Found this video online. I'd like to hear helwa's impression of it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuG0ifhPxRc&feature=PlayList&p=D4D67C0C404DCFCC&index=23

[Video removed. Because of copyright law, you can put a link, but may not post the video ~ PDM]

I've watched the video.
I have not read the Quran.
If I accept what this young man says, then Muhammed married a child, had several other wives, and beat them ~ but not too hard.

I condemn child marriage, wife-beating, etc, but we have to remember that this was what went on in that time and in that place. When studying history, we cannot compare then with now. Even when studying geography, or anthropology, we cannot really compare there with here.

And we must not forget that the Bible, too, contains much that most of us would condemn.

The problem, I think, is that these ancient books are still used as 'guides' for modern society. Of course there will be some good stories that may be relevant, but, basically, neither the Bible nor the Quran was written with the 21st century in mind. If they contain anything that is still valuable, then great, but anything which supports hatred or negativity should be ignored for what is it ~ ideas from the past that are no longer relevant.

I would also add that, while the evils of the past should be acknowledged, it is pointless to hate people over events of the past.

The Crusades?
The Inquisition?
Slave-trading?
Colonial take-overs?
Missionary activity, which foisted Christianity onto other cultures?
Child labour?
Forced marriages?
Refusing the vote to the majority?

In the past, many societies were guilty of these & other wrongs.
We should learn about them, & learn from them, but it doesn't help, to hate any people today, based on the activities of some members of their aristocracy way back when.

Today's opinions need to be based on today's behaviour by the people of today.

Don't ignore the past, but learn from it.

the video is stupid. and most of it is lies. yes aisha was young, but there is NOTHING that says her actual age, islamic scholars have said she was most likely between the ages of 9 and 14, she was married legally to the prophet but did not move in with him and become his actual wife (as in have sex) until she was well into her teenage years, this was an extremly common thing in that day and age. marriage to arabs and muslims is a legal contract, and can be done anytime, it does not mean consumation happens at the same time. i was married to y husband legally 3 months before i ever spent the night with him or lived with him !!!!

also the prophet never ever ever put his hands on his wife, and HIS example is what muslims are required to follow, only a casual study of islam would tell someone that to follow the example of the prophet means the upmost in islam.

in fact the prophet performed many divorces due to husband hitting wives.

i wont bother with anything else the video says, fact is i do not need to justify islam at all, if someone truly wanted to understand and have knowledge they would go and seek it themselves, in a respectful and decent manner with an open mind.

people focus on the bad only or what they claim is bad ..

yet no one acknowledges that the prophet came with islam and it gave women rights that no woman had ever had and most women in the west did not get until this last century !!!

the right life !!!! it was common for girl infants to be buried alive in the sand, women were useless, islam banished this.

the right to own property, and own a business, conduct her own business, the right to CHOOSE who would marry, the RIGHT to be the ONLY wife her husband has, the right to divorce a man for ANY reason she saw fit, the right to 100% support from her husband, the right to the exact same support and financial support for 3 months after the divorce, and if she had his kids she gets this support the rest of her life from him enless she remarries, the right to VOTE, the right to join political groups and hold public office, the right to become a judge and learn the law, the right to education, the right to privacy ...

women in america did not get most of these rights until the mid 1900's after uch fighting and deaths ...

if you disagree with what ive said go read the hadith and quran.

i was born in germany and moved to the uk. i nearly had to go back at age 18 for national service.

Gosh!

I hope you are not related to our Queen

I'm going to start a new thread, to discuss what has obviously become a controversial issue ~ Muhammed's marriage to Aisha:

Muhammed's Marriage
http://www.wineintro.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=384176

As with other religions, I have found that some devout Muslims leave their faith and become very critical of it.

This book & website are from an ex-Muslim ~ once a devout imam:
http://www.myspear.org/index.html

who - julian clary?

no sachs cobergs in my family, but there was this dude called karl benz who bolted a combustion engine to some wheels years ago...

Somsuj, I apologize to you & I certainly didn't mean to insult anyone for whom the swastika symbolizes goodness. I should have been more specific, I suppose, and said, "...difference in regular, everyday American culture between wearing a swastika vs. a cross." Its meaning here in the States, for most people, is that of Nazi Germany, which is unfortunate and evidently ignorant.

Heh heh heh -- right about the same time these Duryea dudes were doing the same in Massachusetts? http://inventors.about.com/od/dstartinventors/a/DuryeaBrothers.htm