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Mideast Muslims outraged, see 'conspiracy' after woman leads prayers in U.S.
CBC ^ | 03/19/05 | NADIA ABOU EL-MAGD

Posted on 03/19/2005 2:58:40 PM PST by Pikamax

Mideast Muslims outraged, see 'conspiracy' after woman leads prayers in U.S. 05:56 PM EST Mar 19 NADIA ABOU EL-MAGD

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Muslims in the Middle East on Saturday angrily denounced prayers led by a woman in New York City the day before as a violation of Islam.

One Egyptian newspaper, Al-Messa, reported the news of Amina Wadud leading Friday prayer services on its front page, with the emphatic headline: They are tarnishing Islam in America!

It referred to Wadud as "the deranged woman."

A female Islamic law professor condemned the act as apostasy, explaining that a woman's body "stirs desire" in men.

Some suggested the event was a U.S. conspiracy to mould traditional Islam into a secular American religion.

Wadud, a professor of Islamic studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, led the Islamic prayer service before a mixed congregation of 80 to 100 men and women at an Anglican church. Three mosques had refused to hold the service, and an art gallery backed out after receiving a bomb threat. Organizers of the prayer said it was intended to draw attention to the inequality faced by Muslim women.

"Women were not allowed to (have) input in the basic paradigms of what it means to be a Muslim," Wadud said after the service, adding that while the Qur'an puts men and women on equal footing, men have distorted its teachings to leave women with no role other than "as sexual partners."

But in the conservative Middle East, Wadud's prayer service was severely frowned on.

In Saudi Arabia, Grand Mufti Abdul-Aziz al-Sheik spoke out against the New York event in Friday prayers at a Riyadh mosque.

"Those who defended this issue are violating God's law," he said. "Enemies of Islam are using women's issues to corrupt the community."

Sheik Sayed Tantawi, head of Egypt's Al-Azhar mosque, the leading Sunni Muslim institution, said Islam permits women to lead other women in prayer but not a congregation that includes men.

Muslims are required to pray five times a day. On Friday, the Muslim holy day, many try to perform their midday prayers at a mosque. A male imam leads the prayer, followed by lines of men and, behind them, women. Most mosques have different halls, or different floors for the women, as well as separate entrances.

Soad Saleh, who heads the Islamic department of the woman's college at Al-Azhar University, considered the act an apostasy, which is punishable by death in Islam.

"It is categorically forbidden for women to lead prayers (if they include men worshippers) and intentionally violates the basics of Islam," she said.

Explaining why only men lead prayers, she said: "The origin is that the woman's body, even if veiled, stirs desire."

The most conservative Muslims also warn that women should not raise their voices as the sound can be seductive.

Abdul-Moti Bayoumi, of the Islamic Research Center at Al-Azhar, said Wadud had carried out "a bad and deviant innovation" that contradicted the Prophet Mohammed's sayings and deeds.

Not allowing women to lead mixed gender prayers "is not discrimination between women and men but is to safeguard men from being conflicted and torn by human desire while they are standing behind a woman while she's bowing and kneeling," Bayoumi said.

The prayer attracted news media attention in the Middle East,, including the two major Arab satellite networks, Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya, which covered the Friday service and reactions of those who attended.

One website known for postings by Islamic militants carried photos of women at the New York service who had failed to cover their heads, a normal requirement during prayer.

"This is the Islam that America wants," a contributor wrote Saturday. "I wouldn't be surprised if tomorrow one of those who call themselves Muslim would say that alcohol and fornication is halal (sanctioned by Islam), and that there is no need for legitimate marriage between men and women."

Saleh, the Al-Azhar professor, also suggested the prayer was a ploy to weaken Islam. "It's a foreign conspiracy, through secular (Muslim) organizations, to sow seeds of division between Muslims, to come up and preach with American or contemporary Islam," she said. "But God will protect his religion."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: amina; aminawadud; genderapartheid; imam; intolerance; islam; koranimals; mosque; muslim; muslimwomen; sexdiscrimination; sharia; wadud; women
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1 posted on 03/19/2005 2:58:40 PM PST by Pikamax
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To: Pikamax

Paging Hillary Clinton, NOW, ERRR America and Michael Moore


2 posted on 03/19/2005 3:01:25 PM PST by TexasTransplant (NEMO ME IMPUNE LACESSET)
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To: Pikamax

Interestingly, in the Christian church God desires the men to be the spiritual leaders of the home and church body.

I would rather more Christian men could be worthy of such positions.


3 posted on 03/19/2005 3:02:04 PM PST by ConservativeMind
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To: Pikamax

"A female Islamic law professor condemned the act as apostasy, explaining that a woman's body "stirs desire" in men."

Maybe if they would stop forcing the women to wear bags over their heads they wouldn't be so depraved. How sick to accept that as normal.


4 posted on 03/19/2005 3:02:07 PM PST by lotusblos
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To: Pikamax

I can't stand it,

I know you planned it:


5 posted on 03/19/2005 3:06:21 PM PST by bahblahbah
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Comment #6 Removed by Moderator

To: Pikamax

"This is the Islam that America wants,"

Wrong. We don't want any islam at all.


7 posted on 03/19/2005 3:09:40 PM PST by Larry Lucido
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Comment #8 Removed by Moderator

To: Pikamax
"The origin is that the woman's body, even if veiled, stirs desire."

Perhaps these wackos need to learn how to spank their monkeys instead of their goats and camels.

9 posted on 03/19/2005 3:12:00 PM PST by rickmichaels
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To: rickmichaels
Soad Saleh, who heads the Islamic department of the woman's college at Al-Azhar University, considered the act an apostasy, which is punishable by death in Islam.

Should she be worried?

:(|)

10 posted on 03/19/2005 3:16:32 PM PST by monkeybrau
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To: All

ISLAM ONLINE.NET: "ASK THE SCHOLAR"
http://www.islamonline.net/fatwaapplication/english/browse.asp

http://www.islamonline.net/fatwaapplication/english/display.asp?hFatwaID=122739

http://www.islamonline.net/fatwaapplication/english/display.asp?hFatwaID=122751


11 posted on 03/19/2005 3:17:40 PM PST by Cindy
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To: rickmichaels

Perhaps these wackos need to learn how to spank their monkeys instead of their goats and camels.
+++
Nice.


12 posted on 03/19/2005 3:20:39 PM PST by lodwick (Integrity has no need of rules. Albert Camus)
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To: Pikamax

Someone should send this to Ask the Iman.

Of course, how can we trust his answers since Islam, much like Scientology, has no problem lying to people not in their little club of death.


13 posted on 03/19/2005 3:22:03 PM PST by Duke Nukum (King had to write, to sing the song of Gan. And I had to read. How else could Roland find the Tower?)
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To: Pikamax

Let the real discussion begin. If Muslims want to 'speak' honestly with the West, they have to accept liberal idea (I'm not talking about American liberal) that people may say and do differently from the authority, and not trying to kill anybody don't agree with them (e.g. van Gogh). Likewise, "the West" need to see Islam honestly: as a religion, it has positive and negative sides. So far, despite all spins about discrimination, the religion is portrayed as a 'peaceful' one. Often the media backed off when the Muslims complained if Islam (or Muslims, the people) is portrayed differently. Just wait until every TV series has an episode about Islamic clergy had a sexual relationship with his pupils.


14 posted on 03/19/2005 3:23:11 PM PST by paudio (Four More Years..... Let's Use Them Wisely...)
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To: Pikamax; jan in Colorado; Fred Nerks; Dark Skies
"Those who defended this issue are violating God's law," he said. "Enemies of Islam are using women's issues to corrupt the community."

The consider her guilty of the crime of bidah... Modernizing, innovation or doing anything to drag Islam out of 7th century purist thought is forbidden.

And its not just in the middle east... it was reported that 3 major NY mosques turned her down, and according to this article quoting one familiar sounding NY Imam, its just a "publicity stunt."

15 posted on 03/19/2005 3:26:24 PM PST by USF (I see your Jihad and raise you a Crusade ™ © ®)
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To: Pikamax

" explaining that a woman's body "stirs desire" in men. "



Who knew?


16 posted on 03/19/2005 3:28:11 PM PST by SE Mom (God Bless our troops.)
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To: bahblahbah

Before you know it, we've got a bunch of women burning their brasseires.

17 posted on 03/19/2005 3:30:29 PM PST by Slump Tester (John Kerry - When even your best still isn't good enough)
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Comment #18 Removed by Moderator

To: ConservativeMind
Interestingly, in the Christian church God desires the men to be the spiritual leaders of the home and church body.

I would rather more Christian men could be worthy of such positions.

So correct - the only time women assume leadership roles in the Bible, is when the men fall down on the job. I am fortunate to have a wife who believes the Bible and expects me to be the spiritual leader in our household - until I was prepared for the job, she led by patient example.

19 posted on 03/19/2005 3:31:21 PM PST by trebb ("I am the way... no one comes to the Father, but by me..." - Jesus in John 14:6 (RSV))
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To: Pikamax

When they are not outraged, the Muslims are "upset", "furious" or whatever. Yawn.


20 posted on 03/19/2005 3:34:02 PM PST by Marguerite
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