Salam,

Are you a Muslim or one who submits his/her whole being to God? If so, there is no Islam beyond La ilaha ilaa Allah or there is no god except God. Here is the support for this

Surely, those who believe and those who are Jewish and the Christians and the Sabians; whoever believes in God and the last day, they neither worry nor shall they grieve. Qur'an, 262

Assuming you bought that, here is your free piece do good, according to your heart-- not what anyone else says. There is not one law in the Qur'an that you already don't know. Every guiding post in the Qur'an is already in your heart, if you stop and stand still... and listen.

Now, how do you do good? By, of course, believing ALL of your actions will be held for/against you at a 'later' day. Hence questioning whether everything you do is right or wrong, following your heart.

Easy, eh? Why complicate things by going over stupid details?

Cheers cool

Salam,

I read some interesting views on Homosexuality on this forum. I wrote an essay on the People of Lot, titled "Qawm ul Lut Reinterpreting the Story of Lot", which can be found in

http//huriyahmag.org/afdhere/lut.html

I would like some of you to respond to that.

Insha Allah, I will be back, as I chose the option to let me know when there are responses.

For those who don't know me, I'm the Editor of Huriyah, a queer Muslim magazine.

your brother,

Afdhere

Salam everyone,

I wonder what you guys think of women leading prayers. I have recently been to a Queer Muslim conference in Los Angeles, and there were times when women led prayers, women and men mingled in prayer and women prayed without hijab.

I was surprised to find that some "progressive" Muslims objected to these roll So I want to hear what people here think...

)
Afdhere

Salam,

Does anyone know why Noah's wife was among those who drawned? Did she even drawn? Any 'liberal' thoughts on this?

Cheers cool

Salam,

Aaron, one of the participants here asked me question--- about romantic relationships in another post that I would like to answer in this space;

now for this loving mateship (azwaj) - which is what i mean if i say marriage as per Quran, fyi - do you or do you not believe that the "loving mateship" described in the Quran is permissible between 2 men or 2 women? please provide evidence upon which you base such an understanding.

The short answer, of course, is yes. The loving (romantic) relationship described in the Qur'an is unisex... unless it deals with a specific sex/gender.

The Qur'an really does not deal with romantic relationships outside of heterosexual because heterosexual relationships have been the most abusive (to children and women,) and over all destructive (incestry... sanctioned by states, et cetera) ... which the Qur'an deals with in detail.

Even though I'm not a Homosexual, I'm a person who believes we are from lesbians -) My belief in that is entirely based on 41... where the soul of the first person as well as that soul's romantic parnter are feminine. This coincides with science (biology) which teaches us we came from one cell, which reproduced itself.

Also, it has been quite a while since it was 'decided' that we are all from a woman (later named "LUCY" by scientists) who lived millions of years ago what is now Ethiopia (they found her bones in the 1970s.)

surely you can't be saying that because in your opinion the "west" did wrong that it is ok to do wrong in turn.

No, no, you misunderstand. The West went to a world (East) where everything was naturally accepted... and introduced unnatural (hate) beliefs about sexuality, gender issues and what have you.

The British Empire -- alone -- have introduced Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Fanaticism, et cetera, to many regions in the world, especially Africa.

Until the Euros arrived, the Muslim world undrestood the differences between a luuti (or one who raped other straight men) and khanith (or one who was born with the natural inclination to be with others of his likes.) After Euros went back to Europe and wrote about how "filthy" and "immoral" the Muslims are to accept such people, Muslims started developing Homophobia... which started with hiding one's own sexuality to a society locking people in rooms (as was/is the case with the khanith or Mukhanneth.)

Also, you talked about abstaining. Abstaining from what? Heterosexuals are asked to abstain until they get married, not non-heterosexuals. Do you really believe God expects the Homosexual... whether gay or lesbian... to abstain from natural inclination which God had created in them? Surely, then such god cannot be a Merciful God, can such?

Cheers cool

Salam, or Peace,

I received an e-mail from a participant here last night. The person asked why I object to the usage of "Allah" when I sometimes say "Salam" instead of Peace and most of the time "Muslim" instead of Submitter.

For me, it is simple;

a) If you are using a language beside the original, then use the new language's usage of that word. For me, I don't know any one word that completes the word "Muslim" in English. The word submitter -- though it covers the "literal" meaning -- does not come close to what Muslim means; one who submits wholly to God.

b) The word Allah is divisive in the sense that it potrays another god though there is an equal word for it in English; God. There is a movement out there which works very hard to 'proof' that Allah is a separate god for Muslims. Among their claims, it is that Muslims exclusively use this word to mean for their god.

c) As for Salam, to me it is just universal. Among many languages the word is same; Hindi, Urdu, Farsi, Kiswahili, etc. Not only that, everybody almost knows what it means.

So, what do you all think? Is the word SUBMITTER a valid substitute for the word MUSLIM?

Cheers cool

Salam,

Did you have the chance to read the "anonymous" person who wrote;

http//www.free-minds.org/Arab_Conspiracy.html

?

Among the support used to tell us that "Arabs" conspired against Islam is that Arabs are wicked-- though the Qur'an is very clear that only among the Arabs are found wicked, like any other people... which is exactly why the Qur'an says such thing. So that people don't go around worshipping Arabs -)

It is funny that such non-Arab "anonymous" anti-Semites choose to relate some of the verses... but do not acknowledge the whole portion.

It should be noted that this is not a new thing. In the past, anti-Semites have long used half portions to justify to encourage hate against Jews, for example, or early Christians (who were Jewish, as well.)

I would like to point out to such anti-Semite people that it was an Arab... who God chose-- yes -- above all man -- to carry out the Qur'an. Perhaps it is such fact that hurts them roll

As a non-Arab, who is very critical of early Muslims, it saddens me when folks choose to be so hateful... especially in terms of race. And even more saddens me when they use the Qur'an to excelarate their hate.

Fortunately, just like before-- God is alive, aware and kicking

Cheers cool

Recap

Dhulqarnain said the Qur'an is the only perfect book. I said the Torah, the Gospel and other books are just as perfect. Dhulqarnain came back and said those books are not perfect. I accused him of anti-Semitism, which is the root of the claim (which is NOT found in the Qur'an) and I asked him to furnish proof for his (anti-Semitic) claims, which he did not... since last I checked.

Then, Layth comes in-- and posts

Peace to you Dhulqarnain & Afdhere, The policy of this forum is to allow 'open & free' discussions however contravercial such views may be....However, the issue of swearing/slandering is not tolerated in the least. I will delete Dhulqarnain's last post and remind you both what we live by"O you who believe, no people shall ridicule other people, for they may be better than they. Nor shall any women ridicule other women, for they may be better than they. Nor shall you mock one another, or call each other names. Evil indeed is the reversion to wickedness after attaining faith. Anyone who does not repent after this, these are the transgressors." (4911) "Not equal is the good response and the bad response. You shall resort to the nicest possible response. Thus, the one who used to be your enemy, may become your best friend." (4134) Layth

Since it was my post which was deleted and not Dhulqarnains (unless I missed it,) ... what should I assume? shock

Cheers cool