[DemolitionRed]

Originally Posted by Brillopad

Because I happen to be one of the 50% they hate so much. Pretty relieved that as a woman I wasn't born in a Muslim country. There is an important principle at stake and the treatment of women by this religion should neither be ignored or defended.

I am surprised that you are surprised by that.

But they don't. The trouble is, you would have to live amongst them to understand just how wrong you are. I lived in the middle east. I worked with Muslims, I spoke their language, I cooked for and dined with Muslims and some of my long term dearest friends are Muslims. What I learnt is, most Muslims are no more religious than we are Christians. Whilst they are Muslim by name, many don't pray, go to the mosque or refrain from drinking alcohol and so on.

You can only recognise a Muslim woman by what she wears and yet you probably pass hundreds of Muslim women each day that don't wear hijab. They still consider themselves to be Muslim but have chosen not to wear a dress code because just like us Christians, religion doesn't play a big part in their life.

The one thing that struck me during my time there was how the men treasured the women and how the women ruled the home. I lived in Iran, a country where the religious police, mullah's and the revolutionary guards ruled over the land with an iron fist. I had many conversations with Muslim men who didn't want their wives, mothers and sisters to be so repressed and down trodden by their much hated repressive government.

I walked in their shoes and it didn't feel very religious at all. Most of them are just like you and me. Some bossed their husbands around whilst others were devoted couples but be sure of this, if a neighbourhood found a man was beating his wife, his sister or daughters, he would be ostracized and condemned by an entire community.