   Underage marriage according to Islamic Priest.
  I know I've been warned by a moderator to not express my oppinions on the Islam on these forums, so I won't do it. Yet I think it is fair to be able to read what the rest of the people thinks about this extract I found on Youtube.It is an excerpt from an interview made to Saudi Cleric Muhammad Musa Al-Sharif about the topic. First of all, I'd like to know if the translation is correct. ">Here is the video. 4:51 mins.As adviced, I'll refrain myself from emitting any oppinion. Try to keep it civil, at least, for your own rating sake.   
Quote:Original post by owlAs adviced, I'll refrain myself from emitting any oppinion.What exactly is the point of this? So we can all go ZOMG muslims?I can post an equally retarded opinion from someone on the O'Reilly Factor.   ;Quote:Original post by owlFirst of all, I'd like to know if the translation is correct.I found no significant inaccuracies in the translation.In my opinion, you can tell that the host thinks that Dr Sharif is a total nut-case.   ;Quote:Original post by WanQuote:Original post by owlAs adviced, I'll refrain myself from emitting any oppinion.What exactly is the point of this? So we can all go ZOMG muslims?I can post an equally retarded opinion from someone on the O'Reilly Factor.Seconded. What's the point in raising question over some arbitrary controversial practice, particularly when plenty of other groups across race, creed and time are guilty of the same or similar? Certain sects of, for examlple, mormons still practice multiple marriage/child marriage; in earlier times of American and European history it wasn't uncommon for a 30 year old man to court a girl of 15 or so; heck, my grandfather was nearly 20 years older than my grandmother. Are you just trying to breed xenophobia?I'm sure you'd not like to be judged singly over the most controversial thing you've ever done. Concentrating on differences gets us no where. If people spent more time thinking about the similarities across humanity, rather than the differences, we'd be much better off. You can't demonize an entire group of people over one act that indeed many in that group may disagree with -- let alone participate in, imply that they must be morally defficient as a people, and revel in your smug feeling of superiority.Certainly the world at large should have something to say against practices that infringe upon the life and liberty of other human beings, but I don't think you can say out of hand that this crosses that line at all, and certainly not any more than many other groups which fall more immediately in your cultural jurisdiction.   ;Quote:Original post by owlexcerpt from an interview made to Saudi Cleric Muhammad Musa Al-Sharif about the topic.Yes, there are lots of crazy people in the world, irrespective of religion.  Lots of you are too young to remember the Unibomber and his manifesto.  Probably most of you are old enough to remember the Olympic Park Bomber.  Both of these guys were serial terrorists with extreme right-wing Christian agendas.  There are news articles about church burnings.  Just this year there was the serial arson of 11 church buildings in Texas.Several Ku Klux Clan members were extremist Christian terrorists.Cross burnings used to be a relatively common form of Christian extremist terrorism.Etc., etc., etc.Yet when Americans think of Christians, they don't think of this kind of terrorist actions.Why?Because most Americans are familiar with Christian beliefs, and understand that these few people are extremist wackos.Unfortunately many Americans have made an association that Islamic and Muslim == terrorist and immoral/amoral, just because of a few high profile actions by wackos.They hear a cleric say the word "Jihad!" or they hear a cleric mention underage marriage and they erroneously project the crazy person's beliefs on to the religion as a whole.Why?Exactly the same reason.  Most Americans are NOT familiar with Islamic beliefs, so when they hear the lone voices of these wackos they don't have any other basis for comparison.The core Muslim beliefs are extremely similar to the core Christian beliefs.  Most people don't know that Islam accepts the same teachings of Abraham, Moses, and Jesus as part of their doctrine.  The religion's core societal belifs are basically the same as those in the United States.  Try to explain that to most Americans and they will fight the cognitive dissonance that "they" are just like "us".   