Hi Addi; All the good books suffer when they are taken from the time that they were written and transported into our modern times. About how to treat women, my reading of the Koran suggest that the quotes are intended to place limits on the punishments available, not to order them.
In English common law, the "rule of thumb" is that you can't beat your wife with a stick thicker than a man's thumb. This was the way of the world quite recently even in the (now) advanced European countries. Any legal document, and almost any religious document delving into these issues is going to look violent to modern eyes. But that does not mean that the most people who hold the Koran (or the Old Testament) to be God's word are violent. This stuff gets reinterpreted constantly, at least among most people, just like the legal system constantly gets reinterpreted. The Koran dates to many hundreds of years ago, what does anyone expect it to say.
The United States Constitution explicitly recognizes the legitimacy of slavery, and yet it is the most powerful legal document ever written, and has changed the world in ways more wonderful than the authors could dared have imagined. In fact, I think it's the US legal system (with its tolerance and rights) that most pisses off the fundamentalists. It would have surprised none of us any more if they had flown a jet liner into the Statue of Liberty. (And despite the much smaller loss of life that would have caused it probably would have pissed us off just as much.)
The other (and it is very major) problem with the site you linked in is that it gives passages outside of their contextual relationship to other passages. For example, the link you gave has the following:
Human Rights:
Islam does not permit freedom of choice regarding religion
"Fight those who believe not in God nor the last day. " Surah 9:29
members.aol.com
Here's modern Koran translations, including the rather important context for the above statement:
[9:29] You shall fight back against those who do not believe in GOD, nor in the Last Day, nor do they prohibit what GOD and His messenger have prohibited, nor do they abide by the religion of truth - among those who received the scripture - until they pay the due tax, willingly or unwillingly.
submission.org
Re: "If any one desires a religion other than Islam, never will it be accepted of him." Surah 3:85
The full context demonstrates that this is in the hereafter, not in the present: "[3:85] Anyone who accepts other than Submission as his religion, it will not be accepted from him, and in the Hereafter, he will be with the losers."
Re: "I will instill terror into the hearts of the unbelievers, smite ye above their necks and smite all their finger-tips of them.It is not ye who slew them; it was Allah." Surah 8:13-17
The actual quotes make it clear that God is responsible for retribution, and that those who live in peace are accepted by Islam:
"[8:13] This is what they have justly incurred by fighting GOD and His messenger. For those who fight against GOD and His messenger, GOD's retribution is severe.
[8:14] This is to punish the disbelievers; they have incurred the retribution of Hell.
[8:15] O you who believe, if you encounter the disbelievers who have mobilized against you, do not turn back and flee.
[8:16] Anyone who turns back on that day, except to carry out a battle plan, or to join his group, has incurred wrath from GOD, and his abode is Hell; what a miserable destiny!
[8:17] It was not you who killed them; GOD is the One who killed them. It was not you who threw when you threw; GOD is the One who threw. But He thus gives the believers a chance to earn a lot of credit. GOD is Hearer, Omniscient.
[8:18] Additionally, GOD thus nullifies the schemes of the disbelievers.
[8:19] You sought victory (O disbelievers), and victory did come; it belonged to the believers. If you refrain (from aggression) it would be better for you, but if you return, so will we. Your armies will never help you, no matter how great. For GOD is on the side of the believers."
submission.org
Just quoting the nastiest passages from the Koran (or any other document) without quoting the nice stuff is an old technique to discredit. To find out for yourself what the general feeling of the Koran is, read it for yourself, it's not very long. At the very least, look up the context for the (mis)quotes given in the link you provided:
submission.org
-- Carl |
