Dear Amein: <Definitely OT - but perhaps a bit interesting>
Thank you for your kind note. I appreciate that.
Regretfully I do not have the time right now to go into the details of Koran and ask your opinion/justification for some of its teachings. I may do so some othertime (perhaps next week when I have more free time on my hand). However for now I think it would be suffice to bring up a couple of points and let me ask you the following, and I appreciate it very much if you can educate me.
In response to my statement of Koran promoting wife beating if the wife does not obey the husband, you state:
> ....first, let's understand what is referred to beating as punishment in Islam... let's take the most severe form of beating which is flogging... in flogging as a punishment, according to Islam, the elbow is not to leave the side of the body and the wrist is not to bend... meaning, to flog someone according to Islam, you put your hand to your side, fix your elbow to your side, raise only your forearm to your shoulder and bring it down to your side without bending your wrist... so you see, there is not much force in that... it's not the same as the flogging as seen in movies where one uses all the force in his shoulder / arm to flog the other person... now, let's talk about beating one's wife... what is meant here is not the beating you see on TV of abused wives... far from it... it's more like a slap on the hand... and not to "punish her in any way you want" ... that must be someone's bad translation...
With all due respect to you, do you have any idea what you are saying above? How can a holly book supposedly written by God (through his prophet)talk about beating one's wife (regardless of how severe or soft that beating is meant to be)?! How dare can an ideaology promote wife beating? Is this what Islam means when it comes to equality, justice, and peace and love for all?! Is there anywhere in Koran that says a wife can also beat her husband?! And if so... where and what is the logic behind all these promotions on one beating another human being?!
And I guess what is more interesting is the fact that Koran goes into the details of explaining what beating and punishment is? It is treated as a step-by-step process...
Just the idea of an idealogy (disguised under the name God) promoting wife beating (regardless of how soft or harsh) is mind buggling and horrifice, and that alone can perhaps talk about the rest of the ideology - which is claimed to bring peace, love and justice to all (or at least those who are Moslem Men only!
You state:
> Muslims have always had treaties with non-Muslims... non-Muslims were even excused from fighting in the Islamic army in return for paying a fixed fee while Muslims had to go fight and risk their lives...
Can you explain why is it that People had to go through wars and battles and great bloodshed in order to spread Islam? In other words if Islam was meant to be about love and peace, how come it spread throughout the world via wars, bloodshed and forcing people to convert and not by will. Just take a look at Old Persia and read about Arabs invasion of Persia and how they literally gave 2 choices to the people: Either become a moselm, or die! Just the idea of having an Islamic Army in order to spread the religion around the world contradicts the idea of love and peace. An idealogy should be accepted based on its content and not by force or scare tactics.
You state:
> now as far as the Holy Quran being written for men only, that is a big misunderstanding... Quran addresses man as the head of the household, any country has only one president, king or Queen, any ship has only one captain, any kitchen has only one chef...and the head of the household is the final decision maker... however, this does not mean that the head of the household becomes a dictator making decisions independently... the Prophet (pbuh) consulted his wife... did you know that ? of course now you will say, well, he had more than one wife... that is true, but if you go over the Islamic history, you will see that he listened to his wives opinions...
WHy does Islam assume that the head of the household is a man?! Does anywhere it talks about the head of household being a woman?
Also what is the real idea of a man being allowed to have more than one wife (4 legal wives, and as many as temorary wives as he wants)! I mean as a man I see the point (!!), but really, are women supposed to be viewed as instruments of pleasure, and pro-creation only?! And can you tell me what is the minimum age for a female in Islam to be acquired by a man?
You state that the Prhophet always listened to his wives and took their advice?! But didnt Prophet also have wives who were only 9-13 years old? I am not going to even ask how a man can marry a 9-13 year old kids (You know that in Iran the minimu age for a female to marry a man is set at 9. Just the other day an 80 year old man in Iran had married a 13 year old kid and it was morally and legally accepted under the guise of Islam - or at least as is claimed by those who are in charge in Iran), but setting that aside, can 9-13 year old kids give advice to the head of a religion who is supposed to be in contact with God?
Perhaps I am asking too many questions that should NOT be asked for which I know by now I would have been dead had I asked these questions if I were living in an Islamic country (which incidentally you never answered this question as why I would be dead if I even try raising such questions in an Islamic country. After all Islam is about love and peace and equality, and if I have questions or issues they should be dealt with in a moral and just manner rather thann opressing them).
But anyway, and in all honestly I sincerely hope I have not offended you or anyone for which I am simply a student of life who always tries to find the correct way to live his life. And for all I know I may - and in fact might be - wrong with all my assumptions and understandings and am open to accept and change easily based on logic and morality that I find in that logic.
Warmest Regards, |
