India is not an Islamic state, so this controversy is indicative of the way many Muslims perceive the relationship between the Sharia and the laws of the state. From the BBC, with thanks to Ali Dashti:
A conservative Muslim body in India has gone to the High Court to challenge the legal age of marriage, which currently stands at 18.The All-India Muslim Personal Law Board insists that in family matters the country's Muslims should be subject only to Islamic law, known as Sharia.
It maintains that it is supported by a 1937 act upholding Muslims' right to be guided by this law.
The debate has arisen because of a family who have been threatened with arrest because they allowed the marriage of an under-age girl.
Fatima Mehjabin and her husband Muazzamil dote on their four year-old son, Fazal, along with his little brother and sister.
But the very basis for their marriage is now being questioned in court because when they were wed five years ago, Fatima was 17 - one year under the limit set by Indian civil law.
Creeper plants
Fatima says: "Muslim personal law says you can marry at 12, so I didn't see a problem with it. There are lots of bad things in society these days, so the sooner a girl gets married, the better." ...
But Muazzamil wants to legitimise his own marriage and let other Muslims follow suit, from the age of puberty.
He says: "The case we've been fighting so long has become a national issue. And, God willing, we will win it and Muslims all over India will be able to follow Sharia law."
If I'm not mistaken, Indian Muslims get subsidized pilgrimage to Mecca, with tax money paid by the non-Muslim 86% of the population. That's what "mutual respect" means in Islam.....
Ali, you MUST be joking! Subsidized trip to Mecca????? Oh my God! Say it isn't so!
Have any employers in US, Canada, Australia, Europe had to do this yet? Not surprised if it happens one day. This so-called "mutual respect" - basically means Muslim figures he's entitled to way more than he/she deserves, for free. Like that case in Florida where the employee won the right to bugger off on Friday afternoons, to mosque, on the employer's expense. Gets paid for 40 hours, yet works 36. Everyone else in the office can just take up the slack.
Unbelievable.
The Brits DO send a subsidized "delegation" of selected Muslims to Mecca each year. How long before it's demanded for all of them?
No need to ask if Catholics get subsidized trips to Rome.
Feralee:
Unfortunately, Ali Dashti is right. The hajj to Mecca been subsidized by the Indian government ever since India secured its Independence from the British.
It was a measure that India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru introduced after the partition of British India (Muslim Pakistan and secular, but majority Hindu - 86% - India) to enable better assimilation of the Muslim community into mainstream India.
The ideological parent of the previous Hindu-nationalist BJP government is vehemently opposed to this unfair subsidy; its only a matter of time before the present motley of "secular" fools screw up and the BJP forms a government on its own. And then its going to be show time folks, because the BJP is presently going through a major ideological catharsis with calls to return to its militant Hindu core; some major Muslim ass has been kicked in the past by the BJP and its ideological allies every time the Muslim community has tried to assert itself unnecessarily.
But this approach has worked for India. India hosts the second-largest Muslim community in the world; but the Muslims in India are easily overwhelmed by the majority Hindu population. While the earlier congress governments were major mullah appeasers, the BJP’s attitude of wreaking havoc on Muslim life and property for any act of terrorism or provocation has ensured that an entire generation of Muslims has grown learning to integrate with the non-Muslim majority.
That doesn't mean that India is a hot-bed of anti-Muslim fanaticism; but it does mean that the majority population has woken up to the wayward ways of appeasement politics. While everything is not hunky-dory with the Islamic community in India, it must be said that the level of moderation and assimilation/integration with non-Muslims among Indian Muslims is pretty fascinating. While one does see plenty of Muslim women dressed in the burqa (the South Asian Muslim costume for women), it’s not uncommon to find skimpily attired Muslim girls in big Indian cities, working in the media and entertainment industries. More importantly, these girls derided or looked down upon because their parents have been conditioned to respect the choices made by their offspring.
And all this has gone a long way in shaping the dynamics of Muslim integration in India. It bears to note that despite all the anti-Muslim riots in India over the past decade, there has not been a single documented case of an Indian Muslim volunteering for suicide bombings et al. Indian Muslims, to a very large extent, are just concerned with eking out a living, just like their non-Muslim neighbors. And that’s just the way it should be.
ALI DASHTI
Very interesting comments.Maybe we could learn something from India on how to INTEGRATE Muslims.
Not that I am willing to pay for them to go to Mecca though. What amazes me it is always MUSLIMS
demanding their so called RIGHTS to practise their pernicious religion. Yet, I've never heard Buddhists,Jains,Hindus etc wanting special time off to say their prayers...And with five times a day 'bottoms up' this could prove ruinous to the economy. No wonder Muslim countries have just about nil growth economies: only ones who do a full days work are their ethnic minorities.
In Canada Universities are quick to give into Muslim demands in fear of law suits or violence in the buildings. Some Muslims are happy with the non-religious atmosphere in schools,but then they demand a prayer room on University property and
special floor level troughs in washrooms to clean their feet before praying.
Islamophobia is the new catch-phrase to inflict fear to get their way,the denial and paranoia is amazing. The U of T now advises students that use the Gyms to dress modestly as to not offend Muslims. If infidels are so offensive and unsightly to Muslims,then why do they move to non-Muslim countries and then bitch about all the non-Muslims.
Just try going to Saudi Arabia and expecting Muslims to adjust to out values,of course that would mean more rights for females,no beheadings in the name of Allah,free wills,pedophilia being illegal,woman drivers,woman in schools.
My god,what was I thinking,the Koran was written by Mohammed to instill these values to make the world a better place.How could I be so blind as to not see the real virtues of Islam and
tolerance to all people.
Please visit The Human Rights Party
The URL is http://forums.delphiforums.com/western1
There has been a lot of talk of subsidising of Haj trips. Lets look at it this way. The money really does not come from the tax paid by 86 percent of the people of india.
Air India and Indian Airlines make a killing on the Gulf Sector. The fares on this sector are among the highest. Along with the Gulf airlines these two airlines make most of their profits from these sectors.
If Indian Govt allowed Charter flights for haj it would not have to give the subsidy. Charter flights will work out much cheaper than the subidised filghts by the Govt Airlines. Lets face it if Indian Airlines and Air India were to loose the Haj Flights it would make a dent in their revenue.
As most of the passengers on the gulf sector are Muslim I would say that the subsidy is actuall noting but reward for letting rentseeking by the Govt.