Goddess

The Arabic language is as tribal as the culture that created it. Each word has a trail of relatives with the same 3 letter cluster of consonants as its root. Use any word in Arabic and a host of uninvited meanings barge into the conversation. For example: One of the words for "woman" is hormah. It comes from the same root as the words for "holy" and "sacrosanct". But also the root words for "sinful" and "forbidden". See the problem? The word for "mother", umm, is the root words for "source", "nation", "rich harvest". But it is also the root word for "stupid", "illiterate", weak of character" and "without opinion". Words in Arabic are wonderfully ambiguous. See the problem?

The authentic and original teachings of any religion can be found by looking at their books. What does the book say? What did the founder do? What did the first followers do?

I agree it's not JUST the book. So I wouldn't go so far as to say it should be banned. But I agree with the article that a large part of it is.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali disagrees with you. http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/11/09/islam-is-a-religion-of-violence-ayaan-hirsi-ali-debate-islamic-state/ She seperates Muslims into 3 different types: Which group will come out on top?:

I'm waiting to see what our "Islam is peace, Multiculturalism is fabulous, You're all a bunch of Islamophobes, Look away, there's nothing to see here, nothing going on in Canada, it's just an innocent and quaint culture" crowd have to say about her. Likely they will say that she's an Islamophobe.

This Muslim woman feels it IS a problem in Canada: http://mackenzieinstitute.com/rise-islamic-extremism-canada/

This jives with what a Muslim woman told me when I asked why so many of them lied to me - she said "It's because you're a woman. And because they can." She told me that they are free to lie to anyone that they don't feel deserves their truth or to protect Islam, which is a pretty broad category - to protect Islam. I'm not really certain this is correct, given the many forms of lying that is allowed in Islam, as shown in Betsy's post. Is this what "the religion" says, or is this just your interpretation of the verse? Becasue it seems there is not a lot of consensus in Islam as to what the correct interpretation of verses are, and all are free to interpret any scripture however they want. For instance, the wife-beating we were talking about yesterday - there are many, many interpretations of what that would involve, from a "light tapping" described on one site, to actual hitting with a stick (some websites say they are not to draw blood with the beatings, others say it's okay if the woman is especially disobedient.) They DO all seem to agree that smacking your wife is perfectly acceptable in Islam. There is certainly nothing that says they should never strike their wives. I would guess it's the same with lying to infidels. There doesn't seem to be a real consesnsus on what, how, and why lying would be permissible. It's nice that Dialamah's interpretations are benign, but to say that her above statement RE: lying to infidels, is official Islamic policy is disingenuous, IMO.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_and_domestic_violence It seems that wife-beating is still being debated amongst Islamic scholars.

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2016-03-10/the-10-worst-countries-for-gender-equality-ranked-by-perception http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/sep/25/ben-carson/ben-carson-do-any-muslim-countries-have-womens-rig/ There's just 2 for you.

Funny how trolls are always fishing for personal information from other posters.........

Ahhhhh, I see. You are trolling. Now I see why so many have you on ignore.

I think trolling is more like when someone comes onto a thread and loudly disagrees with something, calls people trolls, Islamophobes and not Canadians and then refuses to answer questions as to why they disagree with a statement. What do you think?

If you don't give a shit, then why did you disagree with the statement?

Yes, I understand that YOU have no interest in anyone's religion. Which is why I asked you what you have against Muslims being free to discuss and criticize aspects of their own faith. I dont' have a religion, but I support anyone who wants to examine their own religion critically and thoughfully. Why do you oppose this?

I guess I am. Because I don't understand why you disagree with the statement that Muslims should be allowed to question their own religious beliefs without fear. Why do you refuse to answer the question?

**sigh** I'll try this one more time. Try to focus. I posted an article that said "Muslims must be allowed to have ideas, discuss and criticize their own belief system without fear." Now, I agree with that statement. I believe all people can and should be allowed to have criticisms of their own religion's beliefs. YOU - disagreed with the statement. I am asking you because you disagreed with the statement: 1. WHY do you think Muslims should NOT be allowed to question their own beliefs? 2. Is it just Muslims who you feel should not be allowed to question their religion? 3. What do you feel is the appropriate punishment for Muslims who challenge their own religious beliefs?

You just said you don't think Muslims should be allowed to question their own religion. Is it just Muslims that you don't believe have the right to question their beliefs? You make no sense whatsoever.

And yet some insist that these teachings have absolutely no effect on Islam's attitudes towards non-Muslims.

Muslims must be allowed to have ideas, discuss and criticize their own belief systems without fear. I'm asking you why you took exception to the above quote from the article. I'm asking you WHY you think Muslims should not be allowed to question their belief system. I don't see the correlation between the statement in the article and your statement as to why you don't agree with it. Again: Why do you think that Muslims should not be allowed to question their own belief system?

Whoever wants to sacrifice a loved one to the god of diversity and multiculturalism, raise your hand now.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot? So you are saying that Muslims should NOT be allowed to discuss or criticize their own belief systems without fear. What do you think should happen to those Muslims who do have criticisms of their religion? Are you one of the ones who feels death is the appropriate punishment for questioning Islam? How very ISIS of you.

So which is it? Do these countries have issues? Or is it, as you assert, that it is NOT true that Muslim countries discriminate against women to a larger degree than Western countries? You flip flop on this all the time, depending on which arguement fits your narrative at the time. And why do Western countries have to be perfect before they can point out the greater mysogeny in Islam? Why do Western countries have to have 0 (zero) rapes or murders of women (or NEVER, as you put it), but Muslim countries can do so in the name of their religion and in the name of tolerance we are all supposed to just throw up our hands and say, "Oh well." and shut up about it?

Well, you've been asked quite a few times to state which Muslim countries have equality of the sexes.....

Maybe not amongst some progressive Muslims who live in Western countries, but for the majority of the Muslim world, it is true.

I think the article says it is a confirmed terror attack.