On differentiating religion and culture

[The Beatles]

I would normally post links like this in the shoutbox, but this is very good, so here goes:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/6625393.stm

Here's a tiny snippet:

This repression of women, she told me, is not about Islam. It is about culture. Just look at how interpretations of Islam shift with geography.

The closer countries are to other civilisations - the more progressive they are.

Take Tunisia, in North Africa, where women have had full rights for 50 years. The tides of change have now reached the Gulf.

Women in Saudi Arabia cannot vote; in fact, even elections (let alone democratic) are a very recent development.

[windhound]

hah, beat you to it beatles (posted in the shoutbox earlier today)

it really is an interesting difference in cultures
and I suspect there will be some grinding as they attempt change

[The Beatles]

Damn! I had opened that link in new tabs... for an explanation/apology you must understand how I use the 'net. I go to a lib/lab computer, open up mail, bbc, maybe slashdot, open links in new tabs, hit FAF, open shoutbox links, then go through in order. So of course I hit the ones I opened up first, then when I went to post it, I didn't notice windy had already posted.

Indeed. I wonder if the OLPC project could help there, it is after all great for people to broaden the mind. I am sure some governments would be unhappy about it, hell, some are even unhappy about Al-Jazeera, which most Westerners would view as Islamic fundamentalist.

[windhound]

:*laughs*: I dont care if its reposted, atleast you got some discussion out of it. my link got covered in spam

I may go digup the links later, but I believe India claimed they could produce laptops for 10 dollars, in comparison to OLPC's 175. I want to see a 10 dollar laptop. I'm thinking somthin that looks more like the older palm pilots than a laptop

And somewhere over there (apologies, I dont remember) there was a law made against barbers giving western-style haircuts to men (and women ofcourse, but it focused on men)

edit: SPAG

[Kraken]

heh, i have seen Islamic Porn..

not that i am trying to be, er, perveted or anything...
just something i have seen out there.

really


i am not a sicko


im not joking....


it was called Jihad Susy....

[The Beatles]

Islam is a religious, not an ethnic term. So you could hardly have Islamic porn, as it's against Islam. At most, Arabic porn. But the whole point of the topic is the two can be differentiated.

[Kraken]

good point

[The Beatles]

good point

when have we last heard that from the Kraken! :*laughs*:

[Gen. Volkov]

Culture and religion are interrelated though. Religion informs culture, culture informs religion. It's a symbiotic, dynamic relationship. Being a Muslim is one of the things that defines who an Arab is. It is sometimes the most important, sometimes not. But it's always there. The same holds true for Christians. And being an agnostic is one of the ways I define myself. Even if it's not a religion, agnosticism and atheism are important parts of American culture. Like I said, dynamic relationship.

[Kraken]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,270111,00.html <span style='color:red'>WARNING: GRAPHIC AND DISTRUBING</span>

its a girl getting stoned to death in the "peaceful" religion called Islam for dating someone wrong. read the story.

[The Beatles]

Be that as it may, Volkov, the relationship can and does end eventually. "Christendom", the Western world, is now more secular than Christian. Even in the Arab world, the Tunisia example shows you can be relatively liberal. Or Brunei, where I've been, which is moderately so.

[Gen. Volkov]

I wouldn't say that. The number of Christians in all western countries still greatly outnumbers the numbers of atheists, agnostics, and other non-Christians. The church is still a big presence in many many lives. The relationship can change, but it has not ended in any country yet. Tunisia and Brunei are liberal, but that doesn't mean that being Muslim is not still an important part of who the people of those countries are. Islam is only restrictive in a very strict interpretation of the Koran, one that some Muslim scholars dispute is an accurate interpretation.