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| Europe |
| An array of Islamic faithful |
| 2005-04-28 |
| Raouf Ben Halima, 39, sleeps on his side, never on his stomach. He enters the bathroom leading with his left foot, but puts his pants on leading with his right. He does not use a fork when he eats, he uses his index finger, middle finger and thumb. Halima is a member of the Tablighi Jamaat, or Preaching Party, a global army of Muslim missionaries helping to expand their religion and reinforce their faith. They believe that emulating the habits of the Prophet Muhammad is the surest way to restore Islam to its intended path. So Halima and his associates shave their upper lips but let their beards grow. They wear their pants or robes above the ankle because the prophet said letting clothes drag on the ground is a sign of arrogance. "Halfway between the knee and the ankle is best," Halima explained, sitting amid stacks of religious tracts in his small home. His comments during conversations about the growth of militant Islam offered a glimpse into the beliefs of a group that is unsettling to many in France. The Tablighi are one of the primary forces spreading Islamic fundamentalism in Europe, and many young men pass through the group on their way to an extreme, militant interpretation of the religion. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #7 Oh, but Frank, some of them gladly do it for free... (ick) |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-04-28 9:22:23 PM |
| #6 who would be the French Giuliani? Willing to kick ass, takes the slings and arrows, yet turn societal opinion around? Remember "Broken Windows" and the controversy it cost Rudy? His answer? Go ahead. I see nothing but societal pimps and whores so far. |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-04-28 8:47:32 PM |
| #5 Every school of Islamic thought tells moslems to imitate Muhammud in all things. So if a muslim takes this seriously, he would also want to marry 4 women, assault them during their period, wipe out tribes that laugh at them and lots of other fun things. |
| Posted by: mhw 2005-04-28 8:38:33 PM |
| #4 Paris is beginning to sound more and more like a decaying US urban 1970s hellhole the difference is that the US did a lot of soul searching, ultimately cleaning up urban decay. France's response is to rationalize/sympathize/appease/blame the Jews |
| Posted by: PlanetDan 2005-04-28 6:57:23 PM |
| #3 that explains the boxers showing 6" above the shorts thang... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-04-28 6:06:52 PM |
| #2 Seriously, Paris is beginning to sound more and more like a decaying US urban 1970s hellhole. Race riots. Mass youth unemployment. Police too terrified to even enter neighborhoods dominated by violent movements, gangs, ordinary hoodlums. An angry and dispirited middle class under stress. Economic stagnation. Massive political corruption. Bienvenu a Paris, Le Nouveau Detroit circa 1967. |
| Posted by: thibaud (aka lex) 2005-04-28 5:53:59 PM |
| #1 The Prophet (wxyz) wore capri pants? The things I learn at Rantburg... |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2005-04-28 5:37:35 PM |