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From: tbray@mprvaxa.UUCP (Tim Bray)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Ending the debate on Islam and bigotry
Message-ID: <526@mprvaxa.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 10-Apr-84 22:03:05 EST
Article-I.D.: mprvaxa.526
Posted: Tue Apr 10 22:03:05 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 13-Apr-84 07:51:41 EST
Organization: Microtel Pacific Research, Burnaby BC
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x <-- USENET insecticide

This is a final attempt to clear up a couple of inaccuracies and
hopefully put this debate to rest forever.

1. Female Circumcision

Female circumcision has nothing to do with Islam in any manner, shape,
or form.  It is an evil old East African practice which flourishes
to this day in Ethiopa, Somalia, and the Sudan and has been seen 
as far north as southern Egypt.  I could no mention of this practice
in any Islamic religious works,  nor any discussion of its occurrence
anywhere in the Arab world in contemporary anthropological/ethnographic
literature.

Mr. Martillo (ihuxt!martillo) should really apologize for this quite
awful and unfounded public slander of a whole ethnic group.

2. Islam and Judaism

I was aided on this question by another person on the net, an Arab
Moslem who prefers to remain anonymous, given that his ethnic group
is apparently one against which it is acceptable to express bigotry in our 
culture at this time.

He provided me the following quotations from the Koran.  I hope they suffice 
to illustrate part of the real nature of Islam, and to put this ugly debate 
to an end.

Tim Bray

                 -----------------------------------

	"Lo, those who believe, and those who are Jews, and Sabaeans,
and Christians -- whosoever believeth in God and the Last Day and doth
right -- no fear shall come upon them, neither shall they grieve."
(Surah V:69)
	"They are not all alike.  Of the people of the Scripture, 
there is a staunch community who recite God`s revelations in the night 
season, falling prostrate [before Him].  They believe in God and the Last 
Day, and enjoin right conduct and forbid indecency, and vie with one 
another in good works; they are the righteous.  And whatever good they do, 
they will not be denied (the reward) thereof; God is aware of those who 
ward off evil." (III:113-115).
	"Righteousness is not that ye turn your faces to the East and
the West; but righteous is one who believes in God and the Last day and
the Angels and the Scriptures and the Prophets; and giveth his wealth,
for love of Him, to kinsfolk and to orphans and to the needy and to the
wayfarer and to those who ask and to set slaves free; and observeth
prayer and payeth poor-due. And those who keep their treaty when they
make one, and the patient in tribulation and adversity and time of
stress.  Such are those who are sincere.  Such are God fearing."
(II:177)  
	And the simplest statements like: "There is no compulsion in
religion." (II:256)  
        Or, "Unto you your religion, and unto me my religion." (CIX:6)