Giving Islam a bad name!

You know, in a time where a big part of the world is critically looking at Islam and questioning its reputation and image as a religion of peace and reason, with it's involvement in 22 current world conflicts and all, the Muslims in Egypt seem to be trying extra hard to tarnish its image. Exaggeration? Nahh! By just looking at the news today, i have found me 2 pretty bad examples. The first example has to do with Dr. Nawal El Saadawi decision to nominate herself for the Egyptian presidential elections. Dr. Nawal, in case you are not familiar with her, is a well known Egyptian author and women's rights activists among other things and is running on a socialist platform. I didn't really care when I heard about her nomination for 3 reasons: 1) In order for her to run, she needs to be approved by 2/3 of the Egyptian parliament, which Mubarak's Party, The National Democratic Party controls more then 90% of the seats. And the thing is, even if they were given the greenlight by Mubarak to let her run, most of them wouldn't approve her anyway because the Egyptian constitution gives the president the right to disband the parliament at will. So, if she wins she could send them all home packing, and they wouldn't like losing their power very much. Reason # 2 is the fact that Egypt still remains a misogynistic male-dominated society. Even if parliament allows her to run, the majority of Egyptian males wouldn't even give her the light of day, because she is a woman. If you think that a woman would have a tough time getting elected president in the USA, can you imagine how tough of a time she would have running in Egypt? The Third and final reason has nothing with her actual running. The woman is a socialists, and I am sick and tired of socialists messing with my country. The government- with 23 cabinet- is big enough as it is, and what we need is some people who will advocate a smaller government. Another socialist running is like reshuffeling the seats on the deck of the Titanic. It may look different, it will sink just the same. However, despite my personal dislike to the women's politics, i find myself siding with her when i heard that the egyptian Grand Mufti Dr. Ali Mohamad Juma'ah( with a number of supporters) has issued a fatwa rejecting the idea that a woman would ever be president. Why? They say: because of her psychological nature and what she suffers from during her menstrual period. Islam clearly states that women , because of Menustration, are less reasonable , logical and religious then a man! Out of the fear that a woman is faced with a tough situation during her period, she might be compelled-because of PMS- to make a decision that may not be very sound. Hmmmmm! How do you spell Mufti in arabic again? Wait, i know: It's M, U, full of Shit! Naturally, since she does have some kind of a brain, she responds here and tears them all a new asshole: Menstruation? Oh my God! Did menstruation prevent Margaret Thatcher from her activity? Did menstruation stop the work of Egyptian farmers who suffer in the field like men from sunrise to sunset? Did menstruation prevent young athletes in the Olympics from playing and competing with men? Who said that menstruation stops the woman from working? Even pregnancy and delivery itself do not stop women working in fields, factories, offices, and Arab and foreign embassies! Undoubtedly, "menstruation" seems an irregular and funny word when it comes from the mouth of those men, especially that the majority of women working in the political field or presidential or non-presidential elections are more than 50 years old, where there is no menstruation. Thankfully, not all religious leaders are this unreasonable. Sheikh Abdullah Mujawer for example he said that he is for women becoming president, because the Islamic Sharia does not oppose this; however, as a president, she can not hold a closed meeting with men! He is not kidding! She isn't either: Oh my God! How can a woman become a president without holding a closed meeting with a man? Does she have to deal with women alone? Can't she, as president, sit with the Prime Minister or with another official to discuss any issue with him?! It is really funny to hear such words from religious people who occupy high-ranking positions in the religious institutions and who are supposed to be directing the public opinion inside and outside our countries through satellites? I can't really fault here there! And now to the second example, which i will post without any commentary, cause, you see, it kinda speaks for itself (personal favorites in bold): CAIRO - A Muslim youth has been killed in clashes between Christians and Muslims in southern Egypt prompted by a dispute over the building of a church in a predominantly Muslim town, police said Thursday. Meanwhile, Attorney General Maher Abdel Wahed has ordered the release of 10 of 21 Christians being held over the injuring of at least 60 policemen in clashes earlier this month, judicial sources said. The deadly violence began after young Muslims in a town in Minya province, 250 kilometers (156 miles) south of Cairo, suspected that Christian villagers wanted to demolish a home in the area and build a church in its place. The Muslims claimed the Christians were backtracking on a pledge last year not to proceed with the project and continue to use a church nearly two kilometers away. They argued that the Christians did not need a church in the town, as there were only 500 of them compared to 20,000 Muslims. Police said they made several arrests after the two sides went at each other with rocks and sticks. Gunfire was also heard. Under a 19th century law introduced by Egypt's then Ottoman rulers, Christians can build churches only under certain conditions. These include their being a majority in the area and there being no mosque nearby. Freedom of Religion indeed! Sigh...