Monday, November 12, 2007
Women Take A Beating (Again)
My Muslim-hating friend down in Florida just sent me an article that quotes a radical Muslim spokeman who advocates literally beating women into submission. This, he assures me, proves that all Muslims are sub-human.
Well, leaving aside the fact that one radical does not speak for all of the Islamic world, my old but misguided friend needs to take off his blinders for a moment and look around at the treatment of women by a variety of religions and sects. He would quickly see that Islam isn't alone when it comes to the subjugation of women (true, actual beating is one step farther across that line that shouldn't be crossed in the first place).
But my friend is guilty of too easily overlooking other faiths in order to nourish his hatred of Muslims. The Mormons have a long, established history of subjugating women in a variety of ways. And so do the more orthodox segments of Judaism, he should recognize (but he won't). Even some of the Amish have been guilty of the same. And have you run into any female Catholic priests lately?
Several other religious elements have mistreated women for decades, nay centuries, in other, perhaps more subtle ways.
The real issue isn't the specific advocacy of physically beating women but the whole area of subjugation of women on religious grounds. There, we should all recognize, Islam is not alone, not by a long shot, and therefore shouldn't be singled out for righteous condemnation. Condemn one, condemn them all. That's what Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, Buddha, et al, would do, I'm pretty sure.
Well, leaving aside the fact that one radical does not speak for all of the Islamic world, my old but misguided friend needs to take off his blinders for a moment and look around at the treatment of women by a variety of religions and sects. He would quickly see that Islam isn't alone when it comes to the subjugation of women (true, actual beating is one step farther across that line that shouldn't be crossed in the first place).
But my friend is guilty of too easily overlooking other faiths in order to nourish his hatred of Muslims. The Mormons have a long, established history of subjugating women in a variety of ways. And so do the more orthodox segments of Judaism, he should recognize (but he won't). Even some of the Amish have been guilty of the same. And have you run into any female Catholic priests lately?
Several other religious elements have mistreated women for decades, nay centuries, in other, perhaps more subtle ways.
The real issue isn't the specific advocacy of physically beating women but the whole area of subjugation of women on religious grounds. There, we should all recognize, Islam is not alone, not by a long shot, and therefore shouldn't be singled out for righteous condemnation. Condemn one, condemn them all. That's what Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, Buddha, et al, would do, I'm pretty sure.
