Case in Point...

[FortunaMaximus]

Brutal and irrational indeed.

The story:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7098480.stm

[thylacine]

One problem is that a lot of oil is in majority muslim countries, hence a blind eye is turned to such attrocities.

Another problem (and religious extremists and political correctophiles are two peas in a pod with this) is the view that anything is justified if it is done in the name of religion.

[chezlaw]

maybe of interest is the end of a letter in the Times from Dr Yaqub Zaki, Deputy director, The Mulim Institute, London.

'Regimes like the Sudanese and the Taleban have made a laughing stock of Islam as well as themselves, so the middle east is no longer Arabistan but Absurdistan'

chez

[Lestat]

But this (I thought) is Saudi Arabia. For some reason I thought they were more reformed than most. Maybe that's just because of their relation with the US.

I love the quote! I wish more moderate Muslims would speak out about matter like this. I'd feel a little easier if they did.

[chezlaw]

[ QUOTE ]
But this (I thought) is Saudi Arabia. For some reason I thought they were more reformed than most. Maybe that's just because of their relation with the US.

I love the quote! I wish more moderate Muslims would speak out about matter like this. I'd feel a little easier if they did.

[/ QUOTE ]
I hear Saudi Arabia is pretty bad.

Moderate muslims in the UK speak out a lot. I think the west is making a terrible mistake when it allows (even encourages) the belief that the extremist nutters and Islam are synomamous.

chez

[Taraz]

[ QUOTE ]
I think the west is making a terrible mistake when it allows (even encourages) the belief that the extremist nutters and Islam are synomamous.


[/ QUOTE ]

QFT. Let's not act like these actions are representative of the majority of Islam.

I'm also fairly sure that mocking Saudi Arabians isn't going to change their mind on this issue. All that would seem to do is create outrage and anger toward us. However, I guess it's also possible that nothing will change minds.

[vhawk01]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I think the west is making a terrible mistake when it allows (even encourages) the belief that the extremist nutters and Islam are synomamous.


[/ QUOTE ]

QFT. Let's not act like these actions are representative of the majority of Islam.

I'm also fairly sure that mocking Saudi Arabians isn't going to change their mind on this issue. All that would seem to do is create outrage and anger toward us. However, I guess it's also possible that nothing will change minds.

[/ QUOTE ]

And if THATS true then mocking them and getting them to show their true colors seems like a reasonable way to garner support from places it might actually exist. I have never wanted to name a bunch of sex toys Mohammed more in my entire life.

[Lestat]

One of us doesn't get it. Maybe it's me.

The degree of nuttiness is irrevelant. It's the core axioms that are off. It's from these beginning axioms that major nuttiness occurs.

And we're doing this story injustice by using terms like nutty. It's much graver than that. It's nothing short of abominable how they treat women. And don't tell me it's a govermental problem. Its seeds are rooted in religion.

[RJT]

There are a few issues here.

1) The religious law itself – she was in an unrelated man’s car.
2) The punishment for said crime – lashing.
3) Whether or not anyone should care.


1) I don’t have an opinion on this. If one wants to believe in this (if that is what a correct interpretation of Islam says) then, oh well.

2) I am against capital and corporal punishment.

3) Here is a good example of my response to Sklansky’s thread regarding CNN news and CNN giving so much time to stories like OJ. In that thread I suggested that it really doesn’t matter much what is on the news unless the viewer is going to be affected by it personally or if the viewer is going to act in some manner upon what is learned.

I think most of us find this story disturbing. And most of us will do nothing.

I agree with the sentiments that the most effective avenue for change should probably come from within the Islam hierarchy itself; especially given the quote from Dr Zaki which seems to suggest that this probably is a bad interpretation of Islam.

[Lestat]

<font color="blue"> 1) I don’t have an opinion on this. If one wants to believe in this (if that is what a correct interpretation of Islam says) then, oh well. </font>

I can't believe what I've been reading here from several posters, not just this, so no offense. I feel like I'm in a twilight zone. With all due respect...

What do you MEAN you don't have an opinion on this?!! You don't have an opinion on whether or not women should be oppressed by men?!?!?!?! Do you honestly think that it's ok for men to OWN the women in their families?!?!?!?!! That a woman is the property of her family or husband?