Humbug

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Someone's sent me an ebook. It's called "Answers to Non-Muslim's Common Questions about Islam" by Dr Zakir Abdul Karim Naik, published by the Islamic Research Foundation.

Instead of me editorialising, why don't I just summarise what it has to say, and you draw your own conclusions? Here goes:

1) Why is polygamy allowed in Islam?

Most religions (including Christianity and Hinduism) allow polygamy - or at least don't explicitly forbid it. It's secular laws that limit marriage, even though men are biologically promiscuous - which science proves.

Islam is better than all the other polygamous religions because it's the only one to warn you not to have more wives than you can cope with.

2) Why not polyandry?

It's forbidden because women only need one man, and besides if she had more than one husband it might not be certain who the father of her children is - and that would be, er, bad.

3) Doesn't Islam degrade women?

Every other civilisation does, and western culture turns women into sex objects while pretending to free them. Sexlessness is dignified in women.

And the veil prevents rape in some unspecified way.

4) How can Islam be a religion of peace when it's been spread by conquest?

If Islam were a religion of violence, all the non-muslims would have been executed when Muslim armies invaded their country.

5) Are Muslims terrorists?

"The policeman is a terrorist for the robber."

6) Why aren't Muslims vegetarians?

They can be.

7) Why do they slaughter animals by decapitating them?

Because it's quick, relatively painless...and it lets the nasty germ-ridden blood flow away.

8) But doesn't eating meat make people violent?

Not if they only eat herbivores.

9) Isn't bowing to the Kaaba (that giant black cube in Mecca) idol worship?

It promotes unity among Muslims, so it...isn't.

10) Why aren't non-muslims allowed to go to Mecca?

Immigration control is good when we do it.

11) Why can't Muslims eat pork?

The Qur'an says so - just like the bible. Plus pigs carry disease, and aren't monogamous - "Many times after dance parties, they have swapping of wives".

12) Why can't Muslims drink alcohol?

The Qur'an says so - just like the bible. Plus "8% of Americans commit incest...Almost all cases of incest are due to intoxication".

Oh, and "ALCOHOLISM IS NOT A DISEASE - IT IS SATAN'S HANDIWORK". (Yes, that part is all in capitals.)

13) In law, why are two female witnesses equivalent to one male witness?

Women are more emotional than men, so less accurate.

14) Why is a woman's inheritance half that of a man?

Occasionally it isn't. If "the deceased has left no ascendant or descendent but has left the uterine brother and sister, each of the two inherit one sixth".

And men need more because they have families, which women don't.

15) Is the Qur'an the word of God?

Here I can quote the full text:

"(to be corrected and provided after a few days)
* apprximately 5 pages"

It would appear Dr Naik hasn't got around to writing this part yet.

16) How can you prove life after death?

Science can't prove it doesn't exist, so it's logical to believe it does.

If there's no afterlife, morality is impossible.

The justice in the afterlife balances out the injustice in this one.

17) Why are there sects in Islam?

All the other sects don't read the Qur'an right.

18) What's so special about Islamic ethics?

Under Shariah law, reported rapes and thefts are low.

19) If Islam is so good, why are Muslims as bad as everyone else?

It's media slander, it's just a few rotten apples giving the rest a bad name, and some non-muslim historians say the Prophet (peace be upon him) was a wonderful person.

I don't know about you, but I find it perversely comforting that although customs and cultures are so varied across the world, drivelling bullshit is the same everywhere.

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