***warning: the following explores very heavy, adult-related material that is not for the faint of heart or stomach...but scroll down further***
one concept mentioned in relation to islam was the female circumcision that goes on in Africa- which i'd like to rename "Heinous Mutilation of Innocent Little Girls." male circumcision is different and i am not against it. yes you may argue that i feel that way because of my Judeo-Christian beliefs, but that's not it... male circumcision does not harm the male organs to the point where they do not function as they should or meant to function. female circumcision is so despicable that it causes intense, unbearable pain to the victim (often inflicted on a young girl by her own parents). her little organs are permanently mutilated. the defense is that the practice of female circumcision keeps the woman from "going astray." which is ridiculous. a woman will go astray if she wants to, just as a man will if he wants to, and whether he is circumcised or not.
this practice goes on as well when certain militant groups seize and torture and rape women - but that is another topic.
**mmk it's not as bad from here on**
many Muslims are just as horrified as you and i are over this. the Koran, the Bible and the Torah are all interpreted so many different ways resulting in some conflicts that end violently. each group saying "this is what the verse means" and the other group saying "no you're wrong. it means this..."
while i am not a Muslim (i am a Christian), and i do not follow the Koran, i do not believe that the Koran endorses the despicable act of female circumcision. that women should cover themselves? yes. many disagree as to the extent that women should cover themselves and whether it should be voluntary (should the woman cover only her cleavage? everything but her hands and face? everything but her eyes? everything?). many seem to agree that the woman's decision to wear the head covering should be her own decision - and not forced on her, like was forced on the Iranian women in the 1970s.
and many, including every Muslim i have ever met, disagree with the extreme beliefs that terrorists have that they must violently murder innocent people and commit suicide all because that will lead them to paradise. the exact reasons and beliefs behind this, i must admit, i have not fully researched. unfortunetely not enough seem to disagree as suicide bombing missions go on EVERY DAY.
i do not believe you should kill someone for the sole reason that they are of a different religion.
i disagree with the laws of some european countries that make it illegal to wear a religious head covering or any other form of religious identity. Jewish men should be allowed to wear the kippah, if they so choose. Christian women should be allowed to wear cross necklaces if they so choose. and Muslim women should be allowed to cover themselves from head to toe if that is what they want to do.
this song is beautiful... and the movie Kingdom of Heaven is phenomenal...
