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From: uunet!plains!mega.cs.umn.edu!cosar@ncar.UCAR.EDU (Ahmet Cosar)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Re: One Man = Two Women <===> Equality  ??? How come!
Message-ID: <1991Jun28.131202.23958@wpi.WPI.EDU>
Date: 28 Jun 91 13:12:02 GMT
References: <1991Jun23.234331.28116@wpi.WPI.EDU> <1991Jun24.160952.8483@wpi.WPI.EDU> <1991Jun25.131903.28707@wpi.WPI.EDU> <1991Jun27.134332.26319@wpi.WPI.EDU>
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Hello,

In article <1991Jun27.134332.26319@wpi.WPI.EDU> ekrem@vlsivie.tuwien.ac.at (Ekrem Saban) writes:
>
>   I agree that women and men are `different', the point is that whether
>   we agree that they are `equal' as well. I consider the fact that women
>   are capable of bringing new humans to life as a `plus' not something
>   which is exploited to forbid some other social roles to women.
>
>I can't understand how something which is different is also equal.
>Equalness and difference is smt. mutually exclusive.

Are "apples" DIFFERENT than "oranges"? Yes.
Is "1 pound of apples" EQUAL to "1 pound of oranges"? Yes.

Is "one woman" EQUAL to "one man"? Yes.

>Of course, to question the ulema driven system is right, as 13
>centuries of the 14 centuries which have passed since the prophet
>started to preach have mostly not been ruled as it has to be. The
>padisah was afraid of his brothers, so he got a Fetwa and let them be
>executed- in the case of Mehmed III, 18 were killed, although some of
>them were babies or small children!! Just to cite an exemple...

Examples start at the earliest times of Islam, even the grandchildren
of Muhammed, the Prophet, have not been able to escape from the political
struggle to use Islam as a source of power.

>It is time to learn from history. To implement a similar system will
>not work again. But as there are no divine rules how to reign, why not
>thinking on a better system? For example, a shura of 1000 ulema can
>find a less politically influenced Fetwa on subjects IF they are
>coming from all muslim countries, are elected by the citizens of these

Collecting such a power at the hands of 1, 2, 3, 1000, people is not a
good idea. It is easy to buy 1000 Ulemas, or to frighten them, or to
blackmail them, the possibilities are endless and the power you are
"planning" to give them are worth the trouble.

>countries and can't be a member of any political institutions ten
>years before and ten years after being member of the shura. Their
>ulema-PhD will show that they have knowledge (that they are
>scientists) and their juristical file will show whether or not they
>have obeyed the divine law. The shura will have the right to say that
>a law, submitted by the parliament, is islamic or not. It will not
>have the power to change the law...

I don't know which country you are from, but I would like you to first
implement it in your own country, show the world how good and productive
it is working, and then we may talk about this.

If people want to promote Islam they must keep it out of political
struggles otherwise they will be the ones making the most damage to
Islam. We are living in 20th century and the rulings made under the
social and international conditions of 15th century must be revised
to fit today. Even in Qur'an some verses have been modified with
later verses from God as events develop, in the life period of the
Prophet. Expecting it to remain unchanged after 1600 years is not
logical. This doesn't mean that we will go and rewrite Qur'an but
the interpretation can be changed and a more tolerant attitude can
be assumed, e.g. in women's rights issues.

Olleh,


   A.Coras                                                
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Disc space -- the final frontier!                                       
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