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qatarperegrine- This week both faculty and student orientation are taking place at CMU, so suddenly there is life in the hallways again! It is most wonderful. The Peninsula published a list of our new faculty: Carnegie Mellon appoints new faculty members.
- In less good news, the weather shifted this weekend. June and July are the hottest months in Doha, but August is more humid. So it's down to around 110, but now with 90% humidity. Residents hit by high humidity. (Check out the accompanying picture if nothing else.)
- So what does Qatar do when it's dissatisfied with its natural environment? Silly question; the answer is always We do exactly what Dubai does: MMAA plans to bring artificial rain to Qatar.
- And, finally, the Peninsula decries the trend of married men entering temporary marriages in order to have a summer fling: Wife for vacation: Qataris marry poor women just for the holidays! I love how the social worker blames temporary marriages on "the mushrooming of TV channels and information explosion." While American TV may be responsible for much evil in this world, it does seem a bit sketchy to blame Western cable for a form of polygamy sanctioned by Islam and outlawed in the West.
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vacation "marriages"
Date: 2006-08-07 08:33 pm (UTC)The form of polygyny referred to in this article is NOT sanctioned in Sunni Islam. Perhaps it fits to the Shi'a doctrine of Muta'ah but that doesn't make it Islamically acceptable.
I didn't get the part about TV influences either... pretty lame imo.
Regards,
PM
Re: vacation "marriages"
Date: 2006-08-07 08:45 pm (UTC)What does the sunnah say that would prohibit a marriage that both parties expected not to last forever? I don't know much about the topic.
Re: vacation "marriages"
Date: 2006-08-07 09:26 pm (UTC)My husband and I were just discussing temporary marriage last week and he told me of an example where the rulings of the scholars had been misused. At one point a Muslim man studying in the US wrote to Sheikh Abdulaziz Bin Baz and told him that he was in love with an American Christian (who is lawful for him to marry, of course). He was fearful of being able to withstand committing any sins with her and wanted to marry her but his family refused to accept her for him, as they had a cousin already chosen for him. He asked if he could marry her and upon completion of his studies, divorce her when he was returning to Saudi (since his parents would never accept the marriage). Bin Baz told him that the woman was lawful to him and he could marry her but he must try to bring his parents around to accepting the marriage. If, however, they refused and would create such dissension for the woman or problems for her in Saudi Arabia then he could seek divorce. The whole point was that divorce was a legal option when all good intentions had failed. Of course, there were others who took this ruling to mean that the Sheikh had sanctioned "temporary marriages" for men working or studying abroad. Not true.
Now I will have to look into Shi'a muta'ah -- I am a Sunni Muslim -- to see if there is actually a divorce procedure at the end of the marriage period contract. I think there is a process but I am not sure that it is like the triple talaq.
BTW, as for the agricultural activities there are quite a few farm operations, both "plantations" (as they are called if they are raising plants) and of course animal husbandry. The lack of rain has been a huge problem and is helping to drive up prices, further contributing to inflation.
Pray for Rain!
PM
Re: vacation "marriages"
Date: 2006-08-08 04:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-07 08:57 pm (UTC)It would also benefit the agriculture sector,” Al Muraihi said.
The agriculture sector??? Qatar has an agriculture sector? What are they growing, potted cacti? (I'm sure that's a very naive comment to make, and all of you readers living in Qatar can tell me where I'm wrong.)
no subject
Date: 2006-08-08 06:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-08 04:34 pm (UTC)reading the koran
Date: 2006-08-15 09:32 am (UTC)2. it is allowed to marry more than one - but not for the purpose of joy . it is mentionned in the same koranic vers where someone is encouraged how to treat justly the orphans -so it is allowed to marry widows. i know that the present practice simply does not care about that . but this is the civilised solution in cases there are not enough men for some reasons .
after WW II in germany there were more than 4 million widows . women without support . at that time the protestant youth conference brought up the idea of allowing poligamy for a certain period of time - but the allied forces refused the idae " poligamy is not civilised " . so as a result the american and the brittish soldiers could get a woman for a night paying as little as some milk powder or a bar of chocolate . hey marjorie - have you ever thought of that ?
alma wad
Re: reading the koran
Date: 2006-08-15 10:12 am (UTC)Yes, I've thought of that. I think polygamy WAS the best way to take care of widows during the lifetime of the Prophet. Most of his wives were widows, who he married because without a husband they had no legal standing, advocate, or way to make a living. His marrying them was a very compassionate act.
In the modern world, though, I think it is better to have a legal and economic system that gives women the same rights and protections as men. That way they don't need husbands in order to have support.
Incidentally, I thin that the story about German widows is an urban legend. I've never seen reference to the incident in any source other than Muslim websites advocating polygamy. What sources do you have for that anecdote?
And, for what it's worth, I'm not opposed to polyamorous relationships. I am opposed to marriage systems where men and women have different rights. If men can have multiple spouses I think women should be able to as well.
My original post was not motivated by a dislike of polygamy, but rather amusement that an un-Islamic form of polygamy would be blamed on American media, even though American media tends to be rather intolerant of polygamy!
Re: reading the koran
Date: 2006-08-16 06:42 am (UTC)well - i think the koran was sent to all mankind and not only for the arab tribes 1400 ago.
women need not only financial support - but emotionnal as well . In the modern world there are women still hopeless to find a husband :
1. afro-american middle-aged women .
2. widows or divorcee after age 50 -60
is the story about german wives only an urban legend ? i do not know . i have no german grandmother - to ask her about . but the fact that british planes had been carpet bombing my fahter s village - and nearly killed that six year old child - makes me think differently about the allied forces - than an average person who judges after the movies .
so- why to beleive that they were sooo good guys ?
they were men- defeated the german army - they had food . on the other side there were too many single women - and no food.
the rest to your fantasy ..
let us suppose that women get the same rght to marry more than one. then comes the problem of the father hood .
do you know that jesus never talked in the bible against polygamy ? though -it had been a common practice among the jews at that time .
you say ":My original post was not motivated by a dislike of polygamy, but rather amusement that an un-Islamic form of polygamy would be blamed on American media, even though American media tends to be rather intolerant of polygamy!"
American media is blamed because it promotes superficial values and hedonism . This is the hedonism which makes arab men look for joy in summer .
But of course - it is not only the American media that should be blamed for such practice. Sure there are Imams who encourage such things - we should blame the confortism of the arab society -and weakened moral values .
Re: reading the koran
Date: 2006-08-16 07:03 am (UTC)If you've read my other posts you know that I'm a pacifist, so I'm not going to defend carpet-bombing by EITHER side in World War II. I'm confused by what you mean when you say "why to believe that they were so good guys?" I wouldn't be at all surprised that prostitution was rampant in Germany after WWII. However, I do not think it is true that a Protestant youth conference suggested polygamy as an answer.
Polygamy wasn't actually that common in Jesus' lifetime, but you're right that he never spoke against it. Actually, there's nothing in the Bible that condemns polygamy among laypeople.
I think the question of paternity is probably why there haven't been many polyandrous cultures through history. (And, in those that exist, women usually marry pairs or sets of brothers.) But, again, I'm talking about modern times. None of my polyamorous female friends are trying to get pregnant, so the issue of fatherhood doesn't come up.
Re: reading the koran
Date: 2006-08-19 08:27 am (UTC)I do not have any proof for that protestant youth conference which had suggested polygamy as an answer .But how can you be so sure that it had not happen ?
None of your poly-amorous friends are trying to get pregnant ? Is it so simple ?
Alma wad
Re: reading the koran
Date: 2006-08-19 08:36 am (UTC)* IUDs - 1-2%
* Rhythm method - 1-47% (strongly dependent on the regularity of the cycle)
* Billings method (based on cervical mucus) - 3%
* Symptothermal method (combination of periovulatory signs and temperature) - 0.8%[2]
it means during a one-year period .
Is it really depending on our own intention that we become pregnant or not ?