Koran - 33:32-33 O Consorts of the Prophet! ... stay quietly in your houses, and make not a dazzling display, like that of the former Times of Ignorance;
Koran - 24:2 The woman and the man guilty of adultery or fornication,- flog each of them with a hundred stripes: Let not compassion move you in their case, in a matter prescribed by God, if ye believe in God and the Last Day: and let a party of the Believers witness their punishment.
Koran - 24:30-31 Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: And God is well acquainted with all that they do. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! turn ye all together towards God, that ye may attain Bliss.
Above are three verses from the Koran. The first demands the completed modesty of women and implies that their place is to stay cooped up in their homes. The second proscribes specific punishment to men and women who engage in intimacy outside the bonds of marriage. The third is a broader verse that discourages Muslims from love and physical pleasures, and instead directs them toward inner discipline and faith as the true way to attain bliss.
I believe that one of the most powerful human instincts is the desire to spend time with the opposite sex and reproduce. It is just a natural, animal instinct that almost every single human feels to some extent as they come of age. Sexual desire is treated differently in almost every culture, and its citizens can fare better or worse because of the social norms. For example, in Victorian England, sex was very much a taboo subject...yet since dating and intimacy were so regulated and constrained, prostitution was rampant among the population, which was clearly not a good thing. On the other end of the spectrum was the 1960s in America, where a sexual revolution took place, where sex limitless and free. However, this new found freedom and lack of restraints led to an rise in out of wedlock births and the beginning of AIDS and other sexual transmitted diseases. Today, Western civilization does much better - sex is openly talked about and discussed, but most people make reasonable choices and protect against negative consequences. Mainly, teenagers and young adults have an outlet for these new feelings.
In the Islamic world, there has never been such a revolution. Fornication and dating is not allowed and punished. Men are only allowed to marry women who are "pure." As teenagers and young adults come of age, they are not allowed to discuss their urges and have no outlet for them. Rape is more common than in the West. In Saudi Arabia, it was found that 75% of all picture messages sent on cellphones contained pornography. In short, there are millions of young men who have no socially acceptable outlet for sexual desire.
What Islam has done to address this situation of millions of sexually frustrated young men, is to put the onus on the women. Women are seen as objects of temptation that arise impure thoughts in men and ruin the purity of Islam. They are forced to wear oppressive clothing and are blamed as the cause when they are raped. Ironically, men are encouraged by the Koran to be celibate and pure, but behind closed doors, women are at their whim. It is a flawed religion - the empowered Islamic male is not responsible for his own actions, and the powerless woman is.
Women are the scapegoat.
When experts and analysts attempt to examine the cause of Islamic terrorism, they normally look to political or economic factors. Several point fingers at themselves, blaming the West for "oppression." However, I believe that the lack of an outlet for sexual desire and rigid sexual standards cause hostility in Muslim males. Depression and anger can be caused by many physiological things - lack of exercise, low blood sugar, etc... Why not sexual frustration? It is common sense that men who never experience the love and intimacy of a woman, and not just sex but actual affection and love, are driven towards more radical ways of life.
If there is ever to be a "moderate Islam", the status of women must be improved. They should no longer become scapegoats whose presence can drive a Muslim male towards impurity and rage. They should become an equal - humans to be respected and loved. In my opinion, far fewer Muslims would turn towards violence and terrorism if they were allowed to experience and explore their own natural human feelings.
To prove that I'm not cherrypicking and stereotyping...
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,306658,00.html
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Friday, October 26, 2007
September 11, Hurricane Katrina, Tony Soprano, and the State of America
In the aftermath of the attacks of September 11, most Americans struggled to find meaning – meaning in what had happened, meaning in why it had happened, and meaning in what the future held. These attacks were more than a terrorist event; more, even, than a declaration of war. The attacks were the crux of an existential crisis for our nation.
In First Aid, instructors focus a good deal of time on how to treat a patient who is in shock. Symptoms include disorientation, numbness, confusion, and most often denial of the fact that they actually are in shock. As a nation, we experienced similar phenomena – denial of the fact that a new age had begun. Many of us held on to the belief that this was a small wound that a quick bandage could heal, instead of attempting to identify and eliminate the source. Michael Moore delivered this theory,
“They did not deserve to die. If someone did this to get back at Bush, then they did so by killing thousands of people who DID NOT VOTE for him! Boston, New York, DC and the plane's destination of California – these were places that voted AGAINST Bush!"
When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, it was seen in a similar light, the explanation was no doubt global warming caused by gas-guzzling Chevys. Ironically, in both situations, the quick fix was to elect Al Gore.
The common explanation for these two landmark events was simple – that the United States was to blame. This rationale does not necessarily stem from unpatriotic sentiment, although there is plenty of that these days. It comes from a deeper psychological impulse that is common in most humans, that is that we feel more relieved and empowered knowing it was our fault, and that a change in behavior and actions can prevent future debacles and loss of life. It is far more terrifying and uncomfortable to wrestle with the idea that Islamic terrorism is a powerful force, motivated by a violent and totalitarian ideology with apocalyptic goals that is not willing to negotiate. That thought is as scary as being in a New Orleans house, battered down by the winds and floods, without help in sight, with the fate of your life in another power’s hands.
Since the end of the Cold War most Americans have been lulled into an illusion of control and reliance on government. The further this country moved from self-reliance and self-survival towards the eventual “nanny” state of socialism, the greater the shock that September 11 presented…and for many Americans, the first response was to go back to sleep and deny that a new and determined enemy had reared its head. Winston Churchill once said, “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” A more appropriate phrase today would be, “If you’re watchin hell unfold on TV, change the channel.” The response of America and its allies since the attack has been impressive in force but pathetic in will. There has been a lack of urgency to change and adapt to this new frightening world, and an overall blasé attitude. America, for all its wondrous achievements in technology and modernity, cannot last forever without the conviction and pride of its citizens. The greatest resource of our country is not a physical commodity, but a human one, the unique nature of our character.
And this is where we find our country today – an all powerful Westernized, modernized, multiculturalized, infantalized, mummified nation where control of our world has been shown to be an illusion. We are Tony Soprano, the bloated mobster who is trying desperately to hang on to the life he has grown so comfortable with. As Tony says to his therapist, “It's good to be in something from the ground floor. I came too late for that, I know. But lately I'm getting the feeling that I came in at the end. The best is over,” while she replies, “I think many Americans feel that way.” Soon we may realize that indeed the best is over – not because of our faults, but because we failed to raise ourselves to defend our strengths.
In First Aid, instructors focus a good deal of time on how to treat a patient who is in shock. Symptoms include disorientation, numbness, confusion, and most often denial of the fact that they actually are in shock. As a nation, we experienced similar phenomena – denial of the fact that a new age had begun. Many of us held on to the belief that this was a small wound that a quick bandage could heal, instead of attempting to identify and eliminate the source. Michael Moore delivered this theory,
“They did not deserve to die. If someone did this to get back at Bush, then they did so by killing thousands of people who DID NOT VOTE for him! Boston, New York, DC and the plane's destination of California – these were places that voted AGAINST Bush!"
When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, it was seen in a similar light, the explanation was no doubt global warming caused by gas-guzzling Chevys. Ironically, in both situations, the quick fix was to elect Al Gore.
The common explanation for these two landmark events was simple – that the United States was to blame. This rationale does not necessarily stem from unpatriotic sentiment, although there is plenty of that these days. It comes from a deeper psychological impulse that is common in most humans, that is that we feel more relieved and empowered knowing it was our fault, and that a change in behavior and actions can prevent future debacles and loss of life. It is far more terrifying and uncomfortable to wrestle with the idea that Islamic terrorism is a powerful force, motivated by a violent and totalitarian ideology with apocalyptic goals that is not willing to negotiate. That thought is as scary as being in a New Orleans house, battered down by the winds and floods, without help in sight, with the fate of your life in another power’s hands.
Since the end of the Cold War most Americans have been lulled into an illusion of control and reliance on government. The further this country moved from self-reliance and self-survival towards the eventual “nanny” state of socialism, the greater the shock that September 11 presented…and for many Americans, the first response was to go back to sleep and deny that a new and determined enemy had reared its head. Winston Churchill once said, “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” A more appropriate phrase today would be, “If you’re watchin hell unfold on TV, change the channel.” The response of America and its allies since the attack has been impressive in force but pathetic in will. There has been a lack of urgency to change and adapt to this new frightening world, and an overall blasé attitude. America, for all its wondrous achievements in technology and modernity, cannot last forever without the conviction and pride of its citizens. The greatest resource of our country is not a physical commodity, but a human one, the unique nature of our character.
And this is where we find our country today – an all powerful Westernized, modernized, multiculturalized, infantalized, mummified nation where control of our world has been shown to be an illusion. We are Tony Soprano, the bloated mobster who is trying desperately to hang on to the life he has grown so comfortable with. As Tony says to his therapist, “It's good to be in something from the ground floor. I came too late for that, I know. But lately I'm getting the feeling that I came in at the end. The best is over,” while she replies, “I think many Americans feel that way.” Soon we may realize that indeed the best is over – not because of our faults, but because we failed to raise ourselves to defend our strengths.
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