Periodically, I come across posts that attempt to shed some light or whitewash (since I’ve never read the Koran I really don’t know which one it is) Koran’s attitude toward women. The beautiful, the poetic, the condescending, the argumentative, all of them seem to agree on one thing: Koran’s view of women is loving, progressive, and respectful. Men?.. I guess it’s a given that the Allah is cool with them, since I’ve never heard a man touting the delights afforded to him by Koran (except for the 70 virgins, who might turn out to be raisins). My view of Islam is shaped entirely by what its holy men preach and practice. The stories from
Sheik al Hilaly's remarks were made during a Ramadan sermon to 500 worshippers in
"If you take out uncovered meat and place it outside on the street, or in the garden or in the park, or in the backyard without a cover, and the cats come and eat it ... whose fault is it, the cats' or the uncovered meat," the sheik asked.
"The uncovered meat is the problem."
"If she was in her room, in her home, in her hijab (Muslim headscarf), no problem would have occurred."In this colorful simile, the uncovered meat represents “scantily dressed women”, and carnivorous cats are featured as men. "Who is this man, so utterly ignorant of the humanistic ideal that is real Islam?" you ask. “[Sheik Hilaly is] regarded by much of the Islamic community as the mufti [a Muslim scholar who interprets the sharia] of
Loving, progressive, respectful.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Of cats & meat
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Poor people to poor neighborhoods!
Poor people die sooner when living in higher-income neighborhoods than in poorer ones, a new report concludes. Researchers analyzed 17 years' worth of data on thousands of people from four mid-size northern California cities to determine the death rates among different socioeconomic groups residing in the same neighborhoods.
In neighborhoods with a top median income of $47,000, 19 of every 1,000 poor women had died after 17 years, compared with 11 per 1,000 in neighborhoods that had a top median income of $38,600; men fared similarly. Both groups tended to die from the same chronic diseases, and the pattern remained even after accounting for age, obesity, blood pressure and smoking status, the group reports in a paper to be published in the December American Journal of Public Health.
ScientificAmerican.com, Oct. 31, 2006
In a related story, the Republican leadership has proudly announced that they have heard and heeded the criticism from their liberal colleagues on such topics as healthcare, housing, quality of life for the low-income individuals, and the issue of social fairness in our society. In an attempt to extend the longevity of life for the more vulnerable segment of the population, the proposed legislature will enable landlords not only to refuse housing to applicants attempting to move to better neighborhoods, but also to evict the current tenants if the landlord feels that the tenants are “bringing the place down.” Other causes for refusal include the following:
In a closed press conference with the Homeless Herald, and the Newark Times, a spokesman for the White House has said that this community-focused piece of legislature also underscores the administration’s commitment to the scientific theory, which served as an impetus for this groundbreaking social policy.
- funny (or not funny enough) accents
- oversized jewelry and/or neon trimming on the automobile
- lack of a trust fund
- consumption of wine-coolers
- possession of a Men’s Warehouse suit
- income level lower than the landlord’s cat allowance
- scurvy
- a discount card from Family Dollar stores
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