Islam fails in producing thinkers

We always hear about the glorious days of Islam. About the great achievements of the Muslims (always in the past). The truth is another story. Read on...

FP: Tell us your thoughts on Muslim claims of accomplishments, revisionism and the expropriation of cultures and ideas.

BetBasoo: Let me preface my remarks by saying that I do not claim that Muslims have made no accomplishments. Individual Muslims have been successful in the full range of the human scientific and artistic endeavor. But a closer examination of these successes reveals that they came about because these individuals stepped outside of the Muslim realm. For example, today Muslim scientists and scholars are trained in the West. I claim that Islam is not conducive to the pursuit of rational inquiry, and when Islam asserts itself, it borrows, co-opts and ultimately, when time has passed and memory forgotten, claims that these borrowed and co-opted things were originated by Muslims, not by the native cultures that preceded the Muslims.

If something cannot be so expropriated, it is often destroyed. The most recent example was the Taliban's destruction of the 2500 year-old Buddhist statues in Afghanistan . In Iran , the UNESCO world heritage sites, Pasargadae and Persepolis , are threatened by the construction of the Sivand dam, and the Mullahs simply don't care, though they claim the water line will be below these cities, which date back to 560 B.C..

In Iraq , history text books teach that the Sumerians, Assyrians, Babylonians were in fact Arabs -- never mind that these civilizationsexisted a good 5600 years before Arabs/Muslims came into Mesopotamia .

In the Middle East it is nearly impossible to separate Islam from Arabs, they are two sides of the same coin. Hence, if you are an Arab, you must surely be a Muslim, and your accomplishments as well. If you are not a Muslim, then you need to be.

In India , over 3500 Hindu temples have been occupied and converted to Mosques, the most famous being the Taj Mahal. In Kosovo, under the auspices of the UN "peace" keeping force, over 600 Serbian churches and monasteries have been occupied or destroyed by the Muslim Kosovars. Kosovo is the most important religious center for the Serbians.

FP: So how about Muslim claims of accomplishment that aren’t real?

BetBasoo: Muslims claim many, many accomplishments we know they had nothing to do with. Arabic numerals? From India . The concept of zero? From Babylonia . Parabolic arches? From Assyria . The much ballyhooed claim of translating the Greek corpus of knowledge into Arabic? It was the Christian Assyrians, who first translated to Syriac, then to Arabic. The first University? Not Al-Azhar in Cairo (988 A.D.), but the School of Nisibis of the Church of the East (350 A.D.), which had three departments: Theology, Philosophy and Medicine. Al-Azhar only teaches Theology.

Speaking of medicine, Muslims will claim that medicine during the Golden Age of Islam, the Abbasid period, was the most advanced in the world. That is correct. But what they don't say is that the medical practitioners were exclusively Christians. The most famous medical family, the Bakhtishu family, Assyrians of the Church of the East, produced seven generations of doctors, who were the official physicians to the Caliphs of Baghdad for nearly 200 years.

There are many more examples, but I think these are enough to make the point.

FP: Why, in your view, does Islam fail in producing scholars and thinkers?

BetBasoo: It is a bold assertion to say that Islam fails in producing thinkers. Yet one is lead to this conclusion by a historical examination of Islamic civilizations. The putative "Golden Age of Islam", the Abbasid period, has been shown to be not the product of Muslims, but of their Christian subjects. In his book How Greek Science Passed to the Arabs, O'Leary's lists 22 scholars and translators during the Golden Age of Islam; 20 were Christians, 1 was a Persian, and 1 was a Muslim. This covers about a 250 year period. This "Golden Age", incidentally, came to an end after the Caliphs had forcefully converted enough Christians to Muslims (through the Jizya) that the Christian numbers fell below the critical threshold needed for sustaining the intellectual enterprise.

Given that this intellectual enterprise during the Abbasid period was the product of Christians, we ask the question: has there ever been an Islamic golden age? There was none during the rule of the Mamluks, who overthrew the Abbasids. Can we say the Ottomans, who followed the Mamluks, ever had a golden age?

In his book Religion of Peace, Robert Spencer has offered a penetrating and incisive analysis of why Islam fails to produce thinkers. His explanation is theological and theoretical. I will summarize it now and then give my own complimentary explanation, which is practical.

According to Robert Spencer, the Muslim god, Allah, is capricious. He is not subject to any laws and can, in fact, change laws arbitrarily without restraint. Quoting the Pope, Spencer says:

“for Muslim teaching, God is absolutely transcendent. His will is not bound up with any of our categories, even that of rationality.”

Spencer continues:

"the Pope was not so much saying that in the Islamic view Allah would command his people to do evil, but that he might change the content of the concepts of good and evil. In other words, Allah would always enjoin “justice and kindness,” but what constitutes “justice and kindness,” just as what constitutes “innocent blood,” might change."

And

"He [Allah] was thus not bound to govern the universe according to consistent and observable laws. 'He cannot be questioned concerning what He does'" (Qur’an 21:23 ).

And

"Accordingly, there was no point to observing the workings of the physical world; there was no reason to expect that any pattern to its workings would be consistent, or even discernable. If Allah could not be counted on to be consistent, why waste time observing the order of things? It could change tomorrow. Stanley Jaki, a Catholic priest and physicist, explains that it was al-Ghazali, the philosopher that the authors of the Open Letter recommend to the Pope, who 'denounced natural laws, the very objective of science, as a blasphemous constraint upon the free will of Allah.' He adds that 'Muslim mystics decried the notion of scientific law (as formulated by Aristotle) as blasphemous and irrational, depriving as it does the Creator of his freedom.' Social scientist Rodney Stark adds that 'it would seem that Islam has a conception of God appropriate to underwrite the rise of science. Not so. Allah is not presented as a lawful creator but is conceived of as an extremely active God who intrudes in the world as he deems it appropriate. This prompted the formation of a major theological bloc within Islam that condemns all efforts to formulate natural laws as blasphemy in that they deny Allah’s freedom to act.'"

Thus there is no incentive for Muslims to pursue rational inquiry, since any results obtained can be invalidated by Allah at his whim.

For full article go to FrontpageMag

Muslim medics refuse to roll up their sleeves

Muslims are sex obsessed. The women are taught that their body emanates uncontrollable sex. With too many Arab educated mullahs with nothing else to do but advance this kind of idiocy, Maldives will be doing these same things...

With thanks to The Daily Mail here is the report from the UK :-

Health officials are having crisis talks with Muslim medical staff who have objected to hospital hygiene rules because of religious beliefs.

Medics in hospitals in at least three major English cities have refused to follow the regulations aimed at helping tackle superbugs because of their faith, it has been revealed.

Women medical students at Alder Hey children's hospital in Liverpool objected to rolling up their sleeves when washing their hands and removing arm coverings in theatre, claiming it is regarded as immodest.

Similar concerns were raised at Leicester University -and Sheffield University reported a case of a Muslim medic refusing to "scrub" because it left her forearms exposed.

Some students have said that they would prefer to quit the course rather than expose their arms, but hygiene experts said no exceptions should be made on religious grounds.

A Royal Liverpool hospital spokesman said they had experienced issues of Muslim staff not sanitising their forearms with alcohol gel although this had now been addressed.

Dr Steve Ryan, medical director at Alder Hey said that while the "bare below the elbows" dress code is a matter of patient safety, the trust would work with Muslim students to find a solution.

He said: "We specify bare below elbows, no wrist watches, nail varnish or false nails in clinical areas.

"Good hand hygiene is one of the most important and simplest actions we can take to prevent healthcare associated infections.

"A number of female Muslim students had approached the University of Liverpool to ask if we would provide facilities for them to change their outerwear and hijab for theatre scrubs.

Jihadist taught five-year-old son: "Kuffar -- kill! Sheikh Osama bin Laden I love"

Children can learn prejudice from their parents. What this father is doing to his children is nothing less than child abuse.
Are some Maldivian children being taught to hate in this manner? Are some children being forced to memorize a litany of hate?

I wonder in how many Maldivian households are similar cathechisms being conducted right now?

Children are the future

"In one recorded conversation of May 2006 he was heard shouting at his five-year-old son when he made a mistake reading the Koran from heart.
He made him stand in front of him with his hands by his side and demanded: "Who do you love?"
The child answered: "I love Sheikh Osama bin Laden."
"And?" said Khan.
"Sheikh Abdel-Rahman" referring to the "Blind sheikh" in prison in the US.
"And?" asked Khan.
"Sheikh Abu Hamza" referring to the jailed imam at Finsbury Park Mosque in North London.
"Who do you kill?" asked Khan.
"America kill," said the boy.
"Who else you kill?" said Khan.
"Bush I kill," said the boy.
"And who else?" demanded Khan.
"Blair kill, both people kill."
"Who else you kill?" asked Khan.
"Saddam, Saddam," said the boy.
Then the pair began chanting at each other.
Khan said: "Kuffar [non-believers]" the boy said: "Kill."
Khan said: "Mushrik [polytheists]" and the boy said: "Kill.""

To read full article go to The Telegraph

Hot Chick/Cool Woman

"Muhammad said, 'Is not the evidence of two women equal to the witness of one man?' They replied in the affirmative. He said, 'This is the deficiency in her intelligence.'"

Don't you believe it!

This weeks Hot chick/Cool Woman is Eileen Collins, the first woman to command the Space Shuttle.

She was born in Elmira, New York in 1956. She always wanted to become a pilot. When she was a child, her parents often took her to the airport to see the planes. Eileen was a very good student. She earned a scholarship to attend Syracuse University. After college she went into the Air Force. The Air Force trained her to become a pilot. She learned to fly many different kinds of planes.

In 1991, Eileen Collins became an astronaut. She was the first woman to pilot the Space Shuttle. Colonel Collins is married and has a daughter. When she has free time she likes to run, play golf and go camping. After four space flights, Eileen Collins retired from NASA in 2006.

Sharjah Orders Beheading of Store Mannequins...

"Mannequins should be beheaded: this is the directive issued by the authorities of Sharjah to all the clothing shops in the emirate. "The mannequins should be headless and the clothing in the window should respect the rules of decency, according to the religious principles," stated a circular of Sharjah, one of the seven emirates which form the United Arab Emirates. The measure, according to Khalid Al Jaberi, head of market control at Sharjah Municipality, answers to a series of complaints advanced by the residents of the emirate annoyed by the increasing number of mannequins wearing scanty clothes or only underclothes. The plastic models, according to the local authorities, depict very faithfully the reality, including facial description, offending some values of Islam. Sharjah, which borders with liberal Dubai, maintains much more conservative style of living than the bigger emirate. Single men are not allowed to live in buildings where families are living and the consumption or possession of alcohol is liable to imprisonment."

With thanks to ANSAmed

Defecating 'in the Way of Allah'

I was once told by my Muslim friend that as a Muslim I should shave my pubic hair. He told me also that there was additional sawaabu if the the hair were pulled out instead of shaving using a razor.
Islam intrudes into every way of life, including one's most private bodily functions. The following text is a light hearted examination of how to pee and poo "in the way of Allah"...

"Other religions had washing rituals – several Islamic ones come from Jewish text but it is truly obsessive in Islam! Muslim book 2 (Numbers 500s) and book3 (numbers 600s to 730) are hysterical but this article concentrates on Mohammad peeing and poohing—a fine example for all to follow ‘religiously’! Some pointers are listed below lest the unwary do it incorrectly and incur allah’s wrath!

Hey, Mohammad, do you face towards the quibla or away? (quibla -Mecca ...Bait-al-Maqdis, supposedly Jerusalem):

Muslim Book 2, Number 509: ....Abdullah said: People say when you go to the latrine, you should neither turn your face towards the Qibla nor towards Bait-ul-Maqdis. 'Abdullah said (farther): I went up to the roof of the house and saw the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) squatting on two bricks for relieving himself with his face towards Bait-al-Maqdis. (basically repeated in ***Maliks Muwatta Book 14, Number 14.2.3: )

Maliks Muwatta Book 14, Number 14.1.1: and 14.1.2 also forbade defecating or urinating while facing the qibla.

Abu-Dawud Book 1, Number 13: Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah: The Prophet of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) forbade us to face the qiblah at the time of making water. Then I saw him facing it (qiblah) urinating or easing himself one year before his death.

Mohammad squats and pees like a woman:

Abu-Dawud Book 1, Number 14: Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar: When the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) wanted to relieve himself, he would not raise his garment, until he lowered himself near the ground.

Abu-Dawud Book 1, Number 22: Narrated Amr ibn al-'As: AbdurRahman ibn Hasanah reported: I and Amr ibn al-'As went to the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him). He came out with a leather shield (in his hand). He covered himself with it and urinated. Then we said: Look at him. He is urinating as a woman does.........

Beware of Jinns/devils:

Abu-Dawud Book 1, Number 6: Narrated Zayd ibn Arqam: The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: These privies are frequented by the jinns and devils. So when anyone amongst you goes there, he should say: "I seek refuge in Allah from male and female devils."

Abu-Dawud Book 1, Number 0035: Narrated AbuHurayrah: The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: ........If anyone goes to relieve himself, he should conceal himself, and if all he can do is to collect a heap of sand, he should sit with his back to it, for the devil makes sport with the posteriors of the children of Adam. .....Use 3 stones to wipe..

Abu-Dawud Book 1, Number 40: Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin: The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: When any of you goes to relieve himself, he should take with him three stones to cleans himself, for they will be enough for him. (repeated in No. 41)

After chatting to the jinn Mohammad forbids the use of bone, dung, charcoal for wiping:

Abu-Dawud Book 1, Number 39: Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas'ud: A deputation of the jinn came to the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) and said: O Muhammad, forbid your community to cleanse themselves with a bone or dung or charcoal, for in them Allah has provided sustenance for us. So the Prophet peace_be_upon_him) forbade them to do so.

Abu-DawudBook 1, Number7: Narrated Salman al-Farsi: It was said to Salman: Your Prophet teaches you everything, even about excrement. He replied: Yes. He has forbidden us to face the qiblah at the time of easing or urinating, and cleansing with right hand, and cleansing with less than three stones, or cleansing with dung or bone.

(Note Jinn are little devils Allah created from fire, frequently mentioned in the Koran! They have rights under Islamic law and can mate with humans!! Some turned into Muslims. Not believing in jinn is unbelief and punishable!!!)

Use a potty like Mohammad’s at night:

Abu-Dawud Book 1, Number 24: Narrated Umaymah daughter of Ruqayqah: The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) had a wooden vessel under his bed in which he would urinate at night.

Don’t look at another’s ‘privates’ (actually it’s even offensive for husband and wife to look at each other’s genitals!!! Reliance of the Traveller: a classic manual of Islamic sacred law; m2.4 p512..) "

For more please click here

Saudi textbook - What your "Islamic Scholars" learnt in Arabia and teach in Maldives.

FIRST GRADE
" Every religion other than Islam is false."
"Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words (Islam, hellfire): Every religion other than ______________ is false. Whoever dies outside of Islam enters ____________."
FOURTH GRADE
"True belief means . . . that you hate the polytheists and infidels but do not treat them unjustly."
FIFTH GRADE
"Whoever obeys the Prophet and accepts the oneness of God cannot maintain a loyal friendship with those who oppose God and His Prophet, even if they are his closest relatives."
"It is forbidden for a Muslim to be a loyal friend to someone who does not believe in God and His Prophet, or someone who fights the religion of Islam."
"A Muslim, even if he lives far away, is your brother in religion. Someone who opposes God, even if he is your brother by family tie, is your enemy in religion."
SIXTH GRADE
"Just as Muslims were successful in the past when they came together in a sincere endeavor to evict the Christian crusaders from Palestine, so will the Arabs and Muslims emerge victorious, God willing, against the Jews and their allies if they stand together and fight a true jihad for God, for this is within God's power."
EIGHTH GRADE
"As cited in Ibn Abbas: The apes are Jews, the people of the Sabbath; while the swine are the Christians, the infidels of the communion of Jesus."
God told His Prophet, Muhammad, about the Jews, who learned from parts of God's book [the Torah and the Gospels] that God alone is worthy of worship. Despite this, they espouse falsehood through idol-worship, soothsaying, and sorcery. In doing so, they obey the devil. They prefer the people of falsehood to the people of the truth out of envy and hostility. This earns them condemnation and is a warning to us not to do as they did."
"They are the Jews, whom God has cursed and with whom He is so angry that He will never again be satisfied [with them]."
"Some of the people of the Sabbath were punished by being turned into apes and swine. Some of them were made to worship the devil, and not God, through consecration, sacrifice, prayer, appeals for help, and other types of worship. Some of the Jews worship the devil. Likewise, some members of this nation worship the devil, and not God."
"Activity: The student writes a composition on the danger of imitating the infidels."
NINTH GRADE
"The clash between this [Muslim] community (umma) and the Jews and Christians has endured, and it will continue as long as God wills."
"It is part of God's wisdom that the struggle between the Muslim and the Jews should continue until the hour [of judgment]."
"Muslims will triumph because they are right. He who is right is always victorious, even if most people are against him."
TENTH GRADE
The 10th-grade text on jurisprudence teaches that life for non-Muslims (as well as women, and, by implication, slaves) is worth a fraction of that of a "free Muslim male." Blood money is retribution paid to the victim or the victim's heirs for murder or injury:
"Blood money for a free infidel. [Its quantity] is half of the blood money for a male Muslim, whether or not he is 'of the book' or not 'of the book' (such as a pagan, Zoroastrian, etc.).
"Blood money for a woman: Half of the blood money for a man, in accordance with his religion. The blood money for a Muslim woman is half of the blood money for a male Muslim, and the blood money for an infidel woman is half of the blood money for a male infidel."
ELEVENTH GRADE
"The greeting 'Peace be upon you' is specifically for believers. It cannot be said to others."
"If one comes to a place where there is a mixture of Muslims and infidels, one should offer a greeting intended for the Muslims."
"Do not yield to them [Christians and Jews] on a narrow road out of honor and respect."
TWELFTH GRADE
"Jihad in the path of God -- which consists of battling against unbelief, oppression, injustice, and those who perpetrate it -- is the summit of Islam. This religion arose through jihad and through jihad was its banner raised high. It is one of the noblest acts, which brings one closer to God, and one of the most magnificent acts of obedience to God."

To read the complete article please visit The Washington Post

A Muslim youth snaps a picture of his friend urinating into the ruins of a church freshly destroyed by other Muslims (Kosovo, 2004).

Saudi Arabia plans to behead "witch"

Fawza Falih turned two men impotent, a court heard in the ultra-religious state where “performing supernatural occurrences” is considered an offence against Islam.

Judges were also told she cast a spell to bring about the return of a divorced man's ex-wife.

But international charity Human Rights Watch said King Abdullah's religious police had forced a confession out of her.

"And they claim the judges who tried her in the northern town of Quraiyat never gave her the opportunity to prove her innocence in the face of "absurd charges that have no basis in law."

The court also relied on the statements of witnesses who said she had "bewitched" them to convict her in April 2006, according to HRW.

Fawza later retracted her confession in court, claiming it was extracted under duress, and said that as an illiterate woman, she did not understand the document she was forced to fingerprint.

An appeals court ruled in September 2006 that Fawza could not be sentenced to death for witchcraft as a crime against God, because she had retracted her confession.

After that, the lower court judges re-sentenced her to death on the court's "discretionary" basis, for the benefit of "public interest" and to "protect the creed, souls and property of this country.""

From the Daily Mail

Religious Police Ban Red Roses Ahead of Valentines Day...

"SAUDI Arabia's religious police have banned red roses ahead of Valentine's Day, forcing couples in the conservative Muslim nation to think of new ways to show their love.

The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has ordered florists and gift shop owners in the capital Riyadh to remove any items coloured scarlet, which is widely seen as symbolising love, newspapers said.

Pakistanis protesting Valentines Day

"They visited us last night," the Saudi Gazette quoted an unidentified florist as saying.

It is not unusual for the Saudi vice squad to clamp down ahead of Valentine's Day, which it sees as encouraging relations between men and women outside of wedlock, the newspaper said."

To go to source click here

Fundamentalist Fashion Show

Maybe the Sixth Annual Fall Fundamentalist Fashion could be held in the Maldives. Islands that wish to host the show should begin campaigning and bidding at the earliest.
My choice would be somewhere in Addu. We can promote the new international airport with direct flights to Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Islamabad. As to a host, for me, its a toss up between Fareed and that Adhaalathu man going around saying "The Prophet said women should not rule the country."
Fareeds strong point is, I have heard, that he has worn the niqab on some occasions. The other guy has the advantage he is President of Adhaalath political party and his crediantials are solid with many statements like the above.

Enjoy the video of the fifth show hosted by Bill Maher.

Hot Chick Defies Clerics, Dresses as She Pleases.

Today we begin a Hot Chicks series for our readers with a tennis star from our northern neighbor India. The first Indian woman to win a WTA tour event, she was the subject of a fatwa issued by a senior cleric of the Sunni Ulema Board. She has pulled out of all of her home tournaments this year due to the controversy they generate.

"As a Muslim player, Mirza has reportedly been condemned by Islamic groups over her attire on the court, with her short tennis skirts coming under particular scrutiny.



The star has become something of a flag-bearer for Muslim sportswomen, being seen last year playing in T-shirts bearing slogans of defiance such as "Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History".

"As long as I'm winning, people shouldn't care whether my skirt is six inches or six feet long," she said at the time. "

With thanks to the Telegraph

Wikipedia refuses to bow down

An entry in the online encyclopedia that includes images of the Prophet Muhammad is drawing worldwide protest at ThePetitionSite.com, reports the New York Times.

One protester writes, “It’s totally unacceptable to print the Prophet’s picture. It shows insensitivity towards Muslim feelings and should be removed immediately.”

Wikipedia is not backing down, asserting that it will not be "censored for the benefit of any particular group."

Paul M. Cobb, who teaches Islamic history at Notre Dame, comments, "Islamic teaching has traditionally discouraged representation of humans, particularly Muhammad, but that doesn’t mean it’s nonexistent. Some of the most beautiful images in Islamic art are manuscript images of Muhammad."

Kudos to Wikipedia.

From: National Review Online

Does this seem familiar?

"No one ever leaves Islam, according to a judge in Egypt who has cited Islamic religious law in rejecting a request from a Muslim convert to Christianity to be allowed to change his religious affiliation on his national identification card.

In a decision that forecasts more and more decisions being based on Shari'a, Islam's religious law, Judge Muhammad Husseini has concluded it violates the law for a Muslim to leave Islam.
...
The report said Husseini cited Article II of the Egyptian constitution, making Islamic religious law the "source" of Egyptian secular law, as the basis for his conclusion.


Since Islam is the "final" and "most complete" religion, Muslims already have full freedom of religion and are not allowed to return to the "less complete" Christianity or Judaism, the ruling said.
....
"He then initiated what one could, in hindsight, term 'the Great Islamic Transformation' of Egypt. The first step was to stipulate in the Second Article of his new Constitution, promulgated in 1971 (long before Khomeini embarked on his Islamic revolutionary campaign), that the Principles of Islamic Shari'a were 'a main source' of legislation. In May 1981, the 'a' was replaced with 'the,' making Shari'a the term of reference for the entire constitution, meaning all other articles were to be interpreted in that light," the organization said.

"The curricula of public schools, established by the Ministry of Education, ignore the Coptic era in Egypt's history. Courses glorifying Islam (the 'Only True Religion') and its history, while vilifying the crusaders (i.e. Christians) and the Jews, are imposed on all students," the group said."
....

To read the complete text click here

Why do many Maldivians hate the Jews?

All around me I hear people blaming the Jew - for almost everything bad going on in the world. I even heard some Maldivians claim the devastating tsunami was triggered by the Jews.
It would be fair to say that most Maldivians hate and despise Jews.
To my knowledge no Jews have done anything to Maldivians. Most Maldivians have probably never even encountered a Jew. This is clearly a case of teaching and training the people to hate Jews.
Do we need to address the prevalent anti-semitism we find in the Maldives?

Woman Strip-Searched by Moral Police for Sitting in Starbucks with Non-Relative Man...

Saudi Arabia's religious police detained and strip-searched a woman for sitting in a Starbucks coffeeshop with a male work colleague who is not a member of her family, Arab News reported on Tuesday.
The 40-year-old financial consultant, named only as Yara, told the paper she was arrested on Monday by members of the powerful Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.
She was holding a business meeting with the man in a branch of Starbucks in Riyadh, in a section reserved for families as is the rule in Saudi Arabia where unrelated members of the opposite sex are segregated in public, she said.
Yara said she was taken to a Riyadh prison, strip-searched and forced to sign a confession to having been caught alone with a unrelated man -- an illegal act in the kingdom which enforces a strict Islamic moral code.
"I had no other choice" but to sign, said the married mother of three. "I was scared for my life... I was afraid that they would abuse me or do something to me."
She said the religious police, known as the Muttawa, released her several hours later after her husband, Hatim, intervened. "I look at this as if she had been kidnapped by thugs," said Hatim.
The paper said the man with whom Yara had coffee, an unnamed Syrian financial analyst, was also arrested and remains in custody.
Saudi Arabia's 5,000-strong religious police have been investigated over a number of deaths that occurred while they raided homes or kept people in custody.
....
A United Nations report released on Friday said that women in the conservative Muslim state are the victims of systematic and pervasive discrimination across all aspects of social life.

With thanks to Inquirer

the "result of Maldivians failing to live in accordance with Islam."

The Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief also reported on the issue of women wearing headscarves. She received reports that women were being pressured to cover by relatives, other citizens, self-proclaimed preachers, or newly formed political parties. Furthermore she was told that women began to cover after state-owned media reported that the 2004 tsunami was the "result of Maldivians failing to live in accordance with Islam." There was one report of a female student who was excluded from school for wearing a headscarf. However, female civil servants wore the scarf at work without any difficulty.

Most citizens regard Islam as one of their society's most distinctive characteristics and believed that it promotes harmony and national identity. The President regularly encourages all citizens to seek unity through shared religious beliefs.

.....

Read the Maldives - International Religious Freedom Report 2007

My apologies to Simon

It is unlikely that Mathee Majlis of Islam, Adaalathu Party, Haveeru Daily will provide a public apology on disinformation. However I wish to apologize to Simon for recent turn of events in the comments section of his blog. My comments and responses to a certain " Kutb" veered away from the subject of Simon's posting because of a claim by "Kutb". This blog and not Simons blog is the place for that conversation.

Kutb claimed that " we put u down once". Vainrooney a.k.a Nass is "The Man who Killed the Dhivehistan Report".

There is a possibility this Kutb could be member of Vain's team at http://dhivehiguitar.blogspot.com/. That blog has now disappeared. Or Kutb could be part of a team that put us down without our knowledge.

By the way, Vainrooney is one person. I have seen the profile and photo. Read his comments on this blog - "i have indeed killed it".

And now Kutb is threatening to put us down!

Anyway, Simon, my sincere apologies.

Islam Vs Hygiene..Muslim Medics Disregard Rules...

Muslim medical students are refusing to obey hygiene rules brought in to stop the spread of deadly superbugs, because they say it is against their religion.
Women training in several hospitals in England have raised objections to removing their arm coverings in theatre and to rolling up their sleeves when washing their hands, because it is regarded as immodest in Islam.

Universities and NHS trusts fear many more will refuse to co-operate with new Department of Health guidance, introduced this month, which stipulates that all doctors must be "bare below the elbow".

The measure is deemed necessary to stop the spread of infections such as MRSA and Clostridium difficile, which have killed hundreds.

Minutes of a clinical academics' meeting at Liverpool University revealed that female Muslim students at Alder Hey children's hospital had objected to rolling up their sleeves to wear gowns.

Similar concerns have been raised at Leicester University. Minutes from a medical school committee said that "a number of Muslim females had difficulty in complying with the procedures to roll up sleeves to the elbow for appropriate handwashing".

Sheffield University also reported a case of a Muslim medic who refused to "scrub" as this left her forearms exposed.

...

But the Islamic Medical Association insisted that covering all the body in public, except the face and hands, was a basic tenet of Islam.

"No practising Muslim woman - doctor, medical student, nurse or patient - should be forced to bare her arms below the elbow," it said.

Dr Majid Katme, the association spokesman, said: "Exposed arms can pick up germs and there is a lot of evidence to suggest skin is safer to the patient if covered. One idea might be to produce long, sterile, disposable gloves which go up to the elbows."

Read the full report at: The Telegraph