tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267868265216485637.post4139169261127848379..comments2023-07-02T18:55:56.587+08:00Comments on Real life Thailand: Letters on IslamRed and Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15436554693743660844noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267868265216485637.post-85125705619684433682007-04-16T08:41:00.000+08:002007-04-16T08:41:00.000+08:00Dear Graig,I just finished reading what you wrote ...Dear Graig,<BR/>I just finished reading what you wrote about the exchange you had with Professor Khalid Mohammed, and it is late at night and I have to work tomorrow and my brain is not functioning that well right now but I feel somehow compelled to say a few words.<BR/>I am a Muslim and I have seen so much brutality committed in the name of Islam that nothing shocks me anymore (not even the collective beating of an innocent young woman). I have seen people cutting the heads of tied up innocent victims while chanting Allah Akbar, la ilaha illa allah as if they were in the middle of an act of worship. I am not sure if I can still call them people. The english language has no adjectives that can possibly describe them. But I am sure they are not Muslims even though they have no doubt that they are.<BR/>But I can tell this: <BR/>Islam as I know it, is the religion whose prophet told his followers: Have mercy on those who are on earth so the He who is in Heaven will have Mercy on you. Did those people in the south of Thailand have mercy on that young woman?<BR/>In the Koran, it is said that He who kills a soul (with no right to do so) is like him who killed the entire world. and who gives life to a soul is like him who gives life to the entire world.<BR/>In the Koran, the Prophet is ordered to tell the Mekkans: "I do not worship what you worship and You do not worship what i worship. You have your religion and I have mine."<BR/>and<BR/>" There is no compulsion in religion for the right path is clear and the wrong path is also clear."<BR/>Those two last verses go to what you were attributing to Tabari and Ibn Is-haq about the Muslims forcing others to become muslims. and just remeber that both of them (Tabari and Ibn Is=haq) are simple men and none of their writings qualify as a hadeeth or a koran. What they express is their personal opinion.<BR/>As for the matter of the marriage of mohamed from Aisha, it is so irrelevent to the present debate that I feel that it was raised to somehow stigmatize the prophet. but at the same time I recognize that you have the right to ask the question.<BR/>Just remember that at the time of the prophet the notion of our modern child molester that is in the back of the head of those who ask this question did not exist. because there was no child molestation. Mohamed, in his life, was a very proper and moral man and that is something that is recognized to him by his followers as well as by his detractors. Back then, a woman is woman when biology says that she is a woman. It means that when a girl start having her period she becomes a woman. and the laws that we follow today about girls being minors until the age of eighteen are arbitrary ones that we put together. I was not there and I have no evidence that Aisha had her period or that the marriage was consumed. But just using common sense, you would know that a man whose morality was an example of the people even before he became a prophet would not,in such a public amd blatant manmer. commit an act that was not appropriate. His first wife was older than he was and the other more than a dozen women he married had no virgins among them. That means that he did not have something for "little girls" and that what he did was appropriate either from biology standpoint or the maraige was not consumed until it was ok to consume it.He did not live an examplary life for fifty two years and all of a sudden decide that he will deviate. And if such were his inclinations, why didn't he marry more nine year girls? what was stopping him? and the fact that he was fifty two (you put that probably in bold) is irrelevent. He could be one hundred and so what?<BR/>As for what the professor told you about the Koran, it is true that all the translations out there by Arabs and non-Arabs are just approximations. The language of the Koran can simply not be translated in a proper manner And I can tell also one more thing: even though I am not a practicing Muslim, whenever I listen to a tape of CD of the Koran, it is physically very difficult to turn it off. it is beyond explaining. Actually, I am falling asleep already. But if you need to get in touch with me you can reach me at <BR/>Al_kentawy@yahoo.com<BR/>P.S. I have been to Thailand and I know how much respect and interest his majesty the King have for the Muslims. Those behind the insurgency in the soutth are simply criminals who had been recruiting and washing the brains of many of the local residents and turning them into criminals.<BR/><BR/>Good night,<BR/>AbdelAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267868265216485637.post-28737529718169786582007-03-15T14:01:00.000+08:002007-03-15T14:01:00.000+08:00Interesting exchange.The southern Thailand situati...Interesting exchange.<BR/><BR/>The southern Thailand situation is very difficult and should not be allowed to become part of the global jihad.<BR/><BR/>I still think it's up to the moderate muslims to weed out the extremists.<BR/><BR/>It looks like the terrorists are trying to goad the junta into doing something stupid like the massacre that happened on Thaksins watch.<BR/><BR/>The latest van incident was shocking - It's got so bad that I think the government should seriously consider some form of autonomy (let muslims have all the administrative positions and offer incentives to help all buddhists who want to relocate). I know it sounds bad to separate the religions, but at least that way the buddhists would not be targets, and the moderate muslims would be more responsible for solving the problems.hobbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04251478382712113226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267868265216485637.post-84241578087183973102007-03-13T09:05:00.000+08:002007-03-13T09:05:00.000+08:00Thanks Fall and Fonzi.Fall, I'll bear that thought...Thanks Fall and Fonzi.<BR/><BR/>Fall, <BR/>I'll bear that thought in mind for my future endeavours,Red and Whitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15436554693743660844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267868265216485637.post-62209586153833341152007-03-13T05:50:00.000+08:002007-03-13T05:50:00.000+08:00I think you handled it right in the beginning.It w...I think you handled it right in the beginning.<BR/><BR/>It was only later when he started to treat you like a jerk off that you should have thrown his words back at him.<BR/><BR/>In the end, you are right, he is the one who came off badly.<BR/><BR/>He should have been polite and just answered your questions.<BR/><BR/>I didn't think you were asking for much, and at the very least he could have at least given you some decent sources.<BR/><BR/>Good luck in your journey. Like I said, it was an entertaining blog entry. Keep them coming. I appreciate the effort.Fonzihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01216772526349523372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267868265216485637.post-83959869799692071502007-03-12T18:34:00.000+08:002007-03-12T18:34:00.000+08:00Without having any knowledge from the Qu'ran. Say...Without having any knowledge from the Qu'ran. Say, instead of getting him to defense each and every absurd phases in the book.<BR/>Would it not be more productive to ask for phases that condemn violence against non-Islam? Or prominent Iman or phases that promote peace along with other religion?<BR/>May be ask him what he think should be criteria in judging whether one religion promote violence or peace?fallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00200525484743926858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267868265216485637.post-13846865852678742812007-03-12T16:30:00.000+08:002007-03-12T16:30:00.000+08:00My forethought was this:certain people respond to ...My forethought was this:<BR/>certain people respond to different types of behaviour and approach. This guy had enough of his words on the net for me to gauge his level of self importance. If I had written to him saying "Hey you're full of crap!" he would have responded either with "I'm a scholar at a top university, who the hell are you?" or most likely, not replied at all. <BR/><BR/>By adopting a different approach and I received a reply and the opportunity to point out his errors. I don't believe he "sent me packing" because, as you observe yourself, his words and shallowness are here for all to see and everyone to judge for themselves who is right.<BR/><BR/><BR/>It's fair enough for you to ask what I achieved. This is only a part of what I'm up to right now. I hope that by the time I'm done, I'll have a good range of insights into Islam and the southern violence from various sources. Again, it will be here - and many other places too I hope - for people to judge and maybe gain a little insight themselves.<BR/><BR/>Right now, I think this exchange gives some indication of the defensiveness and unwillingness to accept factual debate of even some - I stress only some - of the top Muslim scholars.Red and Whitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15436554693743660844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267868265216485637.post-52562246067361587542007-03-12T15:16:00.000+08:002007-03-12T15:16:00.000+08:00I thought that was an interesting exchange.It is i...I thought that was an interesting exchange.<BR/><BR/>It is interesting how you kissed his ass instead of calling him on his bullshit.<BR/><BR/>He jerked you around and you allowed him to jerk you around.<BR/><BR/>I don't know exactly what you accomplished by allowing the professor to reframe your questions and send you packing with a contmeptuous pat on the head.<BR/><BR/>But I have to admit that it was entertaining, nonetheless.Fonzihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01216772526349523372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2267868265216485637.post-42816911757062981472007-03-12T10:23:00.000+08:002007-03-12T10:23:00.000+08:00I think you hit something interesting with this po...I think you hit something interesting with this post, but with my lack of understanding on Islam and the Qu'ran. I dont really sure what.<BR/><BR/>There are verses in Bible, Qu'ran, or Buddhist manuscript that supposedly do not make any sense. Any priest can say his religious preach peace, while the book say otherwise. So what should be the criteria to judge if one religion does not abhor violent than another?fallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00200525484743926858noreply@blogger.com