Sunday, March 15, 2009

Can we trust CNN?

In its broadcast on March 13, CNN reported that Americans were working to get the Afghan girls to school. That was good. The bad part was the remark that "Islam forbids giving education to girls". Its not Islam that forbids but the Taliban with their brand of Islam did. The part that the Quraan
forbids was allowing girls to leave home unescorted. The Taliban however, took this a step further, by forbidding girls to leave home to go school. Both the Quraan and the phophetic tradition encourage learning and look upon it as a process of unraveling God's creation. In fact knowledgeable people are amply rewarded in the hereafter. The West generally thinks that Muslim women are not fairly treated. Thats wrong. Its the Taliban,some Pakistanis and some Arabs too who do not treat the women well. Islam is not at fault. The Quraan deals in womans' rights much more than the Bible. One whole chapter in the Quraan "An Nisa" lays down rules on alimony, inheritance etc. in details. So much so that a bishop in England proposed that Muslim marriage laws be made a part of the common law in Britain.

When CNN talks about Islam, we know right away whether they are telling the truth or not. But when they talk about other things like Buddhism or Gaza, we have no way of verifying the reports.I suggest that the next time CNN wants to do a story on Muslim women, come to Malaysia. Women here form the majority in all universities and in some professions too

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