Althouse: "An Iranian judge sentenced a Christian man to have his lips burnt with a cigarette..."

July 23, 2014

"An Iranian judge sentenced a Christian man to have his lips burnt with a cigarette..."

"... for eating during the day in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan."

25 comments:

Gahrie said...: He got off easy.; 7/23/14, 10:08 PM
YoungHegelian said...: For hundreds of years under the traditional millet system, it was understood that while everyone was subject to the Muslim authorities, the Peoples of the Book (Christians & Jews) could maintain their ancestral beliefs as long as they did not interfere with the functioning of the Muslim state.

The "new traditionalist" Muslims have shredded these historical compacts which governed Muslim society for hundreds of years, just like they ignore Islam's absolute proscription of suicide, even in war. In ignoring their own traditions, they show themselves to be not good Muslims, but tyrants under the guise of theit faith.; 7/23/14, 10:39 PM
Michael K said...: Religion of peace.; 7/23/14, 11:25 PM
augustus said...: The religion of peace strikes again.; 7/23/14, 11:41 PM
Oso Negro said...: That will show him the mercy of Allah.; 7/24/14, 12:56 AM
Quaestor said...: Islam, law, religion and government, unfair sentence... Everything after the first comma is redundant.; 7/24/14, 1:04 AM
George M. Spencer said...: I've never read an article about how Muslims actually make it through Ramadam.

With the exception of children, travelers, and those who are sick, literally nothing is supposed to pass the lips of anyone from dawn to dusk. It is impossible to believe that tens of millions of people actually have the willpower to do this for a day, much less a month. Are surgeons and pilots supposed to engage in this nonsense?

The level of hypocrisy in Muslim countries must be beyond belief with everyone knowing that everyone else is cheating, to some degree, but no one can be honest about it.

Of course, in many Muslim countries little gets done during this time, partly because everyone gorges at strange hours and conks out during the day. That's another story I've read next to nothing about.

Just imagine the medical problems that result from all this weirdness.; 7/24/14, 6:16 AM
Brando said...: Sheer barbarism.

I wouldn't chalk this up to religion though, so much as to barbaric people using religion as a reason for their barbarism, just as Christians used religion to justify atrocities during the Crusades. And lack of religion doesn't stop people from using religion substitutes--like Stalinism--to justify further barbarism.

The main issue is control--barbaric people feel the need to control others, and will use barbarity to enforce that. If they can use religion as a tool for that, they will. But the central issue through time has always been the issue of force and control and violence to subjugate others and get what the barbarian wants.

Iranians still unfortunately suffer under this sort of rule. One hopes they will eventually revolt against this.; 7/24/14, 6:48 AM
gspencer said...: Islam and its practices such as its legal code called the Shariah never fail to appall me.; 7/24/14, 7:02 AM
paminwi said...: The religion of peace strikes again.; 7/24/14, 7:07 AM
rhhardin said...: Judge Judy ought to go Islamic.; 7/24/14, 7:08 AM
SomeoneHasToSayIt said...: Seems fair.; 7/24/14, 7:11 AM
Known Unknown said...: So 21st century.; 7/24/14, 8:17 AM
Tank said...: Luckily he wasn't selling untaxed cigarettes.; 7/24/14, 8:49 AM
Fernandinande said...: St. George said
Just imagine the medical problems that result from all this weirdness.

Muslim 'inbreeding' in Britain is causing massive surge in birth defects; 7/24/14, 9:06 AM
pst314 said...: The traditional millet system also required Christians and Jews to be submissive and accept a degraded status. Even a verbal objection to humiliation and assault in the street was impermissible.; 7/24/14, 9:18 AM
pst314 said...: "Even a verbal objection to humiliation and assault in the street was impermissible."

And constituted a violation of the millet system that entitled Muslims to kill the "offender".

The system gave "people of the book" three choices: Convert to Islam, submit to Islam and accept subjugated status with all its oppressions and humiliations, or die.

Mere verbal objection to any humiliation or cruelty constituted "rebellion".

Those who submitted and later "rebelled" were to be killed. That was the "justice" of Islamic law.; 7/24/14, 10:13 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: A white police man just KILLED a black over selling a cigarette and I'm supposed to think what?

Oooh - they're barbarians OVER THERE?

So short-sighted it's crazy,...; 7/24/14, 11:20 AM
Crimso said...: Damned textualists.; 7/24/14, 11:25 AM
Peter said...: All cultures are equal.

None are any better than any other.

Franz Boaz said so. It's settled science.; 7/24/14, 11:46 AM
Unknown said...: St. George said...
I've never read an article about how Muslims actually make it through Ramadam.[sic]
----
I've been living in Saudi Arabia for a bit over a year now, so this is my second Ramadan.

Generally speaking, the Muslims have their final meal/drink around 3:30 am, then catch a nap before work. Work schedules are adjusted (for Muslims, expats like me work a normal day); some work 7-1, others (in the government, for example) from 10-2 pm. After work, they go home for a nap until it's time for Iftar (essentially, break fast) at about 6:30, when they typically break their fast with dates and water. Prayer, food and drink, another prayer take them until about 10 pm. Then, shopping starts, and can go until 2 or 3 am. (Many stores are closed during the day, and don't open until 9 pm; others will open briefly in the morning -- or even into the afternoon -- but close from 4-9 pm.) The shopping is a big deal, as the end of Ramadan, Eid, is much like Christmas (in that you give gifts to family/relatives, and generally get together for a family reunion. Much like the US in December (or, perhaps, Black Friday), there are deals everywhere.

After shopping, there's food and drink again before the morning prayer, and then it starts again. Some folks may try to nap between, say, 1 am and the 3:30 prayer, but others carry on through the night.

I'd say that most of the Muslims I know appear to be following the custom. Most companies understand that employees may not be performing at their best (owing to interrupted sleep cycles), and accommodate for that.

Ramadan is based on the Islamic (lunar) calendar, which means that it advances by 10-11 days each year. It's a tough time right now, in the middle of summer, but will move up to spring in about 8 years or so.

As Christians, my family and I are expected to not tempt Muslims by eating or drinking in public; I do have my normal lunch break, and can either go home to eat or go to the cafeteria, which is open for reduced hours. Restaurants, however, are closed. Many office buildings with expat populations will have "sin rooms," with coffee and snacks for the non-Muslims hidden away; for buildings with glass office walls, which has become the custom here, the walls of those rooms are papered over.

I should note that kids are exempt from the fasting, as are pregnant women and some other categories (travelers, I think).

Overall the Muslims with whom I interact have been pleasant and supportive, even to the point of encouraging me to go ahead and have a cup of coffee at my desk (I haven't, in case someone doesn't feel that way, but appreciate the sentiment).

So, you still haven't read an article about the topic, but at least might have a better inkling for life in a Muslim country during Ramadan. The hardest challenge, for us, has been waiting for the stores to open at 9; the food and drink stuff has been pretty trivial.

Then again, this may be tl;dr. Sorry.; 7/24/14, 2:32 PM
Gahrie said...: A white police man just KILLED a black over selling a cigarette and I'm supposed to think what?

No...that idiot died while resisting arrest.; 7/24/14, 5:22 PM
Anonymous said...: I blame George W. Bush.; 7/24/14, 5:48 PM
Anonymous said...: "With the exception of children, travelers, and those who are sick, literally nothing is supposed to pass the lips of anyone from dawn to dusk"

Well yes, but at night they can eat like pigs.; 7/25/14, 12:55 AM
Anonymous said...: "Christians used religion to justify atrocities during the Crusades"

The crusades were war. What atrocities were particular to the crusades and not to other wars?
Did you ever compare it to the actions of say the English army during the Hundred Year War? Or why be parochial, to the wars of Tamberlane, or Djengiz Khan?

The last crusade ended in defeat at Nicopolis (that's in Europe proper) against the invading muslim turks. Perhaps you think fighting of muslim slavers is an atrocity?; 7/25/14, 1:09 AM