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A fatwa free-for-all in the Islamic world
International Herald Tribune ^ | June 11, 2007 | Michael Slackman

Posted on 06/12/2007 10:58:22 AM PDT by siunevada

CAIRO: First came the breast-feeding fatwa: It declared that the Islamic restriction on unmarried men and women being together could be lifted at work if the woman breast-fed her male colleagues five times. Then came the urine fatwa: It said that drinking the urine of the Prophet Muhammad was deemed a blessing.

For the past few weeks, the breast-feeding and urine fatwas have proved a source of national embarrassment in Egypt, not least because they were issued by representatives of the highest religious authorities in the land.

"We were very angered when we heard about the Danish cartoons concerning our Prophet," ..... "However, these two fatwas are harming our Islamic religion and our Prophet more than the cartoons."

For many Muslims, fatwas, or religious edicts, are the bridge between the principles of their faith and modern life. They are supposed to be issued by religious scholars who look to the Koran and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad for guidance.

While the more sensational pronouncements grab attention, the bulk of the fatwas involve the routine of daily life. In Egypt alone, thousands are issued every month.

The controversy in Cairo has been more than just embarrassing. It comes at a time when religious and political leaders say there is a crisis in Islam because too many fatwas are being issued and many rely on ideology more than learning.

****

Technically, the fatwa is nonbinding and recipients are free to shop around for a better ruling. In a faith with no central doctrinal authority, there has been an explosion of places offering fatwas, ....

"There is chaos now," Megawer said. "The problem created is confusion in thought, confusion about what is right and what is wrong religiously."

(Excerpt) Read more at iht.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: islam; muhammadsminions
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To: M1Tanker
"Didn’t hear about the urine fatwa... "

That is because in sophisticated circles, it is referred to as the Golden fatwa. ;-)

41 posted on 06/12/2007 4:54:16 PM PDT by verity (Muhammed and Harry Reid are Dirt Bags)
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To: Moose4

I’ve a fatwa, she’s a fatwa, he’s a fatwa, we’ve a fatwa, wouldn’t you like to have a fatwa, too?


42 posted on 06/12/2007 4:59:03 PM PDT by Pining_4_TX
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To: GovernmentShrinker
So where is anybody going to get the necessary substance for this “blessing”?

Don’t try to confuse the worshipers of Mohammed.

It’s already been done.

;-)

43 posted on 06/12/2007 4:59:26 PM PDT by fanfan ("We don't start fights my friends, but we finish them, and never leave until our work is done."PMSH)
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To: John Semmens
51% support the rocket attacks on Israel even though 66% say the attacks provide no real benefit to the Palestinians.

Let’s do the wrong thing because it feels good?

How does one fight people who think like that?

44 posted on 06/12/2007 5:02:12 PM PDT by fanfan ("We don't start fights my friends, but we finish them, and never leave until our work is done."PMSH)
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To: fanfan

“A New Hope” in the Falcon when Artoo is beating Chewie at “chess”.

I just changed the lines a little.


45 posted on 06/12/2007 5:46:37 PM PDT by M1Tanker (Proven Daily: Modern "progressive" liberalism is just National Socialism without the "twisted cross")
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To: M1Tanker

Thanks.


46 posted on 06/12/2007 5:51:31 PM PDT by fanfan ("We don't start fights my friends, but we finish them, and never leave until our work is done."PMSH)
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To: verity
Ohhh.. The “Golden Fatwa”. Somehow it does not seem to equate to the “Golden Rule”, but I cannot quite say (out loud) why. Just this feeling I have that Islam is a cult based on war, conquest, slavery, and deviance (for men only). I think this feeling comes from years of watching these fools kill every non-Islamic and Islamic who does not fit their view of “Muslim”. It might also come from the fact I have read the Koran and find it repulsive and disgusting. Maybe also that since going to Iraq, I have become even more disgusted with Islam.

I am sure some Islamic apologist/appeaser/dhimmi will order me to seek out “brilliant” Imam (with a tundra temperature IQ) so he can tell me what to think so I, the Kuffer (infidel), can “understand” (be silenced).

47 posted on 06/12/2007 5:55:55 PM PDT by M1Tanker (Proven Daily: Modern "progressive" liberalism is just National Socialism without the "twisted cross")
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To: rageaholic

For the common people I think that’s probably true for the most part. However, I strongly suspect that many if not most of the leaders behind these violent movements are motivated exclusively by politics. Saddam Hussein was paying off the families of suicide bombers in order to encourage more people to become suicide bombers. Did the suicide bombers believe they’d also be getting goodies in Paradise as a reward? Most probably did. Did Saddam believe that? I seriously doubt it. For Saddam it was all about power, politics, and money, and manipulating the confused religious beliefs of many people in this part of the world was just a convenient means to achieve his utterly secular objectives.


48 posted on 06/12/2007 9:58:30 PM PDT by GovernmentShrinker
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To: GovernmentShrinker

Saddam is now irrelevant


49 posted on 06/13/2007 4:17:37 AM PDT by rageaholic
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To: rageaholic; GovernmentShrinker

Islam is irrelevant.


50 posted on 06/15/2007 10:27:18 PM PDT by John Frum
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