I would expect this dude to be the last person to have comments on Veil, with a fatwa of death hanging over him for years why would he want to pick another fight. I dont think he s qualified at all about anything to do with Islam. so Mr Salman Rushdie please keep your comments to your self as muslim dont need anything from you.
Your understanding on the issue of veil is shadowed by your experiences which dont entail anything with islam. so if you say that it is sick to wear a veil but it is sick to hear any comment about islam from you. Go Home and get some rest Mr Rushdie and keep your sick and disgusting comments t yourself.
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This month will be remmebered in Pakistan as one of the most unfortunate months in the history of Pakistan. Majority of the Military takeovers have happened in this month, either it was Ayub Khan or Musharraf, all took over Pakistan in this month. October 7th was the declaring of Martial Law that brought Ayub Khan to power, tomorrow it will be the anniversary of Pervaz Musharraf’s sucession to the post.
What have we seen during these seven turbulent years is that It has seen one of the most unpopular regimes in pakistan’s history. Alot of people agree and disagree at the handling of the War on Terror in Pakistan, the war in Waziristan, the troubles in Karachi and allaince with MQM, creation of PML Q and many more issues. Either it is Army’s taking over of the majority of the government ministries or the killing of tribal leaders.
This past Seven years has been constant trouble in pakistan, from Bomb Blasts to balouch uprising. from Book Launches to freedom of press. Alot has changed in pakistan now, some for good and some for maybe not that good. The poor has become more poor while the rich go out to get crores worth of real estate, where the Gas price has gone 2 fold to open leasing of Automobiles clogging up the nations roads. the devastating earth quake in kashmir whose aftermath has been marred with corruption to the Pakistani Cricket team making some progress. It has been interesting days and look even more interesting while watching it from a distance.
October will always have a special place in the heart of the motherland known as Pakistan.
Excellent Post written
My life behind the niqab
Rahmanara Chowdhury
Saturday October 7, 2006
The Guardian
I began wearing the face veil when I was 20 and in my final year at university. I took the step after contemplating it for a year, and during this time I considered the impact it would have on my studies and my interactions with other people. I was most concerned about how other students would relate with me and how I would continue with presentations and group exercises on my course.
Article continues
Finally, my decision was confirmed when I understood that it was a religious act and therefore should not be dictated to by my concerns about other people, but rather be based on my conviction in God. Wearing the face veil was a very spiritual journey for me as it represented something physical to remind me that I was Muslim and therefore should try to uphold religious values, have a good character and conduct myself well with other people.
After adopting the veil, I found that a lot of my worries about social issues were unfounded. Although I was studying on a course with colleagues who were mainly non-Muslim, I found that people’s responses were curious as opposed to negative and it was an opportunity to discuss this issue with them.
I graduated with a degree in ergonomics in 2002 and went on to teach at a local college. I taught students from an array of backgrounds, including young people who were hard to engage and from socially deprived areas. I managed to interact with these students perfectly successfully even with the face veil.
My journey to the veil was a personal one, not coerced by any other factor. None of my sisters or my mother wore the veil at that time. It was certainly not something my father advocated and I think my brothers were a little concerned about the hardships I may face as a result. Despite these initial concerns, it is a decision that I have never regretted.
Statements that are clearly discriminatory now seem to be common. I am concerned that this could pave the way for religious persecution in the future and Mr Straw’s comments may be the precipitator to greater discrimination against women in veils. As long as religion is not being forced on anyone, we should have freedom to practise our different faiths and most importantly, respect each other’s right to do so to improve community cohesion.
Rahmanara Chowdhury is a sports and education development worker at Loughborough University
Link to the Post
GW from HARLEM
You gotta give it to the Indian Immigrants who have acheieved these high standards. It is soo hard to find an Ex Pakistani who gets ahead in any field except Terror related. The last guy who actually did something and pakistan got some recognition was Dr Abdus Salam. Although Pakistanis did take some credit but later he was discredited as he was an Ahmadi.
So when can we have a major recognition of personnel based on acheievements in Arts and Sciences, well it wont be any time new. The number of accredited universities in pakistan amount to 49 Public and 36 Private universities. Well this statistic is very sad for a country of
165 Million, look at India with a 1006 with 1 Billion. This is very bad for the nation as a whole as we cannot advance in any field due to lack of institution producing scientists and experts in every field. We cannot compete with India in the fields of Aeronautical, Nuclear or Social Sciences unless there is a sincere effort to get more and more institutions established.
I can tell u from personal experience that after finishing my FSc (not in flying Colors) i was not able to get admission into any university. I successfully failed entrance into NUST, FAST, GIKI and Airforce but was accepted into Islamic University. A 1000 students showed up for the entrance exam at Islamic University and they only have 95 Seats. What happens to the rest of the 900 students, who on not getting admission into a good school are deprived of a future.
This lack of education institutions give rise to unemployemnt and lack of a future for all the individuals who come out of high school hopeing for a better tomorrow. I hope we can see some solid steps towards a better future for all these individuals as education is the only way to make pakistan a better place.
In an interesting blog in urdu recently on BBC URDU I was amazed to read this analysis calling the niqab a practice of tribals and called this kind of clothing tribal clothing. His understanding on this issue is equal to my understanding of workings of Black Holes.
He should read about the religion of Islam rather than make a comment that there is nothing in the religion about it.
Here is some info from this link
The general understanding in Islam regarding Sunnah, is that if the Prophet or any of his wives (RA) or companions (RA) are recorded in authentic hadith to have engaged in an act that is not haram (prohibited) as defined by Qur’an or Sunnah, then the act is declared halal (permissible). If the companions engaged in an act that the Prophet was aware of and did not speak out against, it is halal.
It is well-known that the wives of the Prophet covered their faces any time non-mahram men were near. A woman named Asma, who was not a wife of the Prophet , was also recorded as covering her face. Easily, one can conclude that wearing veil is halal (permissible).
However, Muslims and Muslimahs across the world have been in “hot debate” for centuries, over the issue of whether or not covering the face is obligatory upon a Muslimah. Those who argue that it is not required, point to the use of the word khimar in the Qur’an, and explain that today’s modern khimar does not cover the face, and argue that khimar has never referred to the covering of the face, but only to that of the hair, neck, and bosoms. While one cannot deny the support of Hadith that indicate that the Prophet’s wives wore khimar, one must realize that they also covered their faces at all times in the presence of non-mahram men.
The group of scholars agree that it is a highly recommended act to cover the face. The scholars also agree that a woman must cover her adornment, yet some scholars argue that this does not include the face.
Interesting happenings at Columbia University. And ofcourse Oreilly thinks it is the ultra Liberal Left causing all the problems.
One of my favorite programs “Frontline” just had a report of Taliban insurgence in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is very interesting and thought provoking documentary. Although it does put a lot of blame on Pakistan but I personally think it is not balanced reporting rather biased against Pakistan.
Pakistan has been working hard to counter Al Qaida and Taliban recently. Although Americans sitting in the comfort of their homes might think there is nothing being done. The ground reality in Pakistan is very different, Pakistan has to deal with the home grown issues and then tend to the Afghan problems which the Afghan Govt has failed to deal with. When Everyone fails, they start pointing fingers at Pakistan and the ISI for the current issues in that part of the world.
But it is to be seen that the current apparatus of the Military which has been handling these issues, has been very effective against Al Qaida and Taliban. I never support Musharraf for his handling of the country but to blame Pakistan for failures from the lack of leadership in Afghanistan, the refusal to handle warlords and social problems will lead to problems in the Afghan Areas. Pakistan has nothing to do with these issues but they can get away with blaming Pakistan for it.
The tribal Areas in question always have been Semi Autonomous and they will be for the foreseeable future. Pakistan owes a great debt to the tribes in the tribal areas, as they fought for Kashmir right after independence and offered their services when our own Cheif of Army Lord MountBatten refused to do so.
It is funny to criticize Pakistan when similar issues like Northern Ireland are dealt politically rather than by force. But I think in the coming days we will see what the actual policy of the US Govt is, even thought they support Musharraf for the time being in the issues of Taliban and Tribal Areas.
I came across an article after reading another Article about A book entitled “Banat Al-Riyadh” (The Girls of Riyadh) by Rajaa Al-Sanea. It is said to be very controversial and inciting alot of people.
Then i read the article on BBC about how Blogs and Internet has liberated the youth in Saudi Arabia from the Mullahs and Religious Autorities. It is interesting that one never sees this kind of activities in the open. Every thing about saudi arabia is very secretive and blurred. I know that the Western Media will only convey the news of the oppression of women and the youth. What i dont understand is “Is there nothing Good Happening in that country”. I am big supporter of saudi (I Think) but these kind of news make me think twice about my standing in these matter. Do the saudis really just do bad things or they do some good also. I hope the latter is true.
Well if any Saudi out there who is very neutral, drop me a line as i just want to hear the truth.
An old Article but always nice to read it.
http://beliefnet.com/story/113/story_11347_1.html
In Defense of Pat Robertson
Pat Robertson and others are right about Islam being a violent religion. Look at the evidence for yourself.
Pat Robertson recently drew attacks from Muslim groups for calling Muhammad a “wild-eyed fanatic,” among other things. Robertson, as usual, states the case in excessively inflammatory terms.
But it must be said that Robertson’s basic critique of Islam as an inherently violent religion is accurate. This may not be politically correct to say, but one need only examine evidence. Islam is not only violent in its current practice but at its core–which is to say in its sacred text, the Qur’an.
Remember that Muhammad was a military leader and as such involved personally in a great deal of brutality. In the course of one battle, Muhammad’s troops raid a village and kill everyone “until there was no survivor left.” [Full citations provided below.] During another battle, Muhammad’s troops killed many men but the “prophet” is disturbed that male infants weren’t murdered too–and sends the troops back to finish the job.
The early Muslims are shown to be not only brutal but treacherous (a fact worth remembering as we consider peace treaties with Muslim nations). In one battle, the Muhammadans promised peace to a tribe nearby. Then, when the other tribe members were lulled into complacency, Muhammad massacred “all the males.” They kept the women as slaves.
The hatred for other faiths that we see in modern Islam has its roots in the Qur’an. The book tells how the Jews of the area had offered peace and Muhammad invited them to a ceremony to declare peace. Instead, Muhammad massacred the 950 of them.
Muhammad even countenances brutality against his own people. When a group in the region reputedly insulted Allah by worshiping an idol, Muhammad led the slaughter of 3,000 people in a single day. When some of his followers strayed by following non-Islamic sex practices, Allah literally directs Muhammad to slaughter another 24,000: “take all the heads of the people and hang them up before Allah against the sun.”
Under the Sharia, the Islamic law, even the slightest infractions are punished with brutal violence. Some foods were not cooked according to Halal laws? Two men were immediately executed.
The notion that Allah is a forgiving God is comical. At one point, Muhammad had led his troops to victory and then had his troops mutilate the genitalia of the opponents. He and his allies also set fire to a walled city and then waited for the victims to flee, at which point they were ambushed and slaughtered. Putting aside the historical accuracy of that account, is this really the “God of Peace” that Muslim leaders speak about?
The appalling treatment of women we see in Islamic countries today also has its roots in the Qur’an. When a mob of Muslims is attacking a man, he responds by offering his own daughter to be raped. Allah teaches the Muslims that to in order repopulate a diminished tribe, they should go to a nearby field, wait for the women to come out, and then kidnap, rape and marry them.
This is all very consistent with the basic theology of Islam spelled out in chilling clarity by Muhammed himself: “I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.”
Finally, if there’s any doubt about the fanatical nature of the faith, it should be dispelled with this chilling passage: “Happy shall they be who take your little ones [babies] and dash them against the rock.”
If you are skeptical, I urge you to read the passages and citations yourself. It’s there in black and white.
Citations and documentation
Hmmm, I seem to have made a few errors with the attributions. The passages you’ve just read are not from the Qur’an; they’re from the Bible. Where I say Muhammad, I actually meant either Moses, Joshua, David, or another biblical figure. “I have not come to bring peace but a sword” was uttered by Jesus. When I say “Allah,” I actually meant God of the Hebrew Bible. And when I refer to Muhammed’s troops, I actually meant the Hebrews. There are obviously many other examples of brutality in the Bible (the best summary I’ve seen is Gregg Easterbrook’s “Beside Still Waters”).
Forgive my sloppiness, but it seemed useful to make a point, which is not that Christianity or Judaism are inherently violent but rather that the exercise of scanning ancient texts and pulling out passages depicting violence is of dubious value. Men and women of that earlier day were violent, and so was the God of their sacred book.
I am not saying Islam is a “religion of peace.” That actually seems as unprovable as saying it is a religion of violence. What matters fundamentally is how the religion is practiced now. Modern Christians and Jews have proven capable of rising above the violence of the Bible and so have many modern Muslims. That doesn’t mean they necessarily will in all cases, but if they choose a path of violence it is not because it is embedded in the Qur’an but rather because they, as individuals, are twisted.
Citations:
For a particularly nice summary of the Bible’s violent elements see Gregg Easterbrook’s wonderful book, “Beside Still Waters.”
Remember that Muhammad is a military leader and as such is involved personally a great deal of brutality. In the course of one battle led by Muhammad, he raids a village and kills everyone “until their was not one survivor left.” (This is actually from Numbers 21:35, the story of the taking of Bashan.) After another battle, Muhammad’s troops have slain many men but the “prophet” is disturbed that male infants weren’t killed–so he sends the troops back to finish the job. (This actually occurs in Numbers 31:14-17, when Israel takes vengeance on the Mid’ianites.)
They are shown to be not only brutal but treacherous (history worth remembering as we consider peace treaties). In one battle, the Muhammadans promised peace to a tribe nearby and then, when they were lulled into complacency, massacred “all the males.” They kept the women as slaves. (This is a story from Genesis 34:25, when Simeon and Levi take vengeance on Shechem, who had defiled their sister Dinah.)
More citations
The hatred for other faiths that we see in modern Islam has its roots in the Qur’an. At one point, the Jews of the area had offered peace and Muhammad invited them to a ceremony to declare peace. Instead, Muhammad massacred the 950 of them. (As Elijah does, in I Kings 18:40, to the followers of the false God Ba’al.)
But it goes beyond that; Muhammad even countenances brutality ag
ainst his own. When one group in the region reputedly insulted Allah by worshiping an idol, Muhammad led the slaughter of 3,000 people in a single day. Another group of dissenters prompted a bloody massacre led by Muhammed that killed 14,700 people, according to the Qur’an. (When Korah leads a rebellion against Moses and Aaron, a plague sent by God kills 14,700, Numbers 16:49). Later, when some of his followers strayed by following non-Islamic sex practices, Allah literally directs Muhammad to slaughter another 24,000: “take all the heads of the people and hang them up before Allah against the sun.” (This slaughter occured in Numbers 25:9, when some Isarelites were found to have joined the Moabites in improper sex.)
Under the Sharia, the Islamic law, even the slightest infractions are punished with brutal violence. In one case, some foods were not cooked according to Halal laws, and the two men were immediately executed. (The Lord smites Nadab and Abi’hu, the sons of Aaron, in Leviticus 10:2, for offering an unholy sacrifice.)
The notion that Allah is a forgiving God is comical. At one point, some people had the temerity to question one of the dietary laws and Allah supposedly responded by sending poisonous snakes to kill people. At another point, Muhammed had led his troops to victory but then proceeded to murder and then mutilate the genitalia of the opponents. In one case, they set fire to a walled city and then wait of the fleeing victims and slaughter them as they try to escape. (As Joshua and the people of Israel do to the city of Ai in Joshua 8:22.)
The appalling treatment of women in Islamic countries today has its roots in the Qur’an. In one case, a mob of Muslims is attacking a man and he responds by offering his own daughter to be raped. (As in Judges 19:24.) In some cases, it specifies that women who are raped should be executed. (One of these cases appear in Deuteronomy 22:23-27.) In another case, Allah literally instructs the Muslims that to repopulate a diminished tribe they should go to a nearby field, wait for the women to come out, kidnap, rape and marry them. (In Judges 21:20-24, Benjamite soldiers are told to repopulate their tribe by kidnapping the women of Shiloh.)
This is all very consistent and the theology that undergirds this is spelled out in chilling clarity, directly from Muhammad himself: “I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” (This quote is actually attributed to Jesus in the New Testament, Matthew 10:34.)
Finally, if there’s any doubt about the fanatical nature of the faith, it should be dispelled with this chilling passage: “Happy shall they be who take your little ones [babies] and dash them against the rock.” (This quote is actually from the Psalms, 137:9, when the exiled Israelites dream of revenge against Babylon.)