Posted on 05/12/2004 12:53:03 PM PDT by Cyrus the Great
True. That's why I knew my offer to "convert" was facetious, including my cowboy hat.
They believe that whatever one was born was part of God's plan
I raised this concept in the class and asked what path a person, such as I, with an Irish Catholic father and a Scottish Presbyterian mother, should follow. Nothing definitive came of the discussion except others in the class thought that I must be conflicted. Funny, I don't feel in conflict with the Almighty at all.
. Its amazing as there are many positive aspects to this faith which contemporary individuals would find refreshingly appealing.
Oh, I think so too. As I mentioned before, to "weaken evil" is my excuse to do a good deed (when the lawyers aren't looking).
David never believed there was competition for this Supreme place. "Hasten, O God, to save me" is a constant refrain in the Psalms. Not "Hasten, O Gods" but singular...."God".
You will not find plural worship advocated by Jewish leaders in books like the Psalms or Job.
If a Jew does slip into idolatry, he is castigated. Even the high priest, Aaron, was castigated for this.
In general, my reply is this.....the Koran was written during times of war. Some advice is to soldiers the day or just hours before a battle. Some is in answer to direct questions from the soldiers....like what they should do when they meet the enemy, how they should fight the enemy, etc. So, much of the gory details involved in cutting off heads, etc. is wartime talk. It's not meant for everyday living. But people take lines from the Koran and use them out of context all the time.
Grapes? I think Safeway has them on sale this week.
Incorrect, Allah was the name or title of a pagan Arabian deity.
Was the word "God" always used for the Deity of the Bible or was it also used for pagan deities?
Is the word "God" used in all languages to refer to the Deity of the Bible?
What do Christian Arabs call the Deity of the Bible?
I'll let Cyrus speak for himself, but I do want to correct your misconception or misinterpretation, or misunderstanding.......when he spoke about the students in Iran fighting for the same things the U.S. is fighting for, he meant democracy and freedom.
You're welcome, and I agree.
And God continue to bless you and your precious child.
Thank you Cyrus for posting.
Thank you Luis for describing his critics in plain and honest language.
"Show me."
Well, for a start:
In the Hadith, Mohammed was quoted as saying, "The sons of Adam are accountable for all lies with the exception of those spoken to reconcile two men that are quarreling, for a man to appease his wife, and in war, because war necessitates deception."
Within Islam there is the principle of "Al Takeyya." The term means, "the prevention". This principle permits Muslims to lie at their discretion whenever they interpret that it is expedient for the influence of Islam or their personal well-being. They justify lying by using the following verse as a springboard for expanded applications of Al Takeyya. "Let not the believers take the disbelievers for friends rather than believers. And whoever does this has no connection with Allah unless it is done to guard (Takeyya) yourselves against them, guarding carefully. And Allah cautions you against His retribution. And to Allah is the eventual coming." (Koran 3:27)
Well, duh. "Mr. Hitler, we will be invading in Normandy instead of Calais. We wouldn't want to lie to you." There are no more orders to lie on the scale you are suggesting in the Quran than there are in the Bible.
I know and work with many "Muslims" from different parts of the world(even Indonesia). However, it truth, they are Muslim in name only. They don't really practice their religon.
I maintain that a person cannot be a "devout" Muslim and not on some level support these terrorist animals. Even if is by not doing anything at all.
Very great comment, Cyrus.
Comments from the urbane and wise Persians convince me that Persia is a great nation just waiting to shake of shackles of some bad history. I sometimes make me wish that ancient Persian empire and Byzantium too wasnt crushed by cultural inferiors like the Arab Saracens and the Mongols.
(take comment with grain of :-) )
Man. . . I think that's about the lousiest, most anti-American piece of crap post i've read.
Do you treat everyone around you like that?
Cyrus Jaan,
Awfaraan basyeh ehn condemnation. [Great Job in the condemnation]
I'm glad you stepped up to the plate to condemn these acts of radical Islamic terrorism, because people need to hear these things more from "Muslims", not from Iranian-American Christians.
I really respect you and admire you for all you've done.
nuconvert thanks for ping and
pinging for iran ping list.
A belated "Welcome!"
Cyrus is not Arab... but let that go. I have two Muslim colleagues (Egyptian) whom I see about once a year -- one seems much like Cyrus and is someone I have come to respect. The other is a firebrand. I get the impression from the former that it is not safe or wise for a "moderate" to speak out.
Very interesting. Thanks!
A couple of examples from the world of Blogs
Mahmood's Den
http://www.mahmood.tv/
Nick Berg
Thu, 13 May 2004 15:50:46
I'm not shocked at all about the manner of Nick Berg's death. The sub-humans who carried out this crime bring shame on all of humanity, let alone Islam. And the whole of humanity should strike back. These extremists no matter what they call themselves should be dealt with.
If we as Muslims stay quiet about this situation, then we too shall join the ranks of sub-humanity and will be completely culpable.
My heartfelt condolences to Nick's family and friends. Although this could never be consolation to his family, if there is a definition of martyr, then surely Nick is one.
Hammorabi
http://hammorabi.blogspot.com/
Sunday, May 16, 2004Nicholas Berg Murder
I don't know NB but according to Imam Ali saying he is a brother for all of us in humanity (The people are two; either brother for you in religion or brother for you in humanity). When I saw the video of NB beheading I had a strange feeling never experienced before which is a mixture of my brain went standstill and my stomach and heart went up to my head! It is more than sickness indeed.
Those who killed NB are worse than the devil and it is not right to describe them as animals because animals feel ashamed from such behaviour. The only creature (which) may do such crime is the man! The history of mankind is full with atrocities and killing. The main mischief in this earth comes from mankind!
Other things which make me to feel surprised when I saw the video is why NB was wearing the uniform which is used by the Americans for the prisoners?! The other thing is whether the thugs who killed him asphyxiated him or killed him before the beheading because of the way his blood was spraying was very poor. Cutting the neck arteries(carotid arteries) should produce a strong spray of blood. NB also was weak in his resistance to the knife and pain a case may result from exhaustion or heavy sedation. In any way those who killed him should be brought to justice and tried and executed by the same way.
NB had no crime to be killed in such barbaric way. Even if he was a killer or criminal it is the justice and law which should confirm that and punish but not an outlawed people. The thugs who killed him as if they killed the whole mankind according to the Quran:
If any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. (The Holly Quran Sura-Al-Maeda 5;32)
The thugs who killed him said that it is in revenge to the abuses of the Iraqi prisoners in Abu Ghrieb. This is wrong because NB has nothing to do with that issue and according to the Quran this is wrong as there is no burden should be put on another one who has nothing to do with it:
Nor can a bearer of burdens bear another's burdens if one heavily laden should call another to (bear) his load. Not the least portion of it can be carried (by the other). Even though he be nearly related. Thou canst but admonish such as fear their Lord unseen and establish regular Prayer. And whoever purifies himself does so for the benefit of his own soul; and the destination (of all) is to Allah. (The Holly Quran Sura-Fatir (The Originator) 35;18)
God (Allah) is innocent from these thugs and he surely will punish them. He indeed distanced himself from their action before it takes place:
If it had been thy Lord's will, they would all have believed,- all who are on earth! wilt thou then compel mankind, against their will, to believe! (The Holly Quran Sura-Yunus (Jonah) 10;99)
We would like to see the thugs captured and tried so soon and punished in front of the camera.
THE MESOPOTAMIAN
http://messopotamian.blogspot.com/
Friday, May 14, 2004
Hi Friends,
Regarding the horrible act of beheading the poor hostage Nicolas Berg, there is no use in expressions of horror and condemnation, but it is necessary to express sincere condolence and sympathy with the family of the victim.
But I would like to inform the American friends that beheading was known to be one of the techniques of the Fedayeen Saddam. The late Uday, the son of Saddam commanded that particular outfit. I think it was the summer of 1999 when we woke up some morning to be shocked by some horrible news. Before we tell you about that it is necessary to recount something that has some bearing on the subject. You might have heard that an assassination attempt against Uday had taken place in 1996, which left him with injuries that caused impotency. This made him even more cruel and sadistic than his usual self. It has been revealed after the fall of the regime that he shot the doctor who broke the news to him (c.f. interview with one of the close bodyguards of Uday at Al Arabia last year). This added one more complex to his extensive repertoire of psychological problems. He started to hate anything to do with other people having any kind of sexual pleasure.
Well, that horrible day we learnt that the night before the Fedayeen had attacked scores of houses and dragged women and young girls to streets and beheaded many with swords leaving the heads at the doorsteps of the victims houses. Some of these heads were left in place for more than twenty-four hours. The atrocities lasted for several weeks. The pretext for this behavior was a campaign against prostitution. The women who were beheaded were alleged to be prostitution madams and some of their young girls. I remember that my young boys came home suffering from shock as one of these houses was in our area and they knew the occupants quite well. The victims were taken by surprised and there was nothing to arouse their fears before that night. This was typical of the Baathists when they planned some atrocity to attack suddenly at some predetermined moment without any previous warning. Throughout the reign of the Baath party and particularly the Saddam era, it was customary to suffer periodic atrocities carefully planned and imaginatively variable to keep the people terrified all the time. It was considered necessary not to leave the people too long without some thing awful to keep them intimidated properly. The Baathists were masters of the “Terreur”, and it was the essential means of their hold on power. In fact what we see now is something rather similar. It is a similar technique; they are trying to intimidate both the Iraqi people first but mainly the western people. They will stop at nothing. You must understand that this is their only expertise; their sole training and method and way of thinking. They think they can inspire fear and terror into the Coalition forces and their people and leadership exactly in the same way that they did with the Iraqis. They think that they can intimidate the whole world exactly in the same way that they did with us.
So I just wanted to say the above to help people understand why these horrible things are happening: You are just being treated to a small sample of what we suffered for more than three decades.
Salaam
# posted by Alaa : 12:39 PM
We would like to see the thugs captured and tried so soon and punished in front of the camera.
If what I heard on the radio is correct, they may have their chance soon.
I maintain that a person cannot be a "devout" Muslim and not on some level support these terrorist animals. Even if is by not doing anything at all.
Khaled Abou El Fadl
Mansour al-Nogaidan
Ahmed H. al-Rahim
Dalil Boubakeur
Saad Eddin Ibrahim
Kanan Makiya
Sheikh Kabbani
Adnan Oktar
To name but a few.
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