Meditation 1026
Who can respect Islam today?
by: John Tyrrell
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As we all know, Muslims are strident in their demands that their religion be respected. But who can respect Islam today? I cannot.
Much was made in the last week of the case of Fayhan al-Ghamdi, a Saudi cleric and frequent religious commentator on Saudi television. He brutally raped, tortured, and murdered his five-year old daughter. In his defence - well he suspected she might not be a virgin. Apparently, he made sure she wasn't in his brutal attack on all the little girl's orifices.
Such crimes happen in all cultures. We all have deranged individuals among us, and we cannot blame Islam for this Muslim cleric's horrendous crimes. And he was brought to justice.
The courts in Saudi Arabia are run by the religious establishment. The judges are all clerics. They base their judgements on Shariah law - on the interpretation of the words of their prophet - on the Koran and on the hadiths. Ultimately everything hangs upon Mohammed. And the judgement of the court was that in view of the torture, rape and murder of a five-year old in his care, Fayhan al-Ghamdi must pay $50,000 to the girl's mother. And that's it! As far as this Islamic court was concerned, the little girl was his property. He was entitled to rape and torture her.
That's Islamic law in Saudi Arabia. Who can respect Islam today? At least as practiced in Saudi Arabia.
Of course, Saudi Arabia is the home of Islam, and the dominant form of Islam in the country is Wahhabism which claims to represent the original Islam as preached by Mohammed even though it only dates to the eighteenth century. (Much like fundamentalist Protestants claim to represent original Christianity).
And thanks to the wealth of Saudi Arabia the exportation of Wahhabism is being financed worldwide through the subsidization of Wahhibi clergy in mosques worldwide. The theology behind the primitive thinking that gave Fayhan al-Ghamdi a $50,000 penalty is being preached in mosques around the world.
Who can respect Islam today?
Respect for Islam is only possible when Islam becomes respectable. And this requires Muslims to change. Just as most Christians and many Jews have thrown off a blindly literal interpretation of primitive Old Testament law, so Muslims must throw off their blindly literal interpretations of the primitive words of Mohammed. It's not happening.
Instead we see just this week:
In Denmark, the attempted assassination of a critic of Islam - an attempt to silence a critic rather than consider whether changes should be made
In Egypt, two Islamic clerics with regular radio programs used their platforms to call for the assassination of democratic opponents of the current Islamic government - an attempt to silence, or at least intimidate those who oppose creeping Islamic dictatorship.
Also in Egypt, another Islamic cleric used his broadcast to claim that women who were demonstrating against the government were looking to get raped. An attempt to intimidate protestors and to encourage rapists.
In Saudi Arabia, yet another Muslim cleric, Sheikh Abdullah Daoud, this week called for all female babies to be dressed in burkhas to protect them from child abuse. As if that would have protected Fayhan al-Ghamdi's little daughter from him.
What abominations these Muslim clergymen are.
As long as they are preaching their hatred, as long as they are promoting the subjection of women, as long as they are content with allowing an incestuous child molester, a child abuser, a child murderer off with a slap on the wrist who can respect Islam today?
Really. Who can respect Islam today?
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