[Saleem Syed-Ali]

The practice of female circumcision is not an Islamic one. It is an African tribal custom. There was a report today (7/20/99) of an African woman named Adelaide Abakawah being considered for asylum in the United States, and she, apparently, is a Christian. I have spoken to some people from Africa, and they admit the practice still goes on there. Over here? I have no idea, but I have asked South Asian people from the Indian subcontinent, Indonesia and Malaysia, as well those of Arab descent, and they tell me that they would never dream of subjecting their women to such torture.

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Name : Saleem Syed-Ali, Gender : M, Race : Asian, Religion : Muslim, Age : 40, City : Logan, State : UT, Country : United States, Occupation : Journalist, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, 

[Saleem Syed-Ali]

No, the Koran does not specifically require women (or men) to cover their head. As you can see from the texts quoted in the previous responses, the injunction is to dress modestly. The wives of Prophet Mohammed were advised to cover their bosoms and to draw their cloaks around them when they went out. Those were times when women could be accosted and propositioned in the streets, and the injunction appears to be designed to protect them from such offensive encounters. The covering of the head goes back to pre-Islamic and pre-Christian times, to the ancient Jews and perhaps beyond. In the Middle East, it is still a custom for traditional Jews and Christians – as well as Muslims – to cover their heads, and such appears to have been the custom in the time of Prophet Abraham as well. The expression ‘the Koran says’ is misleading and one most religious scholars – mullahs if you will – use to justify their demand that the practice be followed. The Koran actually says no such thing regarding the covering of the head for women or men. The Arabic word for ‘head’ or ‘hair’ is not used. Much of the justification of so-called scholars is based on the Hadith, which are compilations of what Prophet Mohammed is supposed to have said. Such compilations are graded according to their authenticity – they were collected more than a generation after the death of Prophet Mohammed, but you will find few scholars mentioning this aspect. Most Muslims, if questioned, will say that the Koran is the revealed word of God and the Hadith are the sayings of a man. But Prophet Mohammed is held in such high regard that there is some confusion about how far one can go in accepting the Hadith. Most of the traditionalists almost insist that you cannot be a Muslim without accepting the Koran AND the Hadith. In truth, Islam means submission to One God. He was not begotten, nor will He ever beget. We accept the Quran as the revealed word of God. And if we have any sense, we read the Hadith for a better understanding of the times and the man, but do not ascribe any divinity to them.

User Detail :  

Name : Saleem Syed-Ali, Gender : M, Race : Asian, Religion : Muslim, Age : 40, City : Logan, State : UT, Country : United States, Occupation : Journalist, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, 

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