Guest post: Sharia laws have become a weapon
Shaukat Malik is a Muslim-American Certified Public Accountant from Potomac. A native of Pakistan, he arrived in the United States in 1980.
We cannot name one country with Islamic laws that is a functioning democracy or a benchmark for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness except Turkey.
Muslim majority countries such as Pakistan have a history of thousands of years of customs and folklore shared with India that already plays havoc with the largely uneducated population in the rural areas. Unofficial patriarchal village juries made up of illiterate villagers will hand out and execute primitive punishments along the lines of a tooth for a tooth and an eye for an eye. Add to this outdated Islamic laws and punishments for, for example, adultery, blasphemy and women’s rights and you have created a living hell for women and minorities.
Because of the Islamization in Pakistan, carried out behind the veil of training Mujahedeen to fight the Soviet infidel, Pakistan has a large number of Madrassas and religious charities that share and support Saudi Arabia’s brand of Orthodox Islam. This was on display during the Lal-Masjid standoff against the Pakistan army in July 2007. These Madrassas and charities openly support the Taliban and al Qaida. It is interesting to note that a majority of the terrorists in prison have received their training in Pakistan.
The recent unrest in Malaysia over the use of the name “Allah” by Christians when referring to God has more to do with fear over losing members of the congregation to the Christian church than to Muslim sensibilities. Separate Sharia laws for Muslims, who make up 60 percent of the population, could open doors for al Qaida types to make inroads into Malaysia’s Muslim population.
The conflict in interpretation between the bible and the Quran over the holy trinity and the oneness of God as stated in the Quran is exploited by Muslim clerics to foment prejudice against Christians. It is clearly stated in the Quran that there is no compulsion in religion and that there must be complete freedom of religion. Muslims Jews and Christians are all children of Abraham and people of the book. A believing Muslim must submit to the will of God. It is God’s will that decides our religion at birth.
Christians freely practiced their religion during Muslim rule in Jerusalem. Muslims have always respected freedom of religion. A bit of history will confirm this. After a brief and bloodless siege, Muslims seized control of Jerusalem from the Byzantines in February 638. Caliph Omar Ibn al-Khattab accepted the city's surrender from Patriarch Sophronius in person. Omar was shown the great Church of the Holy Sepulcher and offered a place to pray in it, but he refused. He knew that if he prayed in the church, it would set a precedent that would lead to the building's transformation into a mosque. He instead prayed on the steps outside, allowing the church to remain a Christian holy place.
Christians and Jews have used the name Allah to refer to God, especially in Arabia. When we say Allah we are referring to the same one God, notwithstanding the trinity of God argument put forward by Muslim clerics.
I quote from the Quran:
029.046
YUSUFALI: And dispute ye not with the People of the Book, except with means better (than mere disputation), unless it be with those of them who inflict wrong (and injury): but say, "We believe in the revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you; Our Allah and your Allah is one; and it is to Him we bow (in Islam)."
PICKTHAL: And argue not with the People of the Scripture unless it be in (a way) that is better, save with such of them as do wrong; and say: We believe in that which hath been revealed unto us and revealed unto you; our Allah and your Allah is One, and unto Him we surrender.
SHAKIR: And do not dispute with the followers of the Book except by what is best, except those of them who act unjustly, and say: We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you, and our Allah and your Allah is One, and to Him do we submit.
It is ridiculous for any Muslim to claim a certain name to God as exclusively theirs. The Muslim majority in Malaysia is using religion to subdue the Christian minority. One solution is to have universal laws for all citizens in Malaysia that confirms complete freedom of religion, and not separate Sharia laws for Muslims.
Imagine the United States or Europe without freedom of religion, and Christianity enforced by the state. I think the Muslims of Europe and the United States, with populations of 37 million and more than 6 million, respectively, would find life a living hell. The same is true for minorities living in Muslim majority countries where Sharia laws are part of the constitution and enforced by the state.
Incorporating religious laws in a country’s constitution, no matter what the religion, will generally lead to religious persecution of the minorities. By invoking religious laws when writing any state's constitution, we can never create a vibrant society or culture that is inclusive and welcoming to all.
In a theocratic state only one group of people, for example mullahs in Iran, will end up with complete and absolute control over everything. A theocratic state is a recipe for disaster. Iran and Saudi Arabia are basically fascist states. Either you are with the mullahs or they are against you. Oil-rich theocratic states like Saudi Arabia and Iran provide the funding and lifeline that all terrorist organizations need to foster their agenda of establishing a theocratic caliphate by uniting all Muslims under their banner.
A country with Islamic laws as part of its constitution can easily be transformed into a one-party dictatorship, as is the case in Iran and Saudi Arabia. Such is the power of religion that in Iran protesters against the current government for alleged election rigging publicly profess their allegiance to Imam Khomeni their supreme leader.
Theocratic states where religion becomes the rallying cry can easily lose rationality when faced with difficult decisions. Emotionalism and anger overrides all reasonable analysis and arguments. This is why we fear Iran’s nuclear bomb.
We should never forget that fifteen out of the nineteen 9/11 killers were from Saudi Arabia. This is a scary statistic. Osama Bin Laden is a product of Saudi Arabia’s theocratic dictatorship. He founded his al Qaida network after being deported from Saudi Arabia.
Islamic/Sharia laws are the rallying cry for extremists. In every Muslim country that has Islamic laws, extremists find it easy to organize, using the argument that the government of the day is not enforcing these laws in the true spirit of Islam.
The preamble to the al Qaida constitution can be interpreted as follows: “To set up a theocratic Muslim state with a Caliphate whose laws are based on the Sharia laws as stated in the Quran and unite the entire Muslim world under this state and to fight the infidels (read: Christians and Jews).”
Armed with this message, organizations like the Taliban and al Qaida can claim divine sanction from God to pursue their struggle. By labeling Israel and the West as enemies of Islam, they are able to easily recruit large numbers of fighters among economically disadvantaged populations in Pakistan, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the Muslim world.
It is ironic that al Qaida and the Taliban, who share Saudi Arabia’s religious ideology and method of punishments, have fashioned their flags after that of Saudi Arabia. By doing this they are symbolically holding themselves out as the true guardians of Mecca, Medina and the Kabbah, which are currently under Saudi Arabia’s control. An average Muslim identifies Saudi Arabia and its flag with the annual pilgrimage of Hajj. Performing the Hajj is one of the pillars of Islam: “Every able-bodied Muslim is obliged to make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime if he or she can afford it.”
An uneducated Muslim can be easily taken in by this symbolism.
The al Qaida murderers are very cunning when it comes to playing psychological wars. The flag bears a very important prayer or saying for Muslims:
"There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah."
This prayer or saying is uttered by Muslims when embracing Islam and also when carrying the body of the deceased for burial.
Similar Flags are used in the background of beheadings and news conferences of al Qaida and the Taliban. When masked al Qaida men cut off heads of hostages, they display this prayer on thier masks and also display it on the wall behind them. Display of this very important Islamic prayer is intended to insinuate a sanction from God for their Heinous and barbaric acts.
Sharia laws, like the Ten Commandments, are given to humanity by God in order to create a just and fair society. Every Muslim believes that God is all-knowing and all-powerful. God would never wish these laws to violate inherent rights that God has given to every human being, namely the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
The holy Quran is intended to be for all times, and hence its guidelines as provided by God must be reevaluated and reinterpreted in the context of the times we are living in. One cannot freeze all laws in the context that existed during prophet’s life more than 1,400 years ago. If the Prophet Muhammad were alive today, he would no doubt have a website with an e-mail address!
Much of Sharia law is man’s interpretation of laws that were given to Prophet Mohammed in the holy Quran. Some of these laws were given in response to issues that confronted people living in Arabia 1,400 years ago. There were many orphans and widows after wars and laws with respect to polygamy, et cetera, responded to the situation on hand.
Crafty clerics using self-serving translations and made-up sayings of the prophet have sanctioned themselves up to four wives and convinced the women to go along with this practice They have event prescribed a dress code to restrict and control women.
They equate their act of marrying more than one to that of the holy prophet, conveniently forgetting that the Prophet Muhammad’s marriages were in the context of his role as God’s messenger on earth to spread the word of God and to form political alliances. In fact, the Quran clearly states that since it is impossible for any man to treat two women equally in his relationship with them, he should only marry one.
Punishments such as cutting of heads for murder, hands and limbs for theft, stoning for adultery, et cetera, are out of step with today’s world. If Islam is a religion for all times, then for it to be applicable and relevant as God’s word for a just and fair society, it must be adapted to modern times. A crime of adultery is not a crime against the state but against one’s immediate family, yet in some countries the punishment is stoning to death.
To facilitate this transition, what should be done?
The western media and press must present Muslims in a positive light by not referring to terrorists as Muslims or Islamist fascists. These people cannot call themselves Muslims by simply displaying banners and shouting slogans of “God is great” while cutting off heads and murdering people. This is tantamount to referring to Nazis in Germany as Christian Nazis. Why not just call them terrorists and subtract Muslim from their respective names? This should not be difficult.
Economic development and education programs must be instituted in Muslim-majority countries, and dictators and despots, who create the environment for extremist behavior, should be phased out through elections.
Relgious parties organized on the basis of religion that support terrorism must be treated as enemies of the state and disbanded. This step should be taken in every Muslim-majority country and will go a long way towards neutralizing extremist groups, especially in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Muslim-majority countries must break the linkage of Islamic or Sharia laws with terrorism by amending their constitutions and embracing complete freedom of religion along Turkish lines. This necessary act will deny the extremists and terrorists their reason for existing and over time marginalize them as nothing more than the thugs they are.
Pakistan must be encouraged to repeal its Hadood ordinance that clearly violates the rights of women and minorities and was cunningly imposed on the people of Pakistan through a fake referendum by a military dictator. Today, especially after all the murder and mayhem committed by the Taliban, Pakistan is ready for such a change. The Supreme Court of Pakistan should take a lead and remove these draconian laws from the statute.
The Organization of the Islamic Conference should adopt the Turkish model of moderate Islam that provides for freedom of religion as a benchmark for all its member states. The United Nations can support the OIC in this regard.
The constitution of most Muslim-majority countries contains a clause that no law shall be in violation of Islamic laws as laid down in the Quran, making Islamic laws superior to laws made by an act of parliament. This clause should be replaced by a statement that no law will be included in the constitution that violates the divine human rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness given to every human being by God, and that these rights include the freedoms of speech and religion. In summary, we are accepting that God’s law is supreme without the complications of confrontation.
We must educate our children in schools about the Muslim religion and its shared history and roots with Jews and Christians as children of Abraham. The fact that the Quran shares the prophets and stories with the Old and New testaments must be taught to schoolchildren to reduce prejudice, and vice-versa in Muslim majority countries.
There must be an international focus on education in Muslim majority countries to teach tolerance of other religions and shun extremists. Children must be taught that the Quran shares its stories and its prophets with the Old and New testaments and God’s will in determining someone’s faith. Islam’s overriding principle is to submit to the will of God.
The organization for Islamic countries must convince Saudi Arabia to embrace a moderate form of Islam, as has been in done in Turkey, that can then become a benchmark for the rest of the Muslim world.
The West and the United States must encourage Israel and the Palestinians to settle their dispute. Arab countries must accept the reality of Israel as God’s will and recognize Israel. In turn, Israel, by reaching a settlement with the Palestinians, can become an economic power in the Middle East and develop a large market for its goods and services. This will take away a major recruitment tool for religious extremists that have been successfully used in every Muslim majority country.
Iran has been around for thousands of years and is not going to go away. Iran’s largest trading partner is Europe, with over one-third of its exports going to Iran each year, in addition to its trade with China and Russia and Turkey. Sanctions against Iran to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons will not work. Israel should sit down with the Iranian leadership to iron out their disputes. Iran’s one-party system is under strain and will yield to international pressure for adopting a moderate brand of Islam. A moderate Iran with nuclear weapons – if we cannot stop them – is a safer bet then a theocratic Iran.
Islam does not ban family planning. Family planning must be encouraged to reduce childbirths among poor parents whose children end up becoming a burden on family and society. In Pakistan and Afghanistan, many of the Madrassa children are a product of poor family planning. Unwanted and surplus, many have ended up becoming human bombs after brainwashing by evil clerics. There is some merit in China’s one-child policy. Space on earth and resources are limited. It is simple commonsense.
Europe went through the Inquisition, and after centuries of persecution of millions learned to embrace complete freedom of religion. The word Muslim means “One who submits to God.” For Muslims everywhere, the simple message is to accept God’s decision as to why someone belongs to a certain religion or is an atheist and to accept them as God’s people.
Jews and Christians as people of the books should reciprocate this sentiment in equal measure.
The founders of this great country were blessed by God to come up with the idea of inherent rights for all human beings namely the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Muslim countries should look for guidelines provided by the U.S. Constitution that is indeed Sharia compliant and use it as a template for their respective constitutions and defeat terrorists with the power of the written word.
Comments
People have known for a long time that Sharia law is a weapon to be used against women and men who are doing things sexually that they have a problem with/are jealous that they are free enough to do.
It's time to say "NO SHARIA OR ANY OTHER RELIGIOUS LAW!" and repeal ALL of the laws that are based on religious intolerance.
But then again.... that would mean that the anti-prostitution laws would have to go, as well as many other 'sexual morality' laws, INCLUDING the laws to try to make marriage 'one man, one woman' only!
Posted by: Abresh | January 12, 2010 12:57 AM
"Christians freely practiced their religion during Muslim rule in Jerusalem. Muslims have always respected freedom of religion."
Do you have any documentation to back that up?
Why did you leave out the verses in the Quran that states it is the only true religion and is to rein supreme over all others?
Islamic or Sharia law is based on the Quran and Hadiths. Can you provide documentation where these dictators don't follow it correctly?
Posted by: Brandi | January 12, 2010 8:23 AM
Turkey? Laughable
Turkey is a Muslim country as a result of a violent jihad and conquest that is ongoing to rid the country of non-Muslims, and particularly Christians and the desecration of churches continues to this day.
If Turkey is an example of "leading" then the world is in deep trouble as it can only lead to subjugation of non-Muslims.
Being a certified public accountant does not make Shaukat Malik an expert on anything but accounting which he should stick to.
This is at least the second OPINION piece he has put forward that is laced with truths but based on deception and lies.
Posted by: el-Turk | January 12, 2010 8:24 AM
Turkey is the only democratic Muslim country that recognizes Israel. Turkey"s ruling party has transformed itself from an Islamic party to a party with secular views to comply with quest to join the European Union. This is a blessing for countries with Muslim majorities. I think the writer backs his points by facts. Some translations of the Quran are done for local use by theocratic states and totally distort its meaning when it comes to respecting other religions and minorities. Theocratic states have to justify their brand of Islam by labeling everyone including other muslim sects like Shia as bad.
Religion is a very powerful tool to unite large groups of people in a cause.
Al-Qaeda and Taliban are indeed using existing Islamic laws in generally despotic and corrupt Muslim Majority governments to recruit followers. Countries like Egypt, Libya Syria etc all have despots. There only opposition is the religious parties. Osama's deputy Dr. Al Zawahiri is a former member of the Muslim Brotherhood. Middle East dictators allow Islamic parties to operate up to a point and even encourage them secretly so they can neutralize liberal parties that could truly challenge them. Unfortunately , most Islamic parties will eventually get involved with terrorism. The Goal of Al-Qaeda is to use religion as a recruitment tool and then take over power. Their symbolism of using the same flag as Saudi Arabia with incidentally no complaint from the Saudi Kingship is indeed surprising.
Mr Shaukat Malik a Certified Public Accountants very knowledgeable and should be commended for taking the time to highlight the dangers posed by Islamic laws in the constitution of almost every Muslim country including Afghanistan and Iraq where our boys and girls are dying.
We should be making useful comments instead of just criticizing each other.
Posted by: darakhshanda | January 12, 2010 10:34 AM
Abresh: Laws against murder and theft are also based on revealed religion.
Brandi: "Do you have any documentation to back that up?"
Yes, it is called recorded history. You study it in school. If you are not in school, try Google. Google is your friend.
This piece is interesting and well researched. I wish more Muslim people would speak out against terrorists.
Posted by: Kevin | January 12, 2010 12:58 PM
Could you tell me why people jump on throat and cut it when somebody criticize Islam when it preaches peace?
Posted by: Ritu | January 12, 2010 1:11 PM
because Ritu, everybody is trying to be politically correct instead of exposing Islam for the militant fanatic laden hate filled religion that it truly is.
If we are ever going to defeat Al Qaida, we need to just come out and admit that Islam is the enemy and must be outlawed and not allowed to exist in any corner of the world to fester and spread their hatred.
The Jews would have done well to have listened when god told them to smite them.
Posted by: Mohammad | January 13, 2010 6:08 AM
It is possible to get rid of religion based laws and not have chaos.
People who practice religion privately without wanting religion to interfere in government and people who can loosely be called "humanists" often can agree that the issue is whether the crime has a victim or not.
Prostitution is unfortunate in that a person, male or female, values only a one dimensional part of the self that is capable of being marketed. Nontheless, a person ought to have that personal choice so long as nobody else is being victimized. Some women marry for financial gain..they just get a license to do it.
Murder, theft, rape and other crimes that damage someone can be legislated against on the basis of having a safe, rational, humane society.
Posted by: Linda Muralidharan | January 13, 2010 1:52 PM
Mohammad, I disagree.
It is true that many religions, including Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism have components that are foolish at best and inhumane at worst. I detest the habit some people have of following these particular tenets.
However, I see no reason to interfere in the choices of Muslims and others to believe in and practice the benign forms of those religions. Religions in general provide personal comfort and positive social cohesion in a number of ways. Until the rest of us have a wholesale replacement from an agnostic or other spiritual perspective to offer, we can't expect to improve matters by trying to wipe out any particular religion.
I believe that an increasing percentage of people in all faiths are questioning the validity of absolutes that are taught in many theologies. Gradually more and more people are questioning and coming to reject religion on their own or coming to a gentler and less divisive form of their chosen faith.
The best we each can do to bring about peace and less violence in the world is to share positive solutions and encourage those who do speak out against all forms of aggressive violence.
Posted by: Linda Muralidharan | January 13, 2010 2:02 PM
All religions, no matter how benign, foster the development of a lunatic fundamentalist fringe, which I think should lead us to question whether it is wise to carry the albatross of religion around our necks anymore at all. Religion serves no useful purpose, except those small functions they carry out to boost their PR. and to give practitioners false hopes that they are superior to all other creatures and much of their fellow Humans as well. The whole play on the fear of death thing is a nice fraud they carry out, selling a product they can demand (and get very often) 10% of your income for a product they don't possess and the promise they can deliver AFTER YOU'RE DEAD. If they can do that, then maybe I should be able to sell real estate in the hereafter for the same price and with the same guarantee. After all, why spend your eternity floating on some silly cloud when you can be part of "Heavenly Estates", the "in place" for the glory bound.
Posted by: Robert Littel | January 14, 2010 5:45 PM
Religion especially in Islam is between the human being and his maker. No intermediaries like priests etc are needed.
Religion gives you hope to carry on in the face of adversity. Muslims who pray five times a day and each prayer is not longer than 8 minutes if you stick to obligatory prayers. The person praying has the opportunity to seek solace and comfort from his prayer and return to his work renewed with hope for success and with good morals.
Of course it is no substitute for hard work and dedication but sure beats liquor or Prozac to fight off depression.
In every country and culture religion has a unifying and identifying role that brings people together to build a successful community no matter how small or large.
The most important thing is to keep the affairs of the State separate from religion by according complete freedom o f religion to all citizens.
This is precisely why the Western democracies of Europe and America are so successful when it comes to imparting personal and religious freedoms to their citizens.
Muslim countries must embrace complete freedom and religion that in turn will force them to embrace separation of Church and State.
God Bless our founding fathers for the idea of life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
No wonder God is so kind to America with abundance of food water and good people.
Posted by: darakhshanda | January 14, 2010 6:50 PM
There must be unity between Muslims and Christians. Prophet Mohammad made a pact with the Christians. I reproduce for you the contract between Christians and Muslims.
In 628 AD, a delegation from St. Catherine’s Monastery came to Prophet Muhammed and requested his protection. He responded by granting them a charter of rights, which I reproduce below in its entirety. St. Catherine’s Monastery is located at the foot of Mt. Sinai and is the world’s oldest monastery. It possesses a huge collection of Christian manuscripts, second only to the Vatican, and is a world heritage site. It also boasts the oldest collection of Christian icons. It is a treasure house of Christian history that has remained safe for 1400 years under Muslim protection.
The Promise to St. Catherine:
"This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them.
Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by God! I hold out against anything that displeases them. No compulsion is to be on them. Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries. No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims' houses. Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God's covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate.
No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight. The Muslims are to fight for them. If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval. She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray. Their churches are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants. No one of the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day (end of the world)."
The first and the final sentence of the charter are critical. They make the promise eternal and universal. Muhammed asserts that Muslims are with Christians near and far straight away rejecting any future attempts to limit the promise to St. Catherine alone. By ordering Muslims to obey it until the Day of Judgment the charter again undermines any future attempts to revoke the privileges. These rights are inalienable. Muhammed declared Christians, all of them, as his allies and he equated ill treatment of Christians with violating God’s covenant.
A remarkable aspect of the charter is that it imposes no conditions on Christians for enjoying its privileges. It is enough that they are Christians. They are not required to alter their beliefs, they do not have to make any payments and they do not have any obligations. This is a charter of rights without any duties!
The document is not a modern human rights treaty but even thought it was penned in 628 A.D. it clearly protects the right to property, freedom of religion, freedom of work, and security of the person.
I know most readers, must be thinking so what? Well the answer is simple. Those who seek to foster discord among Muslims and Christians focus on issues that divide and emphasize areas of conflict. But when resources such as Muhammad’s promise to Christians are invoked and highlighted it builds bridges. It inspires Muslims to rise above communal intolerance and engenders good will in Christians who might be nursing fear of Islam or Muslims.
When I look at Islamic sources, I find in them unprecedented examples of religious tolerance and inclusiveness. They make me want to become a better person. I think the capacity to seek good and do good is inherent in all of us. I hope all of us can find time to look for something positive and worthy of appreciation in the values, cultures and histories of other peoples
like our Christian and Jewish relatives who are related to us through the scriptures and Abraham.
Posted by: Tina | January 16, 2010 1:59 AM
I think what Tina writes is correct and very important for all concerned citizens to take into account and study further.
However, in all these human made texts, Christian, Islamic, Hindu, etc., there are many contradictory passages. Thus Robert Littel is also right to some extent. Some within these religions glom on to the divisive parts and to the violence promoting parts. Thus we have those justifying in scripture the need to kill non-Muslims as well as Muslims with whom they disagree.
Another World Heritage site, in Afghanistan, we will remember, was not granted protection and those priceless Buddhist statues were destroyed by those who thought they were following the Islamic religion. The list goes on.
Posted by: Linda Muralidharan | January 16, 2010 3:32 PM
I am very upset about church burnings in Malaysia. It is a symptom of theocratic Islam finding its way into Malaysia a country that is so diverse in its population and religion.
The Saudi and Shia brand of Theocratic Islam considers all others as infidels. You cannot have a church in Saudi Arabia.
All terrorist are tied to religious organizations in countries with Islamic laws imported from Saudi Arabia or Iran.They are directly or indirectly supported by Saudi and Irani money. All theocracies will sponsor anyone that promotes their brand of Islam. Just name your price.
We must force Saudi Arabia to adopt a moderate brand of Islam where women can drive and men can practice their religion. Saudi royal family holds hands with American presidents. Why not hold hands with the people of America and adopt freedom of religion and speech so that no more 9/11 bombers and murderers like Osama bin(son of) Satan are born in Saudi Arabia, who one day become monsters while reacting to Saudi Arabia's kingship and system of privilege afforded to royal princesses.
Commoners outside the royal circle must live on crumbs and are controlled by the religious police for any deviation from man-made version of Islam.
No music, No dancing , No laughter. Yes men can have four wives for variety and housekeeping but a women must not venture outside without a male escort who is not sexually aroused by her lest she be molested.
This excessive emphasis on women sexuality is a an excuse and a premise to control society and women who make up half of the population. After all the 18th century cleric Wahab was no fool. He made a deal with the royal family of that time. You do the invasions on the pretext of Muslims gone astray and not practicing Islam the way it should be practiced and we will take care of controlling these populations through religious ordinances that will make them hold their breath. Of course oil wealth extensively used to fill the gaps in earnings created by simple laziness does help.
Saudi Arabia , must adopt a moderate brand of Islam and let women drive.
Pakistan must repeal Islamic laws that are helping terrorist.
I guess vested interests in defense and homeland security would like to see a theocratic Saudi Arabia with a continuous supply of disgruntled and displaced citizens outside the royal circle who are willing to set up office of terror in neighboring Yemen to keep them gainfully employed.
Maybe that is the reason neither Obama nor Hillary ever address Saudi Arabia's Theocracy or the fact that 19 out of 21 September 11 bombers/murderes were from Saudi Arabia.
Also that American diplomats were taken hostage in Theocratic/Fascist one part state Iran.
I asked this question at a think tank at a Wilson Center meeting and the gentleman who had just spent time in Afghanistan and Pakistan and was an expert on Taliban refused to criticize the fact that the Taliban share their religious ideology with the Saudi regime. A Christian or Jew is not allowed to go to Mecca or Medina in clear violation of the Holy prophets contracts with the Christians and his dealing with the Jews. We must confront the Saudis on this self-made restrictions
Posted by: Tina | January 21, 2010 1:04 PM
Tina, I agree theocracy of any kind, under the name of any religion, is a danger to human freedom.
However, you have mixed some important facts with inaccuracies. Saudi Arabia is predominantly Sunni. Iran is predominantly Shia.
Both have theocracies, but in depth study has shown me some important differences between the two sects. The Shia approach actually leaves more room for informed dissent within their clerical community.
Both forms can result in very repressive approaches. However, Iran has shown more flexibility in working with Sunnis when it suits their policies. Iran's overriding policy is to return Iran to the glory days of Persian influence.
The United States has followed policies of support for various versions of Islamic religiousity when the US thought it would be a buffer to opponents. Opponents generally have been socialists (however peaceful), Arabic nationalists, and anybody who would raise the price of oil or restrict access to US corporations.
Some of the Sunni's with the most extreme interpretations of the Koran, don't accept Muslims who believe differently as true Muslims.
Posted by: Linda Muralidharan | January 23, 2010 2:03 PM