Actually in true Islam, charity is one of the 5 pillars of faith that a good
follower with comply with.  Some other Eastern cultures such as some sects
of Hinduism and Buddhism feel that a disabled child is a mark of bad karma
on the parents and such sects will often practice infanticide.  In more
traditional parts of China and India, girls are often killed young.  In
Japan, "less than perfect" children are often put in a sort of foster limbo,
even though other families may want to adopt them (including more
progressive Japanese families), the birth family is shamed and will not
except the "help"

Ok, more than you wanted to know

Beth the OT

-----Original Message-----
From: St. John's University Cerebral Palsy List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Kathleen Salkin
Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2002 11:32 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: al Qaeda - CORRECTION


I should have said, "...disabled babies are not allowed to live,
particularly if they're girls, in extremist Islamic cultures."

I'm sorry for any offense I gave in the prior message.

Kat


"St. John's University Cerebral Palsy List" <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
> Well, of course they're more concerned about the dead than the living...
or should I say, "living dead," or "unclean?"  To be truthful I know less
about Islamic culture than any other third world culture I studied in my
Anthro grad school classes, but from what I vaguely remember, disabled
babies are not allowed to live, particularly if they're girls.  Someone
please correct me if I'm wrong in this.

Unfortunately, infanticide of babies born with disabilities is all too
common outside industrialised nations.