Do Moderate Muslims Exist?

The Washington Post ran two stories today that should set off warning signals to most. The first is one where the writer, a Muslim woman named Asra Q. Nomani, describes how Muslim men are taught that violence inside the household to keep the female in check is just fine and dandy: (h/t Blue Crab Boulevard)

When dealing with a “disobedient wife,” a Muslim man has a number of options. First, he should remind her of “the importance of following the instructions of the husband in Islam.” If that doesn’t work, he can “leave the wife’s bed.” Finally, he may “beat” her, though it must be without “hurting, breaking a bone, leaving blue or black marks on the body and avoiding hitting the face, at any cost.”

Such appalling recommendations, drawn from the book “Woman in the Shade of Islam” by Saudi scholar Abdul Rahman al-Sheha, are inspired by as authoritative a source as any Muslim could hope to find: a literal reading of the 34th verse of the fourth chapter of the Koran, An-Nisa , or Women. “[A]nd (as to) those on whose part you fear desertion, admonish them and leave them alone in the sleeping-places and beat them,” reads one widely accepted translation.

The notion of using physical punishment as a “disciplinary action,” as Sheha suggests, especially for “controlling or mastering women” or others who “enjoy being beaten,” is common throughout the Muslim world. Indeed, I first encountered Sheha’s work at my Morgantown mosque, where a Muslim student group handed it out to male worshipers after Friday prayers one day a few years ago.

[….]How the Muslim world interprets this passage will reveal whether Islam can be compatible with life in the 21st century. As Hadayai Majeed, an African American Muslim who had opened a shelter in Atlanta to serve Muslim women, put it, “If it’s okay for me to be a savage in my home, it’s okay for me to be a savage in the world.”

The fact that this religion requires woman to be subservient, that they must veil themselves, or be beaten should tell us all what kind of religion we are dealing with.

But apparently this western woman doesn’t see it this way since she wrote the other article in the WaPo telling the world that the veil is to be loved:

I used to look at veiled women as quiet, oppressed creatures — until I was captured by the Taliban.

In September 2001, just 15 days after the terrorist attacks on the United States, I snuck into Afghanistan, clad in a head-to-toe blue burqa, intending to write a newspaper account of life under the repressive regime. Instead, I was discovered, arrested and detained for 10 days. I spat and swore at my captors; they called me a “bad” woman but let me go after I promised to read the Koran and study Islam. (Frankly, I’m not sure who was happier when I was freed — they or I.)

Back home in London, I kept my word about studying Islam — and was amazed by what I discovered. I’d been expecting Koran chapters on how to beat your wife and oppress your daughters; instead, I found passages promoting the liberation of women. Two-and-a-half years after my capture, I converted to Islam, provoking a mixture of astonishment, disappointment and encouragement among friends and relatives.

Now, it is with disgust and dismay that I watch here in Britain as former foreign secretary Jack Straw describes the Muslim nikab — a face veil that reveals only the eyes — as an unwelcome barrier to integration, with Prime Minister Tony Blair, writer Salman Rushdie and even Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi leaping to his defense.

Having been on both sides of the veil, I can tell you that most Western male politicians and journalists who lament the oppression of women in the Islamic world have no idea what they are talking about. They go on about veils, child brides, female circumcision, honor killings and forced marriages, and they wrongly blame Islam for all this — their arrogance surpassed only by their ignorance.

These cultural issues and customs have nothing to do with Islam. A careful reading of the Koran shows that just about everything that Western feminists fought for in the 1970s was available to Muslim women 1,400 years ago. Women in Islam are considered equal to men in spirituality, education and worth, and a woman’s gift for childbirth and child-rearing is regarded as a positive attribute.

[…]Under Islam, I am respected. It tells me that I have a right to an education and that it is my duty to seek out knowledge, regardless of whether I am single or married. Nowhere in the framework of Islam are we told that women must wash, clean or cook for men. As for how Muslim men are allowed to beat their wives — it’s simply not true. Critics of Islam will quote random Koranic verses or hadith, but usually out of context. If a man does raise a finger against his wife, he is not allowed to leave a mark on her body, which is the Koran’s way of saying, “Don’t beat your wife, stupid.”

[…]But it is also true that in the West, men still believe that they are superior to women, despite protests to the contrary. They still receive better pay for equal work — whether in the mailroom or the boardroom — and women are still treated as sexualized commodities whose power and influence flow directly from their appearance.

The thing this writer is forgetting is that many of the freedoms enjoyed centuries ago by followers of Islam have been thrown out by the conservative brand of Islam practiced today. Wahabbism is growing among the Muslim world, this is what the world see’s, and with it the moderate Muslims stay quiet. So instead of tolerant Muslims we see those who practice wife beating to make her submit. We see women stoned to death for having an affair.

We see suicide bombers kill innocent men, women and children.

Until the moderate Muslims stand up and take their religion over I am afraid this will only get worse.

But alas, we must recall that this lover of the veil, Yvonne Ridley, wrote the following regarding the King of Jordan following the suicide bombing of that wedding in Jordan:

That isn’t to say I wasn’t upset by the images which came blasting out of my TV. I mean we can not simply shrug our shoulders at the deaths of 61 people. But let’s have a closer look at those who perished: * Five of those who died were Iraqis who were working closely with America? in other words, collaborators. One Saudi, Indonesian and three Chinese intelligence officers were also wiped out. Shame, but those who live by the sword …..? * And then there was the wedding party. OK, so the guests were part of Jordan’s upper echelons of society, others had flown in from America and were known for their close ties to the monarchy. But that still doesn’t mean they should be punished for their status in life. Interesting though, that the bombers chose the bars serving alcohol for their martyrdom operations in two of the hotels. Now while we know alcohol is strictly haram, it’s an Islamic ruling which the King of Jordan chooses to openly ignore, and in a Muslim country. King Abdullah is a chip off the old block, really.

[…]I think I’d rather put up with a brother like Abu Musab al-Zarqawi any day than have a traitor or sell-out for a father, son or grandfather.

Where do you think she stands on our soldiers? This is a person we should take advice from regarding how we view the Muslim world?

Sure thing.

As a footnote to this post I just have to post this article in which they describe a Islam channel inside the United States, Bridges TV, and how they are being told to vote in the upcoming election:

Bridges TV, an American-Islamic TV channel “seeking to improve the image of Muslims in the United States” and to “offer a unique perspective on the Middle East and the war on terrorism,” has extended its availability into six states, creating a potential audience of nearly 2 million.

The network’s programming includes a mix of entertainment, sports, news, documentaries, and advertisements from companies like Ford, with an emphasis on religious programs.

[…]One of the stars of Bridges TV is a cofounder and vice chairman of the international health care company CBay Inc., Donald “Skip” Conover, who hosts and produces a show called “Words Matter.” He was the subject of a gushing article in the Saudi daily Arab News on September 27.

In the article, Mr. Conover expressed “his disgust” at what he called inflammatory statements about Arabs and Muslims in the press.

He also discussed the power of the “Jewish lobby” and called on all Muslims to vote for the Democratic Party. “Every American politician is in lockstep with Israel. … If they vote against, then the Jewish lobby will put a lot of money behind the candidate against them in their districts in the future. I have news for the Muslim community. All American politicians are in the pocket of the Jewish lobby today because they control a lot of money, and they spend a lot of money in politics.”

“If the Muslims of America believe that they don’t want Bush to have a free hand for the next two years, then the Muslims of America need to get organized and make sure they get out to vote for Democrats for both the House and the Senate,” Mr. Conover added. “Every Muslim in the Middle East who has a relative in the U.S. should get the message across to their relatives. They need to make sure that all their friends vote against Bush.”

What does this tell us about the Democratic party? We know damn well that if given a choice a majority of the fanatics would vote for the Democrat since they will leave them alone to do their dirty deeds.

Think about that when you pull that lever on November 7th.

Other’s Blogging:

• LGF
• Atlas Shrugs
• All Things Beautiful
• The Moderate Voice
• Captain’s Quarters
• My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
• The Anchoress
• Sister Toldjah

The thing this writer is forgetting is that many of the freedoms enjoyed centuries ago by followers of Islam have been thrown out by the conservative brand of Islam practiced today. Wahabbism is growing among the Muslim world, this is what the world see’s, and with it the moderate Muslims stay quiet. So instead of tolerant Muslims we see those who practice wife beating to make her submit. We see women stoned to death for having an affair.

We see suicide bombers kill innocent men, women and children.

Curt

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