Why do you say this? What do you know of Islam that you would say such a
thing? I have very good Moslem friends and I don't believe any would
sacrifice their sight to gain favor with God. However, I think it is noble
to be willing to do such a thing. After all Jesus said it is better to
enter the kingdom of heaven with one hand or one eye or perhaps no eyes than
to be cast in to hell for eternity. I wish I had that sort of zeal for God
but alas I don't I fear.?
----- Original Message -----
From: Karen Carter <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2006 12:10 AM
Subject: Re: Fw: What's With All the Blind Clerics?
> They probably sacraficed their eyes or whaat have you to get blessing from
Ala.
>
> --
> I would rather live my life as if there is a God, and die to find out
there isn't, than live my life as if there isn't, and die to find out there
is
>
> IN GOD WE TRUST
> Karen Carter '74
> -KC- Ministries
>
>
> -------------- Original message ----------------------
> From: [log in to unmask]
> > This is interesting. It seems the cultures with the highest restraints
> > against our full participation in society will jump at the chance to
cast us
> > in clerical roles as if to say, "God will embrace these people even if
we
> > won't."
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Blind World Magazine <[log in to unmask]>
> > To: Blind News <[log in to unmask]>
> > Sent: Sunday, January 22, 2006 8:21 PM
> > Subject: What's With All the Blind Clerics?
> >
> >
> > >
> > > What's With All the Blind Clerics?
> > >
> > >
> > > January 20, 2006.
> > > By Daniel Engber,
> > > Slate - USA.
> > >
> > >
> > > Omar Abdel Rahman: the blind bomber
> > >
> > >
> > > The Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri denied preaching racial hatred in
a
> > > British courtroom on Thursday. Al-Masri has been linked to the
would-be
> > > shoe-bomber Richard Reid and stands accused of starting a terrorist
> > training
> > > camp in Oregon. Most news reports also mention that al-Masri has only
one
> > > eye and no hands. It seems like we're always hearing about blind or
> > > half-blind Muslim clerics-what's the deal?
> > >
> > >
> > > There is a pattern of the blind leading the not-blind in modern Islam.
A
> > > traditional Muslim education in some ways favors the blind, since it
> > > proceeds largely through the repetition and memorization of sacred
texts.
> > > Children chant Quranic verses until they know them by heart; those who
> > learn
> > > the whole book often receive advanced religious training. Blind
kids-who
> > > often make up for their disability with a finely tuned sense of
> > hearing-tend
> > > to do quite well at this.
> > >
> > >
> > > Children who can't see may also get pushed toward the clergy by their
> > > parents. Clerics often preach through the artful recitation of the
> > > Quran-something a blind person can learn to do as well as anyone else.
The
> > > same child would be at a severe disadvantage in a conventional
classroom,
> > > and he'd have a harder time holding down a regular job.
> > >
> > >
> > > Muslims have revered blind clerics for over 1,000 years. In one scene
in
> > the
> > > Quran, the Prophet frowns and turns away from a blind man, only to
have
> > > Allah castigate him for rejecting a spiritual seeker. The man, called
> > > Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum, became an important early follower of the
> > Prophet.
> > > (The tradition of blind religious figures extends back to early
Judaism
> > and
> > > Christianity as well.)
> > >
> > >
> > > Today, even blind people without religious training enjoy a certain
level
> > of
> > > respect in the Muslim world. Turks, for example, refer to a blind man
as a
> > > hafiz-meaning one who has completely memorized the Quran-whether or
not he
> > > has earned the title. In Egypt, blind men are casually described as
> > > moulanas, a term of respect given to Muslim scholars.
> > >
> > >
> > > Another factor in the prevalence of blind clerics may be the high
rates of
> > > blindness in Arab countries. A 2002 study, for example, reveals a dire
> > > situation in Lebanon, Oman, and Morocco, where more than 5 percent of
the
> > > people over the age of 50 couldn't see.
> > >
> > >
> > > The blind clerics most often mentioned in the Western press are
radical
> > > jihadis like Abu Hamza al-Masri or Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman-the "blind
> > sheik"
> > > accused of masterminding the World Trade Center bombing of 1993. But
blind
> > > clerics are just as likely to be moderates. The revered Saudi
Abdelaziz
> > ibn
> > > Baaz, for example, renounced violence in the name of installing
Islamic
> > > governments. He also issued a fatwa allowing Muslim men to take
Viagra.
> > >
> > >
> > > In fact, blindness could be a liability within the most militant sects
of
> > > Islam. In the 1980s, members of the Egyptian jihad movement debated
> > whether
> > > Abdel Rahman's blindness made him a poor operational leader. The
strongest
> > > voice opposing him belonged to Ayman al-Zawahiri, now thought to be
> > > al-Qaida's No. 2 figure.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Explainer thanks Richard Antoun of the State University of New York,
> > Mahmoud
> > > Ayoub of Temple University, Fawaz Gerges of Sarah Lawrence, and
Valerie
> > > Hoffman of the University of Illinois.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Source URL: http://www.slate.com/id/2134506/#.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > BlindNews mailing list
> > >
> > > Archived at: http://GeoffAndWen.com/blind/
> > >
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> > >
> > > Access your subscription info at:
> >
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> > >
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