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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Solon who wrote (17417)	6/27/2001 1:14:18 PM
From: one_less	Respond to of 82486

I wasn't thinking at all of "sacrificing" on an alter or something. If that is the context, then I would agree with you that it was always religious. In the middle East it was the cultural norm to reject the first born child if it was female. The nomadic and tribal people had a utilitarian view of children (not as many females needed to sustain the tribe as males). One of the closest companions to Mohammad was named Umar. Umar had many attributes but commonly pointed out was his size and skill with a sword and that he was fairly unemotional about his dealings with people. When he was told that Islam forbids infanticide he broke down in tears remembering his daughter. Apparently he had put off the deed for some time. As he was preparing to put her in a grave she reached up and groomed his beard. Makes me weep to think about it. Anyway, I have seen this tendency to kill the first child, if it is female, as a wide spread practice in the history of many peoples. I don't remember it being a common religious doctrine.