From: gagrawal@cs.tamu.edu (Gopal Agrawal)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.pakistan
Subject: Re: Women and Burqa: Analyzing the recent discussion
Date: 11 Apr 92 17:44:40 GMT
Organization: Computer Science Department, Texas A&M University

In article <1992Apr10.192543.5815@linus.mitre.org> m21757@mitre.org (G) writes:
>
>Do you simply just want the answer to this question?  It doesn't seem like 
>it.  What is your point?  Are you trying to start a discussion in general? 
> Or do you want Yasmin's answer in particular?  Do you want to investigate 
>a particular muslim's attitude and relationship towards the Quran, or of 
>muslims in general?  Are you looking into whether that relationship is 
>taking the entire Quran literally for all time, figuratively and subject 
>to change in interpretation depending on time or place, or what?  I'm not 
>trying to be combatative, just curious.
>

Yes, I am actually looking for a clear 'YES/NO' answer (if explanation 
given, all the better). But not the vague answer that I received last time.
No, I'm not particularly interested in engaging discussion with Ms. Yasmin
only. In my original posting I clearly mentioned that these questions apply
equally well to all the female netters on SCP. But since no other female 
seems to be addressing this issue at this time, I address them to Ms. Yasmin.
I hope other netters will also espouse their views on this. I have already
received some replies from the males (like Mr. Syed Hyder) in this context,
but until I receive more replies confirming his views, I will not immediately
accept that all muslims think the way he would have me believe (because my
experience with some of my muslim friends here say otherwise). 

As to whether I'm investingating into the psyche of one particular muslim
or all muslims in general, the answer is this. Muslims like any other 
relgious group do not always think alike among themselves. There are the
Jafrites on one hand and the more liberal minded on the other (with lots 
of gray shades in the middle). I have already formed a pretty concrete 
opinion on how the Jafrites think. But for the more liberal minded. They
puzzle me. I fully appreciate their views on freedom of thought/expression
etc. but what I wish to know is: 

Do they attribute their contemporary thoughts to a more objective study 
of Islam alone or are they also willing to agree that their experiences 
and more liberal upbringing play an important factor in their psyche.  
I would like to know whether all muslims (who consider themselves as true
muslims) will always try to justify their liberal thoughts in terms of the
Quran alone. I want to know if this is out of fear of the fundamentalists
or whether they really think that the Quran does justify all their 
contemporary thoughts. I want to know if they will reject their experiences
if they are unable to find justification for it within Islamic scriptures 
and actually change their thought patterns (I find that quite impossible 
to do unless new experiences dictate otherwise).  There are many more 
quuestions but tthese many will do for now. 

regards,
--
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