A Tangled Web

Peaceful, Democratic Islam: An Oxymoron Perhaps?



Post 9/11 we were positively indoctrinated with the notion that Islam was a religion of peace, respect, brotherly love and Teletubby hugs. Could this be the same 'peaceful' religion that is presently variously engaged in terrorism, genocide and insurgency? Could this be the same religion invoked in acts of human misery in Albania, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Chechenia, Georgia, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Mindanao, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan and the Yemen?



Islam is incompatible with the main basis of human freedom that we take for granted here in the West. To vindicate my analysis I recently trawled through the Koran to garner a rare insight into the text that Muslims claim is the absolute word of God. In Sura (Chapter) 4, Verse 34, I found this little gem from Mohammed:



'The men are placed in charge of the women, since God has endowed them with the necessary qualities, and made them the bread earners. Thus the righteous women will accept this arrangement obediently, and will honour their husbands in their absence, in accordance with God's commandments. As for the women who show rebellion, you shall first enlighten them, then desert them in bed, and you may beat them as a last resort. Once they obey you, you have no excuse to transgress against them. God is high above you, and more powerful.'



Providing the reader can discern the sheer distressing magnitude of what is espoused in that passage, I feel that no further critical embroidery is required.