Quote:Annie, can you tell us what you think of a society that rejects courtship and love, puts medieval limitations on the interaction between young men and women, permits rape within marriage, permits polygamy, permits payment for young brides, permits sex slavery and permits the marrying of little girls to old men?
Islam doesn't reject love and there is a form of courtship permitted - it's just different from what we consider to be normal here.
Most cultures put limitations on the interaction between young men and women. Islam is probably the strictest that I'm aware of, but that doesn't make it necessarily bad - just different. I can think of a lot of negatives about having sex before marriage, which is really what Islam is forbidding.
Polygamists don't really bother me if everyone is upfront and willing though I wouldn't live in a polygamous relationship myself.
I don't know where you get the "payment for young brides" thing. There is a dowry paid
to the bride in an Islamic marriage which is hers to keep throughout the marriage or to help support her in case of a divorce. Incidentally, there's also a divorce payment that is agreed upon before the marriage which offers further security in the event of a marriage breakdown.
The marriage of young girls to old men (or anyone) is disgusting. So is slavery in all its forms.
If a man rapes a woman or another man under any circumstances he should be chemically castrated. Child molestors should be executed.
Quote:Do you think you can simply transpose our culture of respect for women on top of such a legal and social system without it getting eroded away into nothing?
Muhammad said many times in different ways that the "best among you are those that are good to their wives." Respect for women is also mentioned in the Quran. Most Muslims understand that because they seemingly have a right, it doesn't necessarily mean they have to exercise it.
Quote:Do you think you can simply transpose our culture of respect for women on top of such a legal and social system without it getting eroded away into nothing?
I really do think Islam and the West are compatible. I don't necessarily think the all Muslims and the West are.
Quote:Do you think that all that is required to protect the rights of children is to give them legal recourse if their paretns try to sell them off to a dirty old pedophile?
Are you being serious with this?
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