I had a Nigerian friend in law school who is Christian...she told me that they were very badly mistreated by Muslims there...that there was always a sense of fear and dread... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2501893.stm Friday, 22 November, 2002, 15:24 GMT Nigeria riots spread to capital Several churches were destroyed in Kaduna Hundreds of Muslim youths have gone on the rampage in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, following Friday prayers. The BBC's Haruna Bahago in Abuja says people armed with sticks, daggers and knives set fire to vehicles and attacked anyone they suspected of being Christian. Miss World contestants are staying near Abuja's main mosque The northern city of Kaduna is now quiet after two days of rioting in protest at the Miss World beauty contest, which left at least 100 people dead, according to Red Cross officials. The protests began after a newspaper suggested that the Prophet Mohammed would have probably chosen to marry one of the Miss World contestants if he had witnessed the beauty pageant - which Nigeria is currently hosting. The contest's organisers said on Friday they intend to go ahead with the event despite the protests. Surrounded On Thursday, thousands of Muslim youths went through the suburbs of Kaduna, putting up barricades of burning tyres, setting fire to buildings, and attacking churches. According to the Associated Press news agency, thousands of people have sought refuge in army bases and police stations. Kaduna is one of Nigeria's most volatile cities; more than 2,000 people died there in clashes between Christians and Muslims two years ago. The Kaduna protesters demanded the cancellation of the Miss World contest. Muslim groups say it is immoral and degrading to women, and are also angry that preliminary events began during the holy month of Ramadan. The final, to be held in Abuja, was postponed until 7 December - after the end of Ramadan. Tight security About 90 contestants are in Nigeria for the Miss World events, which are only taking place in southern areas which are largely Christian. Our correspondent in Abuja says that many people suffered either knife wounds or beatings and the rioters were advancing on the city's central market. Kaduna's Christians fought back against Muslim radicals He was himself surrounded by a group of angry Muslim radicals, who suspected he was Christian and had to shout "Allahu Akbar" (God is great) until they let him go. The riots began at Abuja's central mosque, a short distance from the hotel where the Miss World contestants are staying amid tight security. In Kaduna, mobs of minority Christian youths were reported to be retaliating against Muslims, and an overnight curfew was extended. Red Cross spokesman George Bennett told the BBC that medical teams were working to give first aid to the injured, and that scores of bodies had been identified amid the debris. Dogged by controversy The Nigerian Government has appealed for calm and has assured Muslims that those responsible for the article, which appeared in ThisDay newspaper, would be brought to book, for exceeding "the bounds of responsible journalism." ThisDay has retracted the offending article and has published apologies. Nigeria is hosting Miss World after Miss Nigeria won last year The chairman of the group that owns the Lagos-based paper suggested that a computer glitch could have been to blame for the fact that the story went to press in the first place. The holding of the Miss World contest in Nigeria has also provoked international controversy. It had been threatened by a boycott by beauty queens after a woman convicted of adultery, Amina Lawal, was sentenced to death by a Sharia court.
I heard these riots were caused by some Christian newspaper published an ad saying Mohumad would have supported the "Show". I'd get pretty pissed if I read that.
Yeah...I ranted about this in the South Africa AIDS thread by mistake. This is really sickening stuff. Senseless killings in the name of Islam I guess.
That'd be pretty stupid of you to get so worked up that instead of disregarding someones opinion, you'd lose it to the point where'd you go burn down their churches, kill random people ... not cool. And totally uncalled for. You don't like it? Go start a rally or something ...
really?? would you be pissed enough to riot and kill people? a couple of weeks back we were talking about people saying jesus must have been high on mushrooms...where were the riots, az? did you see anyone here saying that we would be sympathetic to a violent riot to protest that???
Never said I'd kill people over it, just think it is crap they lie about a prophet. HayesStreet, your an ignorant ass.
Damn, that's not very nice. Did I say something factually incorrect? Oh right, she was 9 not 6. Oops.
i understand...people lie all the time...that is ZERO excuse of killing like this...for rioting like this... people put the cross in a bottle of urine and call it art, az...does it upset me?? sure it does....do i issue a fatwah against the artist? absolutely not. like it or not, the response of islam (from my perception) has been, "if someone says something bad about islam, you kill them." someone issues a fatwah, and that's it. on september 10, 2001, a group of muslims stood in downtown houston with signs saying, "death to rushdie," as salman rushdie was in town talking about his new book. there is something fundamentally wrong with a response like that from such a large mass of people.
Though you may not agree with the article, do you believe that Muhammad, the prophet of Islam would in any way have advocated the insane reaction on the part of those uneducated fools. Muhammad, allowed Christians and Jews to live freely under Islamic rule and with no problems because they were "people of the book" The problem is that the literacy rates in these third world post colonized nations is the worst in the world. These people cannot truly read the Koran and the message of Muhammad, they simply follow the orders of the religious clergy who manipulated the herds of people for their own power. Its ironic that the muslim world is in the state that it is in when Muhammad and Islam was the first religion/society to give inheratance to women and the women the primary one to accept a marriage proposal. I get so disgusted with the actions in these nations. I've seen people that I know become involved with these cleric groups and it infects their mind like a plague. The prophet of Islam, Muhammad also very much believed in free speech and a democracy in which the people selected a leader. Its ironic that all these people that claim to be "muslim" bypass 90% of the example that he set in life.
So true. The fact is that the religious leaders in every faith don't want to be questioned. Azadre should look at his country Iran for example in which an individual that stated everyone should read and interpret the Koran how they see it is to be executed. I think the problem is that it is not questioned enough, as a legal document is scrutinized and can make many different opinions about a matter, the koran is the same. Why should I hold someone else's opinion as fact? As God gave me a mind, I should use it. The religious right simply never wishes to relinquish power and uses fear, ignorance and manipulation to do so .
Thanks F.D. As a non-muslim, when I hear about insanity like this....then I see a response to it like Azadre's, I get really worried that this isn't just isolated stupidity. I need to hear more comments like yours.
A hundred wives eh? I can't believe I have to pull this article up again... Prophet Muhammad and Aisha Siddiqa®? by Sabeel Ahmed Through the centuries, orientalists have advance numerous accusations and far-fetched theories to discredit Islam and its last Prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him). Praise be to Allah alone, all such accusations have been successfully refuted by the Muslims Ummah. Currently, one of the `reinvented' accusations against the noble character of the Prophet is about his marriage to young Aisha Siddiqa ®. Let's probe some of the orientalists' charges in detail in the light of modern research, historic evidence and the Islamic sources of the Quran and the Sunnah to separate truth from falsehood, and display to the world that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is indeed an exemplary for all of mankind. Two main theories are often advance by orientalists to attack the pure character of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) on his marriage to Aisha ® at her young age. A. He was a Pedophile. B. He was involved in child abuse. Let's analyze each theory to dig out the truth, through the Guidance of Allah (SWT). A. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) married Aisha ® because he was a pedophile? Definition of a Pedophile: "Pedophile: also spelled PEDOPHILIA, psychosexual disorder in which an adult's arousal and sexual gratification occur primarily through sexual contact with prepubescent children. The typical pedophile is unable to find satisfaction in an adult sexual relationship and may have low self-esteem, seeing sexual activity with a child as less threatening than that with an adult." Encyclopedia Britannica, 1998 "pe.do.phil.ia n [NL] (1906): sexual perversion in which children are the preferred sexual object -- pe.do.phil.i.ac or pe.do.phil.ic adj." Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary The diagnostic criteria for pedophilia according to American Psychiatric Association: Over a period of at least 6 months, recurrent intense sexual urges and sexual arousing fantasies involving sexual activity with a prepubescent child or children. The person has acted on these urges, or is markedly distressed by them. The person is at least 16 years old and at least 5 years older than the child or children in A. DSM-III-R Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, ed 3, revised, copyright American Psychiatric Association. "In addition to their pedophilia, a significant number of pedophiles are concomitantly or have previously been involved in exhibitionism, voyeurism, or rape". (Voyeurism's the recurrent preoccupation with fantasized or acts that involve seeking out or observing people who are naked, or are engaged in grooming or in sexual activity". Synopsis of psychiatry, Harold I.Kaplan et al., 5th ed., pg360, Publishers: Williams and Wilkens, 1988 Does the Prophet fit the above criteria of a pedophile? With the above criteria of a pedophile in mind, lets analyze the lifestyle of the prophet and his marriages. Name of Bride Bride's age at marriage Comments Khadija bint khawilad 40 Twice widowed before Sauda Bint Zama 50 Widow Aisha bint Abu Bakr 9 Started living with the prophet at the age of 9. Hafsa Bint Umar bin Khattab 22 Widow Zainab bint Khuzaima 30 Umm-I-Salma bint Abu Umayia 26 Widow Zainab Bint Jahash 38 Widow Juwaeria Bint Harith 20 Widow Umm-I-Habiba bint Abu Sufyan 36 Widow Marya Qibtiya bint shamun 17 Virgin, Egyptian Safia bint Hayi bin Akhtab 17 Widow Raihana bint umru bin hanafa Not available Maimuna bint harith 36 Widow Source: The Prophet of Islam, the Ideal Husband, by Syed Abu Zafar Zain, Kazi Publications, Lahore, Ist Ed., pg. 10-12 Statistics from the above table: Percentage of his wives who were 17years and older = 91 % Percentage of his wives who were widows = 75% Comment: The statistics show that the prophet's marriage to Aisha at her young age was an exception and not a norm of his other marriages. Furthermore `a pedophile's main mode of sexual satisfaction is with prepubescent girls', which is contradictory to the 91% of prophet's marriage to women 17 years and over. An unbiased examination of Prophet's life and his marriages to his wives blatantly rejects the notion of his lifestyle fitting that of a pedophile. All his brides were aged widows (except Aisha and Marium). Moreover, according to the criteria in the references cited above in `Synopsis of Psychiatry', a vast majority of pedophiles possess a history of exhibitionism, voyeurism, or rape. Again, there is no single reference from either religious or secular sources that the noble Prophet ever indulged in such sadistic behavior (God forbid). This truth is observed and accepted by both Muslims and unbiased non- Muslims scholars. "It is impossible for anyone who studies the life and character of the great Prophet of Arabia, who knows how he taught and how he lived, to feel anything but reverence for that mighty Prophet, one of the great messengers of the Supreme. And although in what I put to you I shall say many things which may be familiar to many, yet I myself feel whenever I re-read them, a new way of admiration, a new sense of reverence for that mighty Arabian teacher." – Annie Besant, THE LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF MUHAMMAD, Madras, 1932, p. 4. B. Others claim that the noble Prophet (peace be upon him) indulged in child-abuse when he married Aisha at her young age. Let scrutinize this allegation… Definition of Child Abuse: Child Abuse, also called CRUELTY TO CHILDREN, the willful and unjustifiable infliction of pain and suffering on children. The term can denote the use of inordinate physical violence; unjustifiable verbal abuse; the failure to furnish proper shelter, nourishment, medical treatment, or emotional support; incest; other cases of sexual molestation or rape; and the making of child p*rnography. Frequently described by the medical profession as the "battered-child syndrome," abusive treatment of children is almost universally proscribed by criminal statutes. Child abuse can have serious future consequences for the victims involved. Delays in physical growth, impaired language and cognitive abilities, and problems in personality development, learning, and behavior are common following instances of child abuse or neglect.Encyclopedia Britannica, 1998 Comment: None of the criteria of child-abuse applies to the noble life of the Prophet (pbuh). There is no single incident of any infliction of pain and suffering by the prophet on Aisha or any other human being for that matter. Neither any instance of verbal or sexual abuse can be concluded from the relationship of the prophet with Aisha ® or any of his wives. An abused child can have serious future consequences…delayed physical growth, impaired language..learning and behavior…etc (above definition). As one examines the chaste life of Aisha ®, her personality, physical, mental and spiritual development are all contrary to that of an abused child. In fact through the Prophet's marriage and his guidance to Aisha, history testifies that she should be labeled not as an abused child but as a `blessed child'. After analyzing and refuting the accusations against the noble character of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the only viable alternative left with us is: C. The Prophet married Aisha for the benefit of Islam and Humanity. Lets analyze… The Prophet married Aisha primarily for three reasons: To reinforce the friendly relations already existing with Abu Bakr (his closest companion). To educate and train Aisha so she may serve the purposes of Islam. To teach her to utilize her capabilities for the sake of Islam. Her Marriage with the prophet was a Wahi (Divine Revelation). She, herself relates from the Prophet, `He said, "I saw you in dreams three times. The angel brought you to me and you were clad in white silk. He (the angel) said that it was your consort and he (angel) showed me by opening your face. You are just like that…" Sahih Muslim, Vol.2, p.285. Aisha ® was born after her parents had embraced Islam. Therefore, she was free from the defilement of polytheism right from her birth. In her youth, already known for her striking beauty and her formidable memory, she came under the loving care and attention of the Prophet himself. As his wife and close companion she acquired from him knowledge and insight such as no woman has ever acquired. Aishah lived on almost fifty years after the passing away of the Prophet. She had been his wife for a decade. Much of this time was spent in learning and acquiring knowledge of the two most important sources of God's guidance, the Quran and the Sunnah of His Prophet. Aishah ® was one of the three wives (the other two being Hafsa ® and Umm Salamah ®) who memorized the Revelation. Like Hafsa ®, she had her own script of the Quran written after the Prophet had died. So far as the Hadith or sayings of the Prophet is concerned, Aishah ® is one of four persons (the others being Abu Hurrah, Abdullah ibn Umar, and Ana ibn Malik) who transmitted more than two thousand sayings. From her, 2210 Hadith have come, out of which 174 Hadith are commonly agreed upon by both Bukhari and Muslim. Many of her transmissions pertain to some of the most intimate aspects of personal behavior which only someone in Aishah's position could have learnt. What is most important is that her knowledge of Hadith was passed on in written form by at least three persons including her nephew Urwah who became one of the greatest scholars among the generation after the Companions. It is the claim of the Scholars of Islam that without her, half of the Ilm-I-Hadith [knowledge, understanding of the Hadith (and Islam)] would have perished. Many of the learned companions of the Prophet and their followers benefited from Aishah's knowledge. Abu Musa al-Ashari once said: "If we companions of the Messenger of God had any difficulty on a matter, we asked Aisha about it." "Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said from Said ibn al- Musayyab that Abu Musa al-Ashari came to Aishah, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said to her, "The disagreement of the companions in a matter which I hate to bring before you has distressed me." She said, "What is that? You did not ask your mother about it, so ask me." He said, "A man penetrates his wife, but becomes listless and does not ejaculate. "She said, "When the circumcised part passes the circumcised part ghusl is obligatory." Abu Musa added, "I shall never ask anyone about this after you." Al-Muwatta of Imam Malik Hadith 2.75 Arwa Bin Zubair says, "I did not find anyone more proficient (than Aisha ®) in the knowledge of the Holy Quran, the Commandments of Halal (lawful) and Haram (prohibited), Ilmul-Ansab and Arabic poetry. That is why, even senior companions of the Prophet used to consult Aisha ® in resolving intricate issued".Jala-ul-Afham by Ibn Qaiyem and Ibn Sa'ad, Vol.2, p.26 Abu Musa al-Ashari says: "Never had we (the companions) had any difficulty for the solution of which we approached Aisha and did not get some useful information from her".Sirat-I-Aisha, on the authority of Trimidhi, pg. 163 As a teacher she had a clear and persuasive manner of speech and her power of oratory has been described in superlative terms by al-Ahnaf who said: "I have heard speeches of Abu Bakr and Umar, Uthman and Ali and the Khulafa up to this day, but I have not heard speech more persuasive and more beautiful from the mouth of any person than from the mouth of Aishah." The Prophet said, "The superiority of 'Aisha to other ladies is like the superiority of Tharid (i.e. meat and bread dish) to other meals. Many men reached the level of perfection, but no woman reached such a level except Mary, the daughter of Imran and Asia, the wife of Pharaoh." Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith, Narrated by Abu Musa Al Ashari Hadith 4.643 Musa Ibn Talha ® says, "I did not see anyone more eloquent than Aisha ®" Mustadrak of Hakim, Vol.4,p.11 Men and women came from far and wide to benefit from her knowledge. Aisha's great interest in the study of the Qur'an is understandable. She was an eye-witness to a number of revelations and had therefore a clear idea of the circumstances in which they were revealed. It was on her bed alone (and no other consort's) that the Prophet received Wahi (Divine Revelations) several times. This helped her in interpreting the verses. At the time of the Prophet's death, the Prophet's head was on her lap. It was in her quarters that the Prophet was buried. The life of Aishah (R) is a proof that a woman can be far more learned than men and that she can be the teacher of scholars and experts. Her life is also a proof that a woman can exert influence over men and women and provide them with inspiration and leadership. Aisha (R) is a continuing inspiration and role model to today's youth who are diligently searching for an example amongst the pop stars, movie actresses and sports stars. May the memory of her's live forever in the heart of the Muslim Ummah and may Allah grant her the highest abode in Paradise…Aameen. Conclusion: It was the aforementioned qualities of Aisha ® and the Prophet's guidance in molding these capabilities for the service of Islam, were the main reasons, why the Prophet Married young Aisha ®, and not the perverted reasons brought forth by misguided orientalists. Muslims invite all sincere humans to study the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon) in the light of the authentic sources of the Quran and the Sunnah (exemplary sayings and deeds of the Prophet) and judge for themselves where the truth lies. Indeed, by recognizing the truth of Islam as the final and complete Guidance sent by our Creator can humanity find lasting peace in this world and a means of salvation from the hell fire in the hereafter. "I have studied him - the wonderful man and in my opinion far from being an anti-Christ, he must be called the Savior of Humanity. I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it the much needed peace and happiness: I have prophesied about the faith of Muhammad that it would be acceptable to the Europe of tomorrow as it is beginning to be acceptable to the Europe of today." George Bernard Shaw, THE GENUINE ISLAM, Vol. 1, No. 81936. Though, the Prophet is not among us in his flesh, but his exemplary life has been preserved for all humanity to follow. When Truth comes Falsehood disappears, Islam came, now Shirk (polytheism) must clear Welcome to Islam…
What the hell makes you think I would kill over someone saying crap like that? I only said I'd get pissed, not lead the Nigerains on a rampage. Geez...
you seemed to be jumping to their defense...that's why. the thread included the following: an article...a couple of posts about how ridiculous their behavior was...a post from you saying you'd get pissed too if you read that...how in the world are we supposed to interpret that, az. I know you're still a young guy, but this is like the 3rd time this has happened where you've had to backtrack when defending this kind of stuff...or saying something like, "everyone dies" after reading of the murder of a jewish child in israel.
Oh my God! I can't believe you posted that. Yes....you found a written document that states that Muhammad had less than 100 wives. But at what expense? The basic argument in your article is that it's OK to marry a nine year old if 91% of your other wives are older than 17?!? Please F.D.---come back with some calming, soothing words. I'm freaking out here. I'm starting to panic. My sense of security is fleeting.....and although it may be false, I need it come back.
OK, let me say that I have an appreciation for your faith. Not for Islam, per se, but that you are a person of faith. I think that's cool and if it brings you internal peace that's great. On the other hand I was going to say that I wasn't trying to make fun of your religion, but I am. I admit it. Your article is hilarious. It doesn't deny my assertion that he married a 9 year old. It really just gives more material to mock the almost deity status he is given by Muslims. What's with the racism toward the subcontinent? I'm from the West anyway. I never said either that he was a pedophile nor that he abused the child. Is that a Freudian slip there, azadre? Bottom line is that in our culture some dude marries and beds a 9 year old is not racing on the right track. Right, but he himself attached much greater significance to his relationship with the nine year old. Now let's examine these next few quotes from your article keeping this percentage in mind. A pedophile's main mode of satisfaction is prepubescent girls'. Now 91% of his marriages were to women 17 and over, right. So let's reflect... He compares her to a meal, for crying out loud. Riiiiiiight. As Vin Diesel said in XXX, 'the things I'll do for my country...' I think most of us will pass on the Islamic dictatorship, thank you just the same.
