>> ^Zifnab:
Looks good guys, and yes the British Invasion is still in progress.


Yeah, it's just taking a couple hundred years.

Looks good guys, and yes the British Invasion is still in progress.

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Great idea for the tournament looris!

I was wondering if any of you CSS inclined people would be willing to take a look at my British Invasion channel and spruce it up. I'll offer 2 Saves and 2 Promotes (and my eternal gratitude) for anyone willing to help out .

I'm not great with graphic design or layout so any of my feeble attempts haven't turned out good at all.

Hope I'm not hijacking the thread looris

"Ban the Burkah, or any such coverings for the women of Islam.....a symbol of species decay, subjugation, and demeaning inhumane treatment."

I agree with banning the Burka - there is nothing in the Qur'an or the hadith which says that women should be completely covered, and the burka is a barbaric and cruel institution. As for the hijab, women should be able to make their own mind up whether they wear it or not. One of the key principles in Islam is that 'there is no compulsion in religion' لاَ إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّين (Qur'an 2:256). Unfortunately this is a principle which many reactionary elements choose to forget!

"What is it like for a muslim woman in Afghanistan, as it compares to any country in the western world, that took part in a reformation, and democratic governments, etc? Are they treated equally, with dignity? Are they able to avail themselves of rights and privelidges granted to the men of that country?"

I agree - life for women in Afganistan can be terrible. Since the American invasion they have constitutionally been granted equality - as they should be - but the reality is often a life as oppressed second class citizens. There are some female politicians, and things were improving for women, but the illegal American/British invasion of Iraq, and the continued oppression of the Palestinians and Lebanese has created new support for the hardliners.

I had a conversation with an Afghani refugee in September - a former member of the Taliban - about the situation of women in Afghanistan. I told him that women had been treated barbarically under the Taliban and that there was no excuse for such treatment. His response (and I'm not saying I agree with it - but it's interesting) was this: After years of war Afganistan was a complete mess - the poorest country in the world, ruled by warlords and rival tribal factions. The Taliban brought order to this mess. The number of executions/amputations was exagerated by the Western press and it quickly brought order. As far as women were concerned he said that before the Taliban his sister couldn't go out of the house at all for fear of being raped. After the Taliban came she was safe in a Burka. Now I'm not saying that I support the Taliban - I certainly don't. But I'm saying that the situation is Afganistan is very complex.

"more female Imamas might do the freekin' trick!"

I couldn't agree more and I, and many others in the Islamic community have been pushing for this for years. There is an Islamic female pressure group here in Britain which is attempting to ensure that women have complete equality of access to Britain's mosques. Furthermore, men have traditionally had a monopoly over the interpretation of religious texts in many Islamic countries and this monopoly must be broken.

As far as the link you have posted - this is my initial reaction. The clip is from Memri TV - a site which specialises in painting the Islamic world in the worst possible light - it only shows clips of extremists, and those criticising the Islamic world. I agree with the woman that there are problems in the Islamic world and that there needs to be major reform and rethinking in many countries. I agree with the woman that the medieval legal divisions between Muslims and non-Muslims are outdated and innapropriate. Islam teaches لَكُمْ دِينُكُمْ وَلِيَ دِين - "To you be your Religion/Way, and to me mine." (Qur'an 109:6). The constitution of Medina - written by the Prophet - guaranteed freedom of religion and worship to Muslims, Jews, Christians and polytheists.

But what I don't agree with is the implication that all Muslims - or indeed a majority of Muslims - hold these beliefs. Nor do I believe that the state of Israel was founded peacefully, or that the Israeli government hasn't continually persecuted the Palestinian people for over fifty years. Unfortunately elements in Islam do attack Christians and other non-Muslims - which I utterly condemn. But if you look at the race riots in India you will see that Hindu militants have attacked mosques and lynched Muslims, much like militant Jewish settlers have attacked Muslims in Palestine.

I condemn all religious extremism and intolerance.