Islam Divided

Islam is portrayed by the western media as a monolithic religion to which Moslems worldwide adhere unswervingly, but the reality is quite different. Islam is as divided as Christianity between those who do good and those who break the laws of traditional religion.

The incident of the Iraqi journalist throwing shoes at President Bush is but one example. He acted contrary to traditional law by shaming a guest in his country. If an American journalist had publically shamed a Muslim head of state, the Muslim world would be outraged.

Other violations of religious law includes denying rightful wages, which the Qur'an (following ancient Afro-Asiatic law) condemns. In these acts we see that Islam is divided between the lawful and the lawless.

It is reported that eighteen peasants, including women, escaped from the captivity of a landlord in the Chotiariyoon area of Sanghar district (Pakistan) and staged a protest outside the press club in Hyderabad on Monday. Bair Chand, Rai Chand, Mohan and others said that they had been working on the lands of a landlord for the last three years but they were denied 50 per cent of their share of the crops.

Add to this kidnapping for ransom. One of the women alleges that her husband has been held captive by a brick kiln owner, Koko Khan Pathan, near Hyderabad. Zarina said that the brick kiln owner was demanding payment of Rs200,000 for release of her husband. (Read more here.)

In another incident of denying rightful wages, hundreds of employees of the Education Department protested on Monday in Sanghar, Pakistan because they have been denied their remunerations for last five months. (Read more here.)