Deficiency

[Abdul Rahman]

...
And in the context of Mohammad’s life women are seen as inferior to men. So what I said is still correct in this aspect.
...

This is garbage.
All humans are created equal with distinction coming only through piety.
Picking and choosing evidence without understanding of its situational context (which despite your assertion you lack) as well as its context within all the available evidence is the path to error, it is the way of every single innovative sect from the mutazilites to the present day.

[andak01]

His biggest point, BTW, if you were to peruse his writings, is simply that there needs to be a division between church and state... or inversely that Islam (like some other faiths) is fundamentally (to use that troublesome word) political, both Shia and Sunni, and that the only salvation.... is a secular state, but again I'm merely cherry picking his (certainly long and carefully thought out) position.

He goes way beyond that, saying dehumanizing things about Prophet Muhammad (SAW), Muslims and Islam. You must know that if you read more than a paragraph of it.

As an atheist, he is, furthermore, anti religion, not just anti-Islam. As a born westerner (I gather) I think you would agree with him that a secular state is optimal, and that you personally should have the right to leave the religion of your ancestry without the pain of death (and if you doubt that aspect of it, please ask him about it and he will even send you pictures of the many deceased).

A secular state with freedom of religion, such as our Constitution promises us, is the optimal government for the least ammount of risk. Any theocracy is a sort of dictatorship and can only therefore be as good as the dictator that runs it. A just dictator can achieve much more than a just politician in a representative government, but; a wicked dictator has way too much power.

So, yes, generally, given the leaders we have to chose from, I'd choose a secular government with freedom of religion. None of the Sharia states I've seen would allow me to practice Islam in the way that I presently do.

This brings up a problem, though. If we were to agree that secular government is the best for the most people, then what of Israel? Is it right to send armies to invade or partisans to sow dissent in every Arab country and then turn around and allow a religious state in Israel?

So, I look at the Kettlewhistles of the world and I'd have to say this. Either there should be no theocracies or there should be some. If Israel is to be allowed to achieve Kahane's dream, then we should allow the Sharia states to persist without continuing to attack them. Otherwise, Israel becomes a totally secular state and the project of secularizing Muslim states continues. Either one of these solutions would reduce strife in the Middle East. But a hypocritical stand where Israel has one set of rules and everyone else another will continue to worsen things.

[Agnosthiest]

This is garbage.
All humans are created equal with distinction coming only through piety.
Picking and choosing evidence without understanding of its situational context (which despite your assertion you lack) as well as its context within all the available evidence is the path to error, it is the way of every single innovative sect from the mutazilites to the present day.

I was referring to the cultural context in Arabia during the time of Mohammad. When women had little or no rights, and are seen as property. Even muslims love saying that baby girls are being buried alive...as if such a thing is very common at that time. You deny these?

[andak01]

I was referring to the cultural context in Arabia during the time of Mohammad. When women had little or no rights, and are seen as property. Even muslims love saying that baby girls are being buried alive...as if such a thing is very common at that time. You deny these?

We are experiencing a modern day version of this in India today where hundreds of thousands of abortions have been performed based on sonograms that revealed a female embryo. The practice is so prevalent that it has skewed the population as a whole.

[Abdul Rahman]

It is actually illegal in South Korea to tell the parents the sex of a foetus based on ultrasound for this very reason.

[Agnosthiest]

We are experiencing a modern day version of this in India today where hundreds of thousands of abortions have been performed based on sonograms that revealed a female embryo. The practice is so prevalent that it has skewed the population as a whole.

plus the bride burnings. thats another screwed up culture.

[Agnosthiest]

It is actually illegal in South Korea to tell the parents the sex of a foetus based on ultrasound for this very reason.

i think thats in china.

[Abdul Rahman]

Korea too.
My Sister in law is pregnant and Korean. Living in Korea.