Sunday, March 20, 2005
Muslims rage at American religious practice
Muslims in the Middle East now feel free to fly into a rage about Americans practicing religion in the United States. Worse, there are people -- probably Muslims -- who are threatening to destroy organizations in the United States that host religious practices with which they disagree.
Islamic fundamentalism is now attacking the core of the American right to interpret and practice religion freely, and it is doing so right here on our own soil.
Of course, there is no coverage of this outrage in The New York Times, which probably has its resources tied up investigating conditions at Gitmo. Al-Jaz, however, covered it straight, and sees what Professor Wadud is fighting against:
As if that were a good thing.
Read the whole Al-Jaz piece, which graphically (and not without sympathy) depicts the incredibly tough fight that moderate Muslims face in their "counter jihad."
Muslims in the Middle East yesterday angrily denounced a mixed-gender Islamic prayer service led by a woman in New York as a violation of their religion.
Amina Wadud, a professor of Islamic studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, led the service on Friday before a congregation of 80 to 100 men and women at Synod House at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Manhattan, an Episcopal church.
Three mosques had refused to hold the service, and an art gallery backed out after receiving a bomb threat. Organizers said the service was intended to draw attention to the inequality faced by Muslim women.
Islamic fundamentalism is now attacking the core of the American right to interpret and practice religion freely, and it is doing so right here on our own soil.
Of course, there is no coverage of this outrage in The New York Times, which probably has its resources tied up investigating conditions at Gitmo. Al-Jaz, however, covered it straight, and sees what Professor Wadud is fighting against:
"This woman is tarnishing the whole Islamic faith," said Mohammed Nussrah, a Brooklyn native whose family originally hails from Algeria. He screamed that Wadud does not speak for pious, mainstream Muslims.
"All she is doing is twisting the interpretation of Islam to suit her needs. This is blasphemy, pure and simple," said Nussrah, a member of a local Muslim group named the Islamic Thinkers. "If this was an Islamic state, this woman would be hanged."
As if that were a good thing.
Read the whole Al-Jaz piece, which graphically (and not without sympathy) depicts the incredibly tough fight that moderate Muslims face in their "counter jihad."
1 Comments:
By 
Sluggo, at
Sun Mar 20, 07:01:00 PM:
I think Condi should strap on her boots and tell them to butt the f**k out.
