From: merchant@davidsys.com (Rukhsana Merchant)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.pakistan
Subject: Re: Polyandry in Tibet and Islamic prohibition.
Date: 25 Aug 92 13:14:26 PST
Organization: DAVID Systems Inc, Sunnyvale CA

In article <1992Aug24.221514.14595@newton.ccs.tuns.ca>, jamalin@newton.ccs.tuns.ca (Nadeem Jamali) writes:
> In article <1992Aug24.203159.26213@tamsun.tamu.edu> gagrawal@cs.tamu.edu (Gopal Agrawal) writes:
> 
> .... (stuff deleted)
> 
>>
>>Why do you always reply in such conundrums ? What do you mean by "you have 
>>to respect the rights of others".  One can only respect something if you 
>>believe that that thing is also ok for the other person. If I believe some
>>one is wrong in doing something, then there is no way I can respect that 
>>action. If I say that I respect the action (X) that Mr. Y takes, then I believe
>>that action X is probably one of the right things that Mr. Y should take. 
>>
>>When you say that there is no compulsion and you have to respect what others 
>>follow, you mean to say that you think it is ok for the non-muslims to follow
>>their own way of life -- The way of life that is not in harmony with the 
>>Islamic way of life. So either Islam agrees that a different way of life 
>>is all right or it dosen't.  If its ideals are universal, then it can't 
>>agree to another way of life since they contradict Islamic way of life. 
>>But if you say that Islam allows you to respect a different way of life,
>>then clearly Islam itself is not proclaiming itself as the "Universal 
>>idealogy". Its the followers of Islam who are proclaiming that. 
>>
> 
> That's the whole point. As long as other beliefs don't come into
> conflict with Islam, they are acceptable. When there is a clash,
> Islam must prevail :)
> 
> Islam may be preaching all good things, but when deciding whether it is
> a good system or not, one also has to see what Islam's existence has 
> caused. It is the kind of influence it has had, in the form of the 
> interaction of its followers with outside world, that, according to some
> apparently genuine standards, is considered negative. This is something that
> most people openly agree with. The conclusion we may derive from this
> is that even though Islam preaches all good things, it doesn't cause
> those things to happen. To be precise, it causes "not very desirable"  
> things to happen.
> 

The influence of Islam is much more than undesirable.  What so many
westerners are calling democracy and upholding the rights of the free,
are rights that were established in Islam long before democracy was 
established here.

(1) It has established equality among all in the eyes of Allah(SWT).
	(a) Abolished slavery.
	(b) No clergy set up in Islam.
	(c) Shoulder to shoulder prayer of every man from every
		walk of life.

(2) The rights of women.

	(1) Women not barred from any position or ambition.
	(2) The right for her inherit.
	(3) Her right over her own earnings.
	(4) Seeking to be recognize more than a sex object.  Note: What
		is the result of a hijab dressed women.  It forces a man
		to see what is beyond the outside of a person and get
		to know a woman for her other qualities.
	(5) The right to seek a divorce should she need to.

(3) The right for every person to seek education.

(4) The right for every person to be responsible for their own actions and
	their own lives.


Those who see democracy today for all the benefits it offers today, have
not realized the benefits that already were in existence in Islam.  

It is sad to see, that those who see the failings of the implementation of 
an Islamic society, have cause to criticize because of the many injustices
done that contradict Islam, but at large the benefits that are prevelant
here in this society, may very well be influenced by Islam.

-Rukhsana Merchant

>>
>>regards,
>>--   
> 
> ......
> 
>>E-mail - gagrawal@cs.tamu.edu       |   /   All Std. Disclaimers apply.
>>
> 
> Nadeem
> 
> -- 
> Nadeem Jamali                                     jamalin@newton.ccs.tuns.ca
> 						 
> School of Computer Science			  
> Technical University of Nova Scotia		  (902)420-7882  
Newsgroups: soc.culture.pakistan