rak1@magic.UUCP (Robert Andrew Koeningsburg, Jr.) (03/26/86)
> By the sarcasm I presume you consider the obligatory humiliation, > degradation or outright slaughter of non-Muslims as well as required > or encouraged genital mutilation of women acceptable behavior. > [MARTILLO] I think you are trying to score a point here by generalizing isolated tribal practices (such as the mentioned mutilation, which is sometimes practised in Sudan, Chad, Somalia etc.) to an entire religion. Islam is a religion which encompasses many cultures and races. How prevalent is the aforementioned mutilation in nations such as Turkey or Pakistan or Indonesia? With regard to the *outright slaughter* of non-Muslims, the only *planned* holocausts that have occurred in Muslim history (as far as I know) are (1) The Armenian Holocaust, perpetrated for political rather than religious reasons (2) The extermination of the population of the (non-Muslim) province of Kafiristan in Afghanistan in the late 19th century. Both of these horrors are worthy of condemnation, but the Muslims have a better track record than the Europeans, don't you think? Which continent has had a bloodier history than Europe, "the cradle of Western Civilization"? The Western world has had the benefit of the industrial revolution, and modernization produces liberal thinking. Give the Muslim world some more time (a few centuries more, maybe)!! Do you follow the OT injunctions and stone Sabbath-breakers and adulterers? Precisely not, because you are modern. In a similar vein, non-Muslims in Muslim societies are treated better today than they were 500 years ago. As a sideline (since you are a scholar of the Qu'ran and the Hadith, Mr. Martillo), Abu Talib, the uncle and friend of the Prophet (Peace be on his soul) was never a Muslim; and he was never punished by his distinguished nephew !!! 8------)