Wife-beating is Koranic: Imam

[FishForLunch]

From correspondents in Paris
April 21, 2004
A MUSLIM cleric's comments that wife-beating is authorised by the Koran has sparked a fierce backlash in France, with Justice Minister Dominique Perben warning today that the cleric "will have to explain himself".

Abdelkader Bouziane, the imam of a mosque in the eastern city of Lyon, caused the uproar when he told the April issue of a local magazine, Lyon Mag, that he was polygamous, believed that "beating your wife is authorised by the Koran", and expressed the hope that "the entire world becomes Muslim".

The mayor of the Lyon suburb where Bouziane's mosque is located, Andre Gerin, made public a letter he wrote to the Interior Ministry in which he said he planned to start a lawsuit against the imam "for disturbing the public order and that of the republic (of France)".

Justice Minister Perben, speaking on state television, said justice officials "can and must do something" and added that other people had also vowed legal action.

A junior minister in charge of gender and professional equality, Nicole Ameline, said she was going to call together various associations tackling domestic violence "to examine what action is necessary".

Those associations may join the legal onslaught, she told radio station BFM, adding that the imam's comments were an "insult to the republic" and deserved heavy punishment.

Sources close to the organisation that runs the mosque, Es Salem, said Bouziane had defended himself by claiming the interview had not been properly conducted, and had received the order to either publish a retraction or start his own lawsuit against the magazine.

In January, an imam was given a suspended sentence in Spain for inciting violence against women in a 1997 book that gave detailed instructions to Muslim men on how to beat their wives.

[Mavdog]

The Iman sounds earily similar to some fundamentalist Christians I have heard...

[Usually Lurkin]

Originally posted by: Mavdog
The Iman sounds earily similar to some fundamentalist Christians I have heard...

and eerily similar to some left-wing extremists I've heard.

[Dooby]

Originally posted by: Mavdog
The Iman sounds earily similar to some fundamentalist Christians I have heard...

I am not a fundamentalist Christian, but WTF Mavdog? Do think that statement is remotely appropriate?

[madape]

Here's a transcript from a recent Saudi television show in which guests discuss the proper Islamic way to beat your wife, with citations from the Koran:

Program on Imposing Discipline in the Family: Hosted by Jasem Muhammad Al-Mutawah, Expert on Family Matters.

[Mavdog]

Originally posted by: Dooby

I am not a fundamentalist Christian, but WTF Mavdog? Do think that statement is remotely appropriate?

When I hear religious leadership expouse the subservient role of women, women without rights, as well as a desire to see "the entire world become" their religious doctrine, yes it "is remotely appropriate" to point out the similarities.

[FishForLunch]

The Iman sounds earily similar to some fundamentalist Christians I have heard...

Fundamentalist like who Pat Robertson, George Bush, ??? Is that something you heard or assumed that fundamentalist Christians beat their wifes

[Dooby]

Don't talk about crap you know nothing about. I know some of these people I think you are referring to, and they (the ones I've met) are among the nicest people I have ever met. To paint a broad brush and suggest they beat their wives is, at a minumum, unfortunate.

[Mavdog]

Originally posted by: Dooby
Don't talk about crap you know nothing about. I know some of these people I think you are referring to, and they (the ones I've met) are among the nicest people I have ever met. To paint a broad brush and suggest they beat their wives is, at a minumum, unfortunate.

I don't mean to suggest they beat their wives, however, they (just like the Iman) do NOT give equality to females, they (just like the Iman) are adamant that women are subservient to men, and they (just like the Iman) wish to see their faith spread all over the world.

There's quite a few similarities...


edit for emphasis

[Dooby]

It is inappropriate to paint with so broad a brush regardless of who you are speaking of, be it muslims, jews, blacks or fundamentalist christians.

[madape]

What exactly does fundamentalist mean in this context Mavdog? Does anyone who goes to church regularly qualify as a wife-beater? Is it those who watch the 700 club? What level of Christianity do you have to achieve before you can't help yourself and start smacking your wife around in the name of Jesus?

[Mavdog]

Originally posted by: Dooby
It is inappropriate to paint with so broad a brush regardless of who you are speaking of, be it muslims, jews, blacks or fundamentalist christians.

Are you saying that the precepts of each faith can't "paint" a clear philosophy? Surely they do.

Do you argue that fundamentalist christian sects do not exhibit the beliefs that I outlined above? Surely they do.

[Usually Lurkin]

mavdog, I thought at first that your point was that there are a few nutballs in any organization that would go so far as to say their beliefs support wife beating. I thought you chose christianity to make this point in a sarcastic mannar because you saw an opportunity to get a little dig in on the Christians on this board.

I see from your later posts, though, that you are seriously trying to make the point that christianity, in promoting a servant's role for women, is similar to Islam, which promotes wife beating.

One difference you might want to look into is that Christianity also promotes a servant's role for men. Men are to lead their wives as christ leads his church - i.e. wash their feet and die for them. That's different than beating them.

[dude1394]

Originally posted by: Dooby

I am not a fundamentalist Christian, but WTF Mavdog? Do think that statement is remotely appropriate?

Who knows he's one of Lenin's "useful idiots".

[dude1394]

Interesting side note about this however. I was reading an column that postulated that one of the reasons that islam is such a religion of violence is because of the poligamy that was and is currently practiced. So all of the young guys in the islamic countries aren't getting any and it makes 'em mighty angry. The author was making well-reasoned points but it was pretty funny.

Get no loving so blow yourself and everyone else up. Hmmm... maybe the author was righter than I thought. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]