Yes, "Stone Age" was a bit extreme, SOG - after all, Islam was spread by the steel sword, not the stone axe. Those early Muslims were quite advanced.

But you're on to something: genital mutilation is not really as trivial as the boy-snip, it's a brutal, vile deprivation of a woman's right. Amputation for theft is perhaps not Stone Age, but is surely way back there somewhere in the early pages of the Old Testament, as is stoning for adultery.

So as you ask, what's next ?

Here are some distant possibilities:

* gender segregation at public venues;

* demands for recognition, and welfare entitlements, for polygamy;

* recognition of shari'a inheritance laws which discriminate against women - well, CS, do they or don't they ?

* demands for separate schools - and curricula - for girls and boys, then separate universities, then excluding women from some 'immodest' courses like medicine;

* recognition of the right to marry one's donkey, or goat;

* re-criminalisation of homosexual acts;

* prohibition on teaching evolution in schools;

* extermination of geckos.

Surely there can't be any others ?

After all, it's a religion of peace and equality.

Cheers,

Jo

Fundamentalists exist in all religions.

It is unfortunate that some people tend
to lump all Islamists together as one group -
not allowing for individual differences,
language differences, and cultural differences.

To many Westerners, Islamic fundamentalism
is a scandalous return to medieval morality. It
conjures forth images of women behind veils, of
adulterers being stoned, of thieves having their
hands cut off, of public floggings and executions,
of martyrdom in holy wars, and, in extreme cases, of
political fanaticism exemplified in aircraft
hijackings and terrorist bombings.

This picture is rather distorted, for it is based on
what is newsworthy rather than on what is typical.

Lexi,

Yes, it's PART of the picture, but it IS part of the whole picture. People do get stoned. Thieves do get their hands chopped off. People are getting beheaded in Saudi Arabia. Womens' private parts ARE being mutilated and not just in the more backward parts of the Islamic world.

No, not everywhere, and not in every instance. There are nominal believers in all religions, who thankfully give only lip-service. There are good people in every religion, as well as utter b@stards.

But there ARE bombers, stoners, beheaders. They should not be shielded, and we shouldn't play some silly game of 'well, you do too.' It's all wrong, no matter who does it. One wrong does not give permission for another.

There are good people who are Muslim, and there are bombers who are Muslim. There is infinite variety and beauty in every human group - as well as evil. People in any group are not all the same.

As you said yourself ;)

Cheers,

Joe

Islamist cut their young girls while secularist murder the unborn.

Dear Joe (Loudmouth),

I'm glad that you agree that there are extremists in
every religion. And yes, bad acts should not be
condoned be they the sexual abuse of children,
the murders of doctors who commit abortions and the
bombing of clinics, as well as the encouragement of violence
and hate speech.

For the sake of balance it would therefore
be beneficial to society -
if the
media could point out some positive achievments
occasionally - instead of always focusing only on the
distorted images of what's newsworthy.

Tiny little straw man there, Lexi :)

Love,

Joe