[Faith-talk] wife beating in Islam

[Kirt Manwaring]

To all,
  I think this issue of wife beating in Islam needs to be clarified.
Joshua, you were using an aweful translation, and this also needs to
be understood in context.  Here's an explanation by a Muslim
preacher-he explains better than I could.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJNU2xx83nw
  Basically, what the original Arabic says is that if your wife is
causing serious problems-first you talk to her, then you stop having
sex with her, then you apply light corporal punishment only if you
think that would help resolve the situation.  Now there are a few
conditions the Qu'ran sets forward about this "beating."  You can't
make anything swell, you can't cause a bruise, you can't make her
bleed, you can't damage the skin, you can't hit any sensitive area of
the body...basically, if you're following the stipulations set forth
by the Qu'ran, you could maybe tap her feet with a toothpick or touch
her shoulder a few times.  Verry painful...some beating!
  Now, you might ask why Muhammad (peace be upon him)  even include
something like this?  In the Arab society to which the Qu'ran
originally was sent, wife beating was common.  It was routine for
wives to be abused, tortured...you get the point.  So here Muhammad is
actually trying to stop that, when you understand this in context.
  Joshua, if you're going to make claims like this, it's probably a
good idea to research a little before you do-not just info put out by
your own religion, but the Muslim prospective as well.  After all, who
understands tthe beliefs of a religion better than the members of that
religion?
  God bless,
Kirt
P.S.  Slightly off-topic, but I'm just getting news that Bin Laden's
been killed.  If this is true, it's a huge victory in the War on
Terror and is a great victory for both America and the Muslim world.