Where's the part about hijacking several planes and crashing them into buildings
and killing several thousand innocent lives who could care less about the
religion of Islam, as we have our own religions here in America, and where we
are free to practice or not to practice as we see fit.

In a message dated 7/31/2004 5:30:37 AM Eastern Daylight Time, "poe"
<poe1@...> writes:

>
>Please forgive us for any disturbance, but we have an important subject
>to address to you regarding FAITH, and we Don't intend to overload your email
with unnecessary messages...
>
>
>Woman in Islam
>Sexual Politics
>Imagine this scenario, for it is real: two antagonists locked in a grim power
struggle. And another: two or more other competitors, rivals in a race for high
stakes, a race to determine the course of their entire life. At race's end, the
prizes for winning include compliments, telling glances, and First Prize, a
wedding ring. Unwanted "prizes" along the way may include physical assault,
countless violations of body and soul. The protagonists of these scenarios are
all around us; they are modern man and modern woman, and woman vs. woman. From
time immemorial, against this harsh horizon of human relations, the "battle of
the sexes" has raged. But never has "Sexual Politics been so virulent as today.
Feminism becomes polarization along gender barriers. To offset increased
competition for a mate, extreme nudity splashes itself unchecked. Fear and
suspicion on both sides lurk; commitments are tepid, or all too fragile.
>Sexual Balance
>Now conjure this, from the Qur'an, the Book of the Revelation sent to guide the
affairs of mankind; It comes from Allah (SWT - the Deity; One, Only) to us, His
creatures: "Your wives are a garment to you, and you to them. " (Surah 2:187).
As close as the skin to a garment, as essential as the covering layer which
envelops andd protects us from heat and cold, man and wife are the two halves of
humanity coming together in balanced, mutual protection and care. This is the
other veil, the deeper veil, the real covering and garment of ISLAM.
>
>In days remarkably similar to ours, a new path was taught: the path of enduring
partnership and cooperation in human affairs, to level the exhausting shifting
sands of competition and suspicion. This path was AL-ISLAM. Islam means the deep
submission to God alone, Allah (SWT - The One, The Deity, "Eloh" of the
Hebrews). Fittingly, the name of this grace-filled, all-encompassing path of
balance and harmony for mankind was derived from "Salaam," the Arabic word for
peace.
>
>Peace
>"For Islam is the religion before Allah" (Surah 3:19) ISLAM was not a new
religion, "another" religion; it is the same universal truth that God has
enjoined upon humanity throughout the ages, in its final, most comprehensive
exposition. 1400 years after its Revelation, it stands as pristine, and as
beneficial, as it was on the day Allah (SWT) first granted it: in a time of
upheaval, in a world of unraveling values, in a society confused and chaotic
much like ours.
>
>There Allah (SWT) chose His last Prophet, the Seal of the Messengers, the Mercy
for all mankind. He was an upright, kind and honorable man living in
seventh-century Arabia, at the very fringes of the civilized world. And when
first Muhammad, in his fortieth year, peace be upon him, heard the Word of Allah
(SWT), he was shaken and he was stunned. And he turned to a woman, his wife
Khadija, for counsel: am I mad? he asked. This true companion knew better. Go,
she said, and serve Allah (SWT). The Revelation of Islam was gathered over 23
often perilous years, in the Book of Recitation, the Qur'an.
>
>Today, 1/5th of humanity is Muslim, (those who surrender to Allah's, SWT, Will)
and millions more (women in the forefront) are heeding its voice. For this Voice
speaks with irresistible appeal, of the equitable design for living for all
human beings, beyond race, beyond gender: the sheltering peace.
>
>Freedom
>Islam is freedom; it upholds free will and encourages rational thought; it
recognizes only that virtue or sin which an individual earns through free action
and choice. Within its parameters is a code of behavior, a complete social
pattern for man and for woman, that looks out to the whole of life through the
harmony of a balanced scale. In this system, based on natural law and innate
reason, (the Knowing System of the Creator Himself - SWT), cooperation is the
standard criterion.
>
>Muslims are brothers and sisters in the family of mankind brethren all under
Islam, in the sweet surrender of obedience and worship to Allah (SWT), Unique
and One (Tawhid). Each Muslim, man or woman, chooses to be a Muslim. Each Muslim
is ultimately accountable for his and her actions to Allah (SWT) alone. Allah
(SWT) will call us all to account on the Day of Reckoning. How easy it becomes,
then, to be truly free. For the vain idols of stone, the enslaving tyrants of
greed, of lust, of ambition, of public opinion crumble to naught. Freedom from
the tyranny of man and man-made conceits: Islam liberates
>
>Parity
>Not one verse in the whole of the Qur'an speaks injustice Not one word says,
men and women are not equal. Everywhere, the Book of Nature and Creation tells
us: equality under God is the only criterion. Under God in sincere worship, man
and woman stand in parity. But this Book is truth; truth does not shy away from
our most basic, indisputable biological differences. Male and female, quite
simply, have distinct and complementary roles to fill, equally vital for the
sustenance of life.
>
>Everywhere, the Qur'an reminds us of the mutual rights humans owe to one
another, in the balance of our relations. "O men! Fear your Lord Who created you
from a single being and out of it created its mate; and out of the two spread
many men and women. Fear Allah in Whose name you demand your rights (of one
another) and heed the ties of relationships. " (Surah 4:1)
>
>In a time when most women were common chattel, the teachings of the Qur'an and
the practices (Sunnah) of Muhammad, the Messenger(pbuh), firmly restored to them
status, both legal and social; and dignity as individuals; cemented their right
to wealth and property, to inheritance, to education. In Muhammad (pbuh), women
found the champion to uphold their rights, merciful, sympathetic, unwavering in
his support: women flocked to his call. Budding Islam grew strong on the depth
of their staunch belief.
>
>In a day of social anarchy, Islam reintroduced structure end the natural order.
For it is the stable bond of the family unit that elevates man from beast. It is
its strong foundation, built on understanding and collaboration, which ripples
outward in concentric circles to the vast social network. It is here that peace
and freedom begin. Islam elevates.
>
>Natural Humanism
>Your body has rights upon you, said the Prophet of Islam. By this was meant a
healthy, clean, Intelligent respect for the body and its needs. Personal hygiene
is one of Islam's most basic requirements Pleasing and discrete elegance is
smiled upon in Islam, the world's great Civilization of Refinement, in body and
soul. And the Prophet said: "God Himself is graceful and elegance pleases Him."
>
>The Islamic way does not want mankind shut up unnaturally in towers of ivory,
to ruminate endlessly in ascetic withdrawal from fellow begins. Islam is
inclusive dynamism; Useful and graceful action; Improvement and betterment. Nor
does it deny or demean the natural sex drive. On the contrary, it elevates and
liberates it, channeling it for a peaceful, healthy society: the hectic waves of
seduction, rivalry, the "theft" of physical or mental integrity are banished.
>
>Within the REAL partnership of matrimony, the joining of husband and wife is
legitimized: here sex is no sin, but a form of natural worship. The Qur'an
itself speaks of sexual relations between man and wife, simple and direct; it
teaches the striving toward harmony, the need for trust and confidence between
husband and wife, between life partners, as it does between all human beings
(Surah 66).
>
>Does the nurturer not need nurturing too? The biological imperatives, Islam
meets squarely, head-on, with no coyness; for indeed Allah (SWT) created us so.
Islam addresses the differing needs of man and woman comprehensively.
>
>The need of woman, in child bearing years, feminism not withstanding, is
sustenance and security. A pregnant woman requires care; a nursing mother and
infant require protection; a wife, mother, sister require respect: these are
their rights. Equal rights, in proportioned measure: the way of Islam is honest
and clear-sighted. To safeguard the one from the oversights of the other; to
remind the one of the requirements of the other the balanced checks of Islam
work in supreme rationality:
>
>"Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has made one of
them stronger than the other, and because they spend out of their possessions
(to support them)." (Surah 4: 34) Women have the same rights as the husbands
have on them. But man is the burden-carrying partner; with the weight of duty
and responsibility, comes a measure of fair recognition "But men are a degree
above them (women)." (Surah 2:228)
>
>These are the basic injunctions of Islam concerning women. They revolve around
the rights of women, not their restrictions. Injunctions placing restrictions on
women in the Qur'an, emerge chiefly in connection to the greater curbs placed on
men. For male lust, that primary, but blindest of drives, is not allowed to
become the driving force of society. Thus the Qur'anic injunctions recommend
modesty, for both men and women. (24:31; 33:35)
>
>Where the parade of enticement and seduction prevails, Islam upholds the
standard of straight forward human dealings, inner mettle to inner mettle. Sex
and beauty stay at home; neither commodity nor potential incentive in wider
social relations, their power is curtailed to strangers, enhanced to the bonded
partner. Where promiscuity runs rampant, Islam builds a society where children
know their fathers, and fathers are responsible for their wives and children. By
severing the loose ties of lust, Islam restores the lasting ties of partnership.
Where the sexual society objectifies, Islam humanizes.
>
>Hijab, Veil of Pride
>"Let them wear their head-coverings over their bosoms" (Surah 24:31; 33:59). It
is the minimum standard of decency. No mention of face covering, in fact; sexual
politics of individual men have seen to that. A Muslim woman is told: cover your
nakedness, do not play with femininity as a commodity. Be proud and save your
intimate best for the one who stands by you in times good and bad. Speak loud
and clear, the game-and-promise bedroom voice does not belong on the streets,
(Surah 33:32); Walk firm and tall: the swaying, jingling advertisement of body
carries a "for sale" sign on it (Surah 24:31).
>
>The Qur'an seeks clarity of heart and intention; Its injunctions address the
deception inherent in teasing and seduction, their signal or their unintentional
message. Hijab is first a reminder far the soul, an inner code and standard, and
only second a physical statement.
>
>Indeed the head-to-toe cloak (chador) is by no means unique to Islam; but a
universal, spontaneous woman's choice throughout time, the dress of high-born
Roman and Byzantine ladies for centuries to indicate their elevated social
status, set apart, "protected" from the laboring throng.
>
>In the Qur'an, verses referring to the veil come in the context of the early
struggles of nascent Islam, when false believers were infiltrating the infant
Muslim community: Muslim ladies would be recognized at once, wearing a pragmatic
veil of conduct affirming their belief in the Creator's (SWT) laws. Modesty of
dress externalizes moderation of behavior: the inner hijab, the moral
affirmation of the bounds of decency, honesty, self-respect, honor, made
visible. The veil continues to offer recognition and freedom to woman in many
ways: it is a signal sent out which demands respect, and receives it in return.
Thus did Allah (SWT) intend (Surah 33:59).
>
>The Harem
>"Swathed in their veil, locked away": yet this popular image of extremes has no
place in Islam. It is born under specific skies, in cultural imposition,
solidified in misconception, perpetuated in the rigidity of the narrow-minded or
the misguided.
>
>The severe segregation of the sexes is not a Qur'anic injunction. A Muslim
woman is given freedom of thought at all times. And that same intrinsic freedom
of action which does not lead to disharmony, in exactly the same manner as a
Muslim man. Islam does favor the inherent, the natural division of life-spheres.
A woman's familial duty is foremost, her natural environment is the home.
>
>To those who cry, "Sexism," a word of reminder, and some facts. A woman will
know different spans in one single month; medical science has only now begun to
concede the often drastic influence of very real hormonal fluctuations in a
woman's biology.
>
>The interplay of hormones and emotions is no Sexist Myth. It is Fact.
>
>By the same token, throughout Islamic history, women who, through their talent
must rise in the larger society, have risen. In the time of Ignorance
(Jahiliyah), the Message of Islam came to rectify rampant polygamy. The
criterion, as always, balance and fairness. In cases a man took more than one
partner, it should be done legitimately, within the norms of fair dealing. No
"Second class" categories of relationships. No one-night stand: a real
commitment in marriage. Islam never overlooks the greater social stability and
justice. It will regulate, in its omniscience, all potential forces at work in
the social In point of fact, the lifelong and monogamous bond of marriage is the
actual Muslim . The partnership endures.
>
>Divorce
>Where it does not, despite the best intentions, here too, naturalness reigns.
Divorce is the most disliked of all lawful things, the Prophet said. Prevention
is the priority. But when the life of the couple has grown destructive and
counterproductive the Qur'an sets strict guidelines, to forestall haste and
whim; terms of transition (Iddat) and reasonable waiting periods - usually of
four months - have been enjoined, long enough for tempers to cool, for a
pregnancy to reveal itself, for circumstances to change or solidify.
>
>Divorce can be instigated by husband or wife (Talaq and Khula), and by mutual
consent (Mubara'ah). No Muslim girl can be forced to marry against her will.
When estrangement and alienation set in (Ila; Surah 2:226), the partners are
directed to bridge their gap within a reasonable period of time, before that
point of no return. For Allah (SWT) understands and eases the frailty of humans.
>
>Within The Sheltering Peace
>This, then, is the religion of reason, the religion of balance, the religion of
fairness, the religion of peace. This is Islam.
>
>Look around you, across the street, around the world: you will see Muslim women
choosing the veil of their own free will. For they recognize it for what it was
enjoined, an emancipation and a liberation. The merchandising of the human being
profits only that ever-voracious corporate bottom line. Hijab is a woman's
statement, of transcending the often-abused power of men over their lives. It is
a statement of understanding the real meaning within the Qur'an. It is intrinsic
dignity, unadorned and straightforward, for all: and that is the Islamic way.
>
>Today, women are tired of selling themselves short. Selling their "assets" on a
false stage, where plastic bodies and fashion kings may dictate the shape of a
life and appearances have taken on the functions of one's very soul. Hail the
freedom of the "liberated woman," unhinged from the trusting partnership: free
to face man-the-enemy, rape, spouse abuse, abandonment, free to starve herself
in the mating game - Starve in the rat race. Her hard-won rights; her pyrrhic
victory.
>
>Now imagine a world where women are the corer of men and men, their garment and
covering. Imagine a world where merit and strength of character replace the
transient, the doomed race after fading beauty; where the good become beautiful
and the beautiful, good. The Prophet once said, "God does not judge according to
your bodies and appearances but scans your hearts and looks into your deeds."
"And on of [Allah's] signs is that He created mates you from yourselves, that
you may find rest them, and between you He put love and compassion." (Surah
30:21)
>
>Imagine this world where companionship , this sheltering cloak for man and for
woman. Imagine such a world, and you can enter it. This is the world of Islam.
>
>
>
>For more information about Islam
>http://www.geocities.com/fares2457/1.html
>
>For more Information about Islam contact:
>ado3at@...
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