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Memorizing the Way to Heaven, Verse by Verse
NY Times ^ | August 16, 2006 | MICHAEL LUO

Posted on 08/16/2006 10:02:21 AM PDT by Sabramerican

The carpeted room is full of children in skullcaps crouched on prayer mats, reciting verses from a holy text. Some mumble the words under their breath; others sing them out. They rock back and forth as they chant, their disparate voices blending into an ethereal melody.

The children, ages 7 to 14, are full-time students, in class 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, even in the summer. But they are not studying math, science or English. Instead, they are memorizing all 6,200 verses in the Koran, a task that usually takes two to three years.

It would hardly be an unusual scene in Pakistan, Afghanistan or elsewhere in the Muslim world, where religious schools devoted to memorization of the Koran and Islamic studies are common. But this class meets in the prayer room of a small mosque in Flushing, Queens, that caters mostly to South Asian immigrants and their children.

Schools like this one at the Muslim Center of New York are rare in the United States, but are emerging, especially among South Asians, as the Muslim American population becomes more established.

....By not offering instruction in other subjects,

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Israel; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: christians; crushislam; education; islam; islamicfascists; islamisadeathcult; islamisevil; islamofascism; israel; jews; koran; koranimals; muslim; muslims; nextjihadists; nytreasontimes; trop; wot
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To: Lucky9teen
These islamofascists are interpreting the Koran to mean what THEY want it to mean and only taking passages that allow them to do what they do and kill others, etc.

I am not a Muslim

-I'm with the islamofascists on their interpretation of the Koran and Hadiths. They got it right.

I would bet if I could sit down with the late Zarqawi, I would have the exact same interpretation of the Koran and Hadiths as he had.

How any Muslims can come to a loving caring conclusion about Islam is beyond me. And apparently beyond Zarqawi, who killed, whenever he had the chance, those Infidel ass kissing so- called Muslims who wouldn't get Infidel blood on their hands. They took the easy way out, by misinterpreting the religion for a more peaceful life on earth with the Infidel scum. - tom

21 posted on 08/16/2006 10:35:32 AM PDT by Capt. Tom (Don't confuse the Bushies with the dumb Republicans - Capt. Tom)
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To: Bommer
Akbar Ahmed discusses Islamic fundamentalism, why he believes some terrorists act in the name of Islam and his goal to spread the peaceful teachings of Islam to younger generations.

Here is the transcript of the interview.
22 posted on 08/16/2006 10:36:03 AM PDT by Lucky9teen (Ask not what the government can do for you. Ask why it doesn't.)
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To: Lucky9teen

The trouble with the Muslim contention that terrorists are misinterpreting the Koran is that it is disputed by 1400 years of history.Islam is a tribal blood cult that gained territory and adherents by the sword. For conquered people it has always been submit to Islam or die. If anyone feels that this has changed over the centuries, I suggest you try to open a Catholic church in Saudi Arabia.


23 posted on 08/16/2006 10:36:16 AM PDT by Old North State
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To: Sabramerican
I got the first verse...

There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to heaven
And when she gets there she knows if the stores are closed
With a word she can get what she came for...

24 posted on 08/16/2006 10:36:36 AM PDT by Hatteras
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To: Sabramerican
Not bad. If you memorize the whole Koran - which isn't much longer than the New Testament - and stay a Muslim your whole life not only are you guaranteed heaven, but you get to pick ten people to come with you.
25 posted on 08/16/2006 10:38:04 AM PDT by wideawake ("The nation which forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten." - Calvin Coolidge)
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To: Pyro7480

Thank you.


26 posted on 08/16/2006 10:38:54 AM PDT by hoagy62 (America: SUPREME!)
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To: Hatteras

Ok, I feel better. I see I'm not the only one who thought about Stairway to Heaven when I saw the title.


27 posted on 08/16/2006 10:39:05 AM PDT by radiohead (Hey Kerry, I'm still here; still hating your lying, stinking, guts you coward.)
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To: Capt. Tom

I didn't say I agreed with what he said, I just found it interesting his view point (see my last post to the transcript).

I haven't read the Koran, but from what I've seen of Islam, it is NOT a religion of peace, but rather a religion of pieces and shrapnel.


28 posted on 08/16/2006 10:39:37 AM PDT by Lucky9teen (Ask not what the government can do for you. Ask why it doesn't.)
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To: Sabramerican

So now we are to call them Asians as our cousins the Brits do, eh?


29 posted on 08/16/2006 10:40:02 AM PDT by Old Professer (The critic writes with rapier pen, dips it twice, and writes again.)
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To: CaptainK

"New York State has made it virtually impossible to home school because they will not issue a diploma to anyone who is home schooled after the freshman year. Funny how the state is now dragging their feet in regards to the Muslim private schools."

It seems in many states, like here in Colorado, if a religious school forgoes the accreditation process, they can pretty much teach whatever they want.


30 posted on 08/16/2006 10:40:58 AM PDT by DonaldC
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To: Lucky9teen

Some of best friends are illiterate.


31 posted on 08/16/2006 10:41:28 AM PDT by Old Professer (The critic writes with rapier pen, dips it twice, and writes again.)
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To: Lucky9teen
Kind of like extremist christians misread/misquote the Bible and take it out of text, etc., the same is true for the Koran.

Allow me to fill you in on some facts missing from your analysis:

(1) The Christian Bible and the Muslim Koran are two different books and they say different things.

(2) The Koran explicitly teaches that it is good to either kill nonbelievers or to enslave them, that killing people can be an effective method of getting into heaven, and that it is fine to tell lies to nonbelievers.

(3) The Christian Bible does not contain the teachings outlined in fact (2).

32 posted on 08/16/2006 10:42:38 AM PDT by wideawake ("The nation which forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten." - Calvin Coolidge)
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To: DonaldC

USA is sowing to the wind, and we can expect to reap the whirlwind.


33 posted on 08/16/2006 10:42:42 AM PDT by tessalu
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To: Lucky9teen

And Brer Rabbit had a deathly fear of the briar patch.


34 posted on 08/16/2006 10:42:52 AM PDT by Old Professer (The critic writes with rapier pen, dips it twice, and writes again.)
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To: wideawake

They must be expecting about 90% to be poor learners then.


35 posted on 08/16/2006 10:43:56 AM PDT by Old Professer (The critic writes with rapier pen, dips it twice, and writes again.)
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To: wideawake

It's not my analysis...I was just talking about someone else's analysis...whom I have linked the transcript of here.

I don't agree with it and I too believe the Koran is filled with nasty stuff.


36 posted on 08/16/2006 10:44:48 AM PDT by Lucky9teen (Ask not what the government can do for you. Ask why it doesn't.)
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To: Old Professer

What does that mean?


37 posted on 08/16/2006 10:45:09 AM PDT by Lucky9teen (Ask not what the government can do for you. Ask why it doesn't.)
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To: Lucky9teen

I understand the comparison that was being made but I don't buy the attempt at equivalency.

Christianity does not advocate killing or subjecting to dhimmitude those who decline to join the religion.

Neither does Christ expect us to allow ourselves to be annihilated.


38 posted on 08/16/2006 10:48:26 AM PDT by prairiebreeze (Brought to you by the American Democrat Party, aka alQaeda, Western Division.)
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To: Argus

I seriously doubt they plan on getting a job. Me thinks they have a vastly different 5yr or 10yr plan than most 7-14yr olds.


39 posted on 08/16/2006 10:50:47 AM PDT by 1forall (America - my home, my land, my country.)
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To: Old Professer
Ntahc. But the best part is that the school only teaches Koran memorization - it doesn't teach Arabic.

So most of the students, who speak Urdu and English, barely understand anything they're memorizing.

I had formerly assumed that Arabic language classes were part and parcel of the memorization project, kind of the one benefit that could be expected to accompany the drudgery.

It's pretty amazing to compare this to the Talmudic study that Jews undertake - where comprehension is key and learning at least three languages is standard.

40 posted on 08/16/2006 10:53:09 AM PDT by wideawake ("The nation which forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten." - Calvin Coolidge)
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