• • I was there......
• • 'Islamifornia Dreamin': Maha ElGenaidi Comes to Nashville
• • "One Should Not Beat Out of Anger": Egyptian Cleric Explains The Proper Islamic Approach To Wife Beating
• • Video Exposes Northeastern University's Muslim Chaplain as an Islamist Extremist

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by Rebecca Bynum (September 2012)

I attended a lecture entitled, “Women and Sharia,” held at David Lipscomb University (a Church of Christ college) on August 23 in order to observe the latest manifestation of mass psycho-social delusion. After all, it is obvious to even the most reality averse that women are not considered the equal of men in Islamic countries all over the world. The doctrine of male superiority becomes obvious from the most cursory reading of the Islamic texts and yet there are apparently quite a number of people (over 300 in attendance) who are willing to set reality aside and suspend critical thought in order to believe a comfortable lie; men and women are “absolutely equal under Islam” and that “Muslim women actually enjoy more rights than American women.” This was the thrust of Maha ElGenaidi’s talk delivered in a soft voice tempered by a slight New York accent. She had come with her parents from Egypt to the United States at the age of seven and now lives in “the Bay area” which must be uttered with proper reverence given its status as the progressive capital of the known universe, second only perhaps to Boulder, Colorado. Mrs. ElGenaidi is the CEO of something called the Islamic Networks Group (to which she devotes a grueling 6 to 8 hours a week) and speaks under the aegis of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). Ingrid Mattson, the current President of ISNA, provided the talking points for ElGenaidi’s power-point presentation, or so she said.

The Family of Abraham organization which sponsored the lecture was formed in response to what they perceive as the alarming growth of “Islamophobia” in Nashville due to the widespread opposition to the Murfreesboro mega-mosque, educational conferences held here (two of which were NER’s), legislation designed to limit the influence of Sharia in Tennessee courts, and the fact that these issues came up in political campaigns, facts they consider to be utterly deplorable.

The first thing we were handed was a paper put out by the Center for American Progress entitled “Understanding Sharia Law: Conservatives’ Skewed Interpretation Needs Debunking.” This was an unapologetic attack on the Center for Security Policy’s Team B Report, “Sharia: The Threat to America.” Authors Wajahat Ali and Matthew Duss argue that Sharia is fluid, ever-changing and ultimately no more a threat to anybody anywhere than the old Testament’s more unsavory passages. Of course, to believe this, one has to ignore all the resurgent, expansionist Islamic movements active all over the world today on every continent, or alternately, that there are suicide bombers blowing people up on a weekly basis while yelling, “Jesus Saves!” Jews used to stone adulteresses too, you know, and what about those Crusades?

Mrs. ElGenaidi gave the strong impression that Islam is in the process of a great renaissance of change, that female imam’s are just round the corner and in fact, there is a mosque specifically for homosexuals in her hometown. Along with many other dubious assertions, she actually said that homosexuality is an entirely private affair under Islam and Sharia law has nothing to say on the matter.

Another rather revealing moment occurred while speaking about all the great Muslim women leaders past and present, she choked up while quoting Asma Mahfouz, an Egyptian blogger who helped foment the revolution in Egypt which brought the Muslim Brotherhood to power. “Come with me to Tahrir square and you men, if you are men, you will come and protect me.” Of course this gave the lie to ElGeniadi’s previous assertions that Muslim men are totally respectful of their “sisters” and that the hijab acts to take sex out of the picture as far as relations between men and women are concerned; they are all brothers and sisters holding each other in the greatest non-sexual esteem. The rash of gang rapes and sexual assaults that were perpetrated against idealistic and naïve young women (including several Western journalists) during the revolution in Tahrir Square speaks for itself. In addition, numerous accounts exist from Western women who have lived and worked in Muslim countries testifying to the extreme sexual harassment to which they were subject. “A degraded sensualism,” observed Winston Churchill, “deprives this life of its grace and refinement; the next of its dignity and sanctity.”

Of course I must be mistaken, but it seems to me that this stems from the view of women as Satanic seductresses and men as beasts with uncontrollable sexual appetites as given in the Islamic texts. But, like Jack Silverman of the Nashville Scene says, we shouldn’t actually read these things on our own willy nilly without the proper guidance and interpretation, such as that provided by Mrs. ElGenaidi. One might accidentally turn into an Islamophobe and be shunned at all the cool gatherings.

Rather comically, Mrs. ElGenaidi expressed how concerned she had been and how concerned her co-workers and donors were that she should visit such an obviously bigoted southern red-neck town as Nashville. She expressed great relief after Mayor Karl Dean (yes, the mayor), personally welcomed her to the podium: Nashville is a welcoming city which celebrates diversity and how proud he was to have helped defeat the “English Only” initiative and how he attended the Eid celebration at the Somali mosque just to show how open minded he is (applause).

Yet, here we are (imagine!) with 81 percent of Americans under the utterly mistaken impression that men and women are not equal under Islam. How ashamed we should all be, except of course for those lucky few who choose to believe Mrs. Elgenaidi (instead of their lying eyes, that is). She claimed that any oppression of women was entirely due to the action of a “few stupid Muslims” who obviously don’t know a thing about their religion. Presumably these “stupid Muslims” include the Ayatollahs of Iran, the scholars of Al Azar University in Egypt and the Wahhabi scholars in Mecca. Those wizened old codgers who have spent their entire lives studying Islam and issuing fatwas to guide the faithful just don’t have a clue. In fact, Mogadishu, Kandahar, Riyadh and Islamabad would be feminist paradises if they would just listen to Mrs. ElGenaidi and understand the true version of Islam in which men and women have “absolutely equal rights.” Oh how wonderful the world will be then!  Read more here.

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We have previously seen Muslim clerics instruct men on how to beat their wives in an Islamically correct way. Egyptian cleric Abd Al-Rahman gave the latest installment on Al-Nas television — affirming the need for men to beat their wives as did Mohammad.

Al-Rahman noted that Mohammad beat at least one of his wives, Aisha. Aisha was believed to be nine when she married Mohammad, who had multiple wives.

Al-Rahman explained:

Islam instructs a man to beat his wife as a last resort before divorce, so that she will mend her ways, treat him with kindness and respect, and know that her husband has a higher status than her.

I say to every husband: Do not rush to beat her whenever a problem arises. Oh servant of Allah, Allah said: “Admonish those of them on whose part you fear disobedience, refuse to share their beds, and beat them.” One should not beat out of anger. . .

This you must know: If the wife utters the name of God, the beating must stop. . . .

When ‘Aisha thought ill of the Prophet Muhammad, believing that he did not treat her the same as his other wives, and that when he left her room, he would go to another wife, she followed him and spied on him. ‘Aisha said that when the Prophet found out about this, “He gave me a shove that was painful.”

This was done in order to discipline her, not because the Prophet enjoyed beating or inflicting bodily harm. The Prophet did this in order to discipline this woman. . .

A good woman, even if beaten by her husband, puts her hand in his and says: “I will not rest until you are pleased with me.” This is how the Prophet Muhammad taught his women to be.

The disconnect between such historical examples and modern values is extraordinary. Today, the described marriage would violate three different parts of the criminal code — a type of trifecta of felonies. The marriage to a nine year old would be viewed as child rape occurring within a polygamous marriage with spousal abuse. Of course, many of the Biblical figures also married young girls and were polygamists.   Read more here.

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PERSONAL NOTE:  You will laugh, you will cry, you will want to stand up and cheer and you will be inspired. 

Last Ounce of Courage lives up to the billing: A Story of Family, Faith and Freedom. I attended a preview screening of this film Tuesday, August 28, in Laurel, hosted by executive producers and writers, Richard and Gina Headrick. Having been close friends with the Headricks for the past 18 years and working with them on various projects, and knowing the quality of their work, my expectations of the film were confirmed and surpassed. It is inspiring and entertaining, but most of all, it is a call to action for patriots to challenge the powers-that-be who would strip away our religious and civic freedoms. 

The main character, Bob Revere, played by veteran actor Marshall Teague, is a pharmacist and the part time mayor of a small town which stopped displaying anything pertaining to Christmas years ago. Even the school’s Christmas play has become a winter play with the song Silent Night secularized. It all began years ago when a civil liberties organization forced a local mission to remove a cross from its building.

Bob is a Medal of Honor recipient, a real war hero who knows how to fight, but lost his will to stand after his son was killed in battle overseas. He has been alienated from his daughter-in-law and the son of his son who was killed, until they move back into town. His teen age grandson has questions about the father he never knew and Bob doesn’t want to talk about it.

One day, when the topic of why the town no longer celebrates Christmas comes up, the grandson questions Bob and asks why no one will stand up for what’s right. This is the catalyst that gets Bob to thinking. Through a series of events, Bob finds his courage and realizes the importance of standing for what his son died for: freedom. He erects a Christmas tree and other Christmas displays, gets on the news and stirs up a firestorm. The villain in the movie is played by Fred Williamson and he is the representative of an organization like the ACLU and strikes terror in everyone’s heart, except for Bob, who challenges the “unconstitutionality” to celebrate Christmas or have any religious expression on public property.

Bob eventually replaces the cross on the mission and goes to jail, but the town is energized and stands by him to the end. There is a great surprise ending in two sections that no one will anticipate and it really closes out the film with a heart rending challenge to stand for God and liberty.

This film is endorsed by Dr. James Dobson, Chuck Norris, Governor Rick Perry, former Governor Mike Huckabee, and many others.

Pastor, promote this in your church and take a whole group. There is nothing in the film to embarrass you or your church. It is opening in over 1200 theaters nationwide September 14. There are a few exceptions where it is available earlier so go to HERE  for theater locations and ticket information. 
Source HERE.