Islam

A muslim social worker came to talk to our class last week about islam. I've got to say I was quite surprised. I guess I'm like a lot of North Americans, my Islamic knowledge doesn't extend much past 9/11. I was most surprised by the role of women. The headcovering is not about subjugation. It's about modesty. Marriages, while arranged, have to occur with the consent of the woman. And marriages are a contract, with both husband and wife setting the conditions for that contract. A wife does not have to take her husband's name. And any money or property the wife has remains hers and hers alone in the marriage.

In general, Islam is a religion of peace, of mercy. Why terrorists if the Qu'ran doesn't teach violence? She didn't get too far into it. However, I look at a lot of looney things that people have done in the name of Christianity, and I certainly don't see how people got those messages from the same Bible I read. People can justify their behaviour in many ways, and it doesn't have to be consistent.