itin America, but many in Russia and many other eastern Orthodox women all over eastern Europe, Greece, and the middle east do wear scarves on their heads all the time when in public
These are only a small sampling. For many more similar quotations please obtain a copy of the 70 page book? Women in Islam Versus Women in the Judaeo-Christian Tradition: The Myth & The Reality," By Dr. Sherif Abdel Azeem, World Assembly of Muslim Youth.
Continuing, according to the Old Testament, a childless widow must marry her husband's brother, even if he is already married and regardless of her consent, so that she might bear a child from him (Genesis 38).
Further, according to the Bible:
"If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are
Discovered, he shall pay the girl's father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the girl, for he has
Violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives"
Deuteronomy 22:28-30
One must ask a simple question here, who is really punished, the man who raped the woman or the woman who was raped? What is to prevent someone from finding the best looking woman in town, raping her, telling everyone about it, and then having the courts force her to be his wife for the rest of her life?
According to Numbers 27:1-11, widows and sisters don't inherit at all. Daughters can inherit only if their
Deceased father had no sons.
So what is the standpoint of the Qur'an with regard to women? Women are indeed commanded by Allah to cover their heads and wear modest clothing, however, in Islam this is not a sign of denigration or subjugation to men, rather, it is a sign of chastity, modesty, and the fear of God. It also designates this woman to all men who might deal with her that she is to be dealt with respect. This could be compared to the situation in the West when one meets a nun or priest, how the nun's habit and the priest's robes signal those who meet them that this person does not condone vulgarity of speech or evil actions. This is made apparent in the Qur'an in Al-Ahzab:
"? That is closer to their being recognized so that they shall not be abused, and Allah is ever
Forgiving, Merciful" Al-Ahzab (33): 59 (also see Noor (24): 31)
What about the rights of women in Islam?
Are they indeed, as the popular propaganda would have us?
Believe, "second class citizens"? Let us read the Qur'an:
"And they (women) have rights similar to those of men over them in a just manner"
The noble Qur'an, Al-Baqarah (2): 228
"And their Lord has heard them (and He says): Verily! I suffer not the work of any worker, male or
Female, to be lost. You precede one from another. So those who fled and were driven forth from their
Homes and suffered damage for my cause, and fought and were slain, verily I shall remit their evil
Deeds from them and verily I shall bring them into Gardens underneath which rivers flow. A reward
From Allah. And with Allah is the fairest of rewards."
The noble Qur'an, A'al-Umran (3): 195.
"And covet not the thing in which Allah has made some of you excel others. Unto men a fortune from
That which they have earned, and unto women a fortune from that which they have earned. (Envy not
One another) but ask Allah of His bounty. Verily! Allah is Knower of all things."
The noble Qur'an, Al-Nissa (4): 32.
"Unto the men (of a family) belongs a share of that which parents and near kindred leave, and unto
The women shares of that which parents and near kindred leave, whether it is little or much, a legal
Share."
The noble Qur'an, Al-Nissa (4): 77.
"And whoso does good works, whether of male or female, and he (or she) is a believer, such will
Enter paradise and they will not be wronged the dint in a date stone."
The noble Qur'an, Al-Nissa (4): 124.
"And the believers, men and women, are protecting friends one of another; they enjoin the right and
Forbid the wrong, and they establish worship and they pay the poor-due, and they obey Allah and His
Messenger. As for these, Allah will have mercy on them. Lo! Allah is Mighty, Wise."
The noble Qur'an, Al-Tauba (9): 71
"Whosoever does right, whether male or female, and is a believer, him verily we shall quicken with
Good life, and we shall pay them a recompense in proportion to the best of what they used to do."
The noble Qur'an, Al-Nahil (16): 97.
"And of His signs is this: He created for you spouses from yourselves that you might find tranquility
In them, and He ordained between you love and mercy. Lo, herein indeed are signs for folk who
Reflect."
The noble Qur'an, Al-Room (30): 21
"Whoso does an ill deed, he will be repaid the like thereof, while whoso does right, whether male or
Female, and is a believer, (all) such will enter the Garden, where they will be nourished without stint."
The noble Qur'an, Mumin (40): 40.
In the Qur'an, both Adam and Eve share the blame for eating from the tree. This can be seen in the Qur'an in such verses as Al-Baqarah (2): 36, Al-A?araf (7): 22-24. They were also both forgiven by God Almighty for this sin. Actually, in one verse of the Qur'an (Taha (20): 121), Adam is specifically blamed.
Islam encourages spouses to take each other's council and to seek mutual agreement in matters, which affect them, for example, in the Qur'an, Al-Bakarah (2): 233 we read:
"Mothers shall suckle their children for two whole years; (that is) for those who wish to complete the
Suckling. The duty of feeding and clothing nursing mothers in a seemly manner is upon the father of
The child. No one should be charged beyond their capacity. A mother should not be made to suffer
Because of her child, nor should he to whom the child is born (be made to suffer) because of his child.
And on the (father's) heir is incumbent the like of that (which was incumbent on the father). If they
Desire to wean the child by mutual consent and (after) consultation, it is no sin for them; and if you
Wish to give your children out to nurse; it is no sin for you, provided that you pay what is due from
You in kindness. Observe your duty to Allah, and know that Allah is Seer of what you do."
Husbands are commanded to treat their wives with kindness and respect. In Al-Nissa (4)-19 we read
?. But consort with them in kindness, for if you hate them it may happen that you hate a thing
Wherein Allah has placed much good."
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:
"The best believers are the best in conduct, and the best of you are those who are best to their wives."
When Muhammad (pbuh) first became the prophet of Islam, the Pagans of Arabia had inherited a similar
Disregard for woman as had been passed down among their Jewish and Christian neighbors. So disgraceful was it considered among them to be blessed with a female child that they would go so far as to bury this
Baby alive in order to avoid the disgrace associated with female children.
Through the teachings of Islam, Muhammad (pbuh) put a swift and resounding end to this evil practice. Not only did he severely discourage and condemn this act but he also used to teach them to respect and cherish their daughters and mothers as partners and sources of salvation for the men of their family:
AbuSa'id al-Khudri narrated:
"The Prophet (pbuh) said: If anyone cares for three daughters, disciplines them, marries them (to other men), and does good by them, he will enter Paradise."
(Narrated by Abu-Dawood)
Abdullah the son of Abbas narrated:
"The Prophet (pbuh) said: If anyone has a female child, and does not bury her alive, or slight her, or
Prefer his male children over her, Allah will bring him into Paradise."
(Narrated by Abu-Dawood)
Muhammad (pbuh) is also sited in "Sahih Muslim" as saying:
"Whoever maintains two girls till they attain maturity, he and I will come on the Day of Resurrection
Like this; and he joined his fingers".
In other words, if one loves the messenger of Allah and wishes to be with him on the day of resurrection in heaven, then they should do well by their daughters.

[Boats]

Why is it you must always quote something! Why can't you just write how you feel rather than quote after quote. Just say what want to say and get it overwith so we can all move on.

You will not change anyone by forcing religion upon them. You should have your own religious site where you can exchange your views with others who care! I don't

[SEATJERKER]

...in "itself" seems to be a computer program that has been set up to respond to this post...

...I doubt that "IT" is a real person behind the curtian, and "IT is only here to extract our thoughts, and feelings in order to analize them...

... Will Robinson, come quick......................

[1IDVET]

Originally posted by Boats Why is it you must always quote something! Why can't you just write how you feel rather than quote after quote. Just say what want to say and get it overwith so we can all move on.

You will not change anyone by forcing religion upon them. You should have your own religious site where you can exchange your views with others who care! I don't

OK.
I like putting out facts. I will quote things to give folks a perspective on the subject.
I thought this was an interesting article, that is why I shared it. Don't like it, don't read it.
I try not to talk religion too much, because it is a touchy subject. I also know that I am not going to convert anyone to my way of thinking.
If I have something to add to a thread, I will add it, again, don't like it, don't read it.
I try not to attack anyone personally, and will also try to be intelligent in what I post.
My advice to you, get over it. We aren't all going to be like you, or conform to the way you think.
Good day.

[PHO127]

I think Boats was refering to the quotations of Saraja, (Saraha Sue), rather than your quotes. Saraja has no personal thoughts and is only quoting what other scholars have said. I think I will stick to PHOs Philosipy on this one, " Never argue with a fool or a religious fanatic, People may not be able to tell the difference".

[1IDVET]

Roger that.
My apologies.

[judyvillecco]

Saraja,
Oh yes the party line....clothing....I said nothing about clothing. i don't dress immodestly so why do you attach me? I dont care if you cover yourself head to toe. What I said if you could quit immersing yourself in the party line enough to have a thought of your own, enough to hear, would be, "women who allow their children to be abused and killed in the name of religion" are no better than their male counter terrorists! Get it!

I have dealt with abused and brainwashed women for years and you spout the party line! In the name of Allah, Jesus, whoever, some man tells you you send your child off to die, you allow your daughter to marry some man she doesn't love to be raped or used by whoever because she isn't worth anything.

Modest?...you are unworthy...only those men who get virgins are worthy. If you are raped you are dead. You are only cattle. No more than a bottle of wine. You are nothing in his world. I've known Baptist preachers spout the same thing to women but this is the first world wide religion to do it! No I don't respect it and never will! Never will Western women because we value ourselves more than a cow! It has nothing to do with G-strings as they want you to believe. I don't wear them and neither do many women but we value ourselves as much as men. Use the brain God gave you and reason among yourselves.

You are a fanatic spouting memorized words which mean nothing because they have no original thought behind them. They are what your mama taught you to keep you under Papa's rule as her Mama taught her. Do you have pleasure in your husband as he has in you? Why not? Is he worth more than you? Are you granted pleasure by your God? I am! My God loves me as much as any man and values me as much as any!

What gobledegook about women you spout in the Koran! See! I'd as soon read about Aliens. I'd much rather read the Bible about women " for her price is far above rubies, the heart of her husband safely trust's in her, ...her children rise up and call her blessed." We could battle this way if you want. I'll win! The bible says more beautiful things about women than the Koran! What's your point?