The Religion Of Hypocrisy

I have come to the conclusion that any religion that can be so easily misinterpreted to represent one sex is just that - a Religion of Hypocrisy. But after doing some reading I have found in many areas it really is little more than a joke. Islam is a religion that claims to sanctify life, yet it openly condones torture and death as a punishment for transgressions upon Sharia Law. Islam claims it's follower are the 'Faithful' ones, while other religions are full of liars and pretenders, yet it feels the need to have enforced and barbarous 'deterrents' and punishments for anyone who breaks their laws. I find it laughable that a religion that claims to be so peaceful is actually incredibly violent. The deliberate misinterpretaition of the word 'Jihad' is a classic example of this.

I read the following article this morning..

By ALFRED de MONTESQUIOU, Associated Press Writer 1 minute ago KALMA, Sudan - The seven women pooled money to rent a donkey and cart, then ventured out of the refugee camp to gather firewood, hoping to sell it for cash to feed their families. Instead, they say, in a wooded area just a few hours walk away, they were gang-raped, beaten and robbed. Naked and devastated, they fled back to Kalma. "All the time it lasted, I kept thinking: They're killing my baby, they're killing my baby," wailed Aisha, who was seven months pregnant at the time. The women have no doubt who attacked them. They say the men's camels and their uniforms marked them as janjaweed — the Arab militiamen accused of terrorizing the mostly black African villagers of Sudan's Darfur region. Their story, told to an Associated Press reporter and confirmed by other women and aid workers in the camp, provides a glimpse into the hell that Darfur has become as the Arab-dominated government battles a rebellion stoked by a history of discrimination and neglect. Now in its fourth year, the conflict has become the world's worst humanitarian crisis, and rape is its regular byproduct, U.N. and other human rights activists say. Sudan's government denies arming and unleashing the janjaweed, and bristles at the charges of rape, saying its conservative Islamic society would never tolerate it. Link to the rest of this story.

Rape a strategy of war?? In a country where the victim is protected, rape may be an unfortunate by product of war but it is certainly not a strategy. The Janjaweed and those like them, are only able to utilise rape as a tool of war because they are aware the consequences are falling squarely on the victims. After some reading I uncovered the following somewhat startling fact...

If a woman is raped, she runs a high risk of being charged with zina, particularly if she becomes pregnant. In order to prove an absence of consent, however, a woman is required to provide four witnesses to the rape, a near impossible task. Link

Now what do you think the repercussions would be for any person who came forward as a witness to incriminate a rapist??

According to Zina, two people looking into each others eyes can be considered an act of lust and therefore a transgression of this law. In a country where it is respectful to look into the eyes of another person I find this quite shocking. Is it possible an unplanned, harmless glance could be misinterpreted and lead to punishment under this law??

And then there was this....

Under the form of Sharia law that is practiced in Sudan, "the stones thrown during the execution should not be so large that the offender dies after a few strikes, nor so small as to fail to cause serious injury." A conviction normally requires a minimum of four witnesses who directly observed the sexual activity at the same time, or a freely-given confession by the defendant. However, as noted below, the former requirement is not always followed. If the woman is pregnant and either unmarried or divorced, she may be assumed to be guilty, if she is tried under the conservative Maliki Law School form of Sharia. 8 Under "an obscure tenet of Islamic law,...an embryo can 'sleep' for years before swelling a woman's belly." 9 Thus, it is believed that an interval of up to seven years can pass between conception and birth. This means that a woman who is pregnant and has been divorced for fewer than seven years can theoretically claim that the father of the fetus is her former husband. Problems sometimes arise when an unmarried or divorced woman becomes pregnant as a result of a rape. Some Sharia courts do not recognize DNA testing or the evaluation of possible paternity by other blood tests. The case often results in a "she-said, he said" situation. Sometimes, the alleged rapist is found not-guilty because his involvement cannot be proven. But if an unmarried woman becomes pregnant, she can be assumed to be guilty of extra-marital sexual activity and can be executed. If she claims that she was raped and is unable to prove her case, then she will probably receive severe punishment, because she would be assumed guilty of making a false accusation. Sharia law is only applicable to Muslims. Christians and other non-Muslims are supposed to be exempt from the provisions of the law -- a provision that is ignored in the Sudan. Link

So in other words, those responsible for the punishment take deliberate care to inflict as much pain and suffering as possible. This is particularly cruel when you consider that often the women involved are victims.

An embryo can sleep inside the womb for 7 years?? I know a little something that might dispute that claim....it's called Medical Science!! This is exactly where I have an issue with taking Sharia Law seriously. It isn't necessary to prove a woman is guilty before she is killed but she can claim an embryo slept inside her for 7 years before it developed and that's ok??

The victim of rape should always find comfort and support from their family and support services, not be made to feel like a criminal themselves. That women are being ostracised as a consequence of the actions of others is a reflection on the laws and beliefs that allow this.

I find it interesting that this is a religion that condemms the actions of the West snce the 9/11 attacks on America, yet it was these actions that highlighted the plight of the female victims of such laws. The Western Worlds War on Terrorism might just have a positive impact on the rights of women in countries where they previously had none.

A_C