Never really understood that distinction.

It's like saying prohibition of homosexuality is a legal matter.

Depends what underlying values said law or culture is based on.

The niqab is another example of something separate from religion when you point out the negatives, until you try to ban it when wearing it becomes your religious right.

We all know you have no specific right to do anything on purely cultural grounds. I think Ali G summed it up when he implied he should be allowed to smoke a spliff because he is a Rasta.

Edited by johnfirewall (15 Jul 2015 1.03pm)

Googled it and apparently is practised by Christians in Egypt, Nigeria, Tanzania and Kenya. Hope that helps

A little bit of research might help. The sect opening the mosque is Ahmadiyya perhaps the most inclusive and peaceful sect around. They don't believe in violence of any type and the only violent jihad they teach is self defence. They teach Jihad by the pen and are persecuted by far more extreme sects in other less developed countries.

To say that they are going to be teaching violence or promoting FGM shows ignorance and bigotry. They have transformed areas where they have invested in for the better.

As for FGM it is as much a Christian problem as Muslim because it exists in undeveloped countries regardless of religion.

'Archbishop Cranmer' on this:

You wrongly equate FGM in Islam with Christianity. You state:

One can always find some outlying cultic theological belief or cultural practice to corroborate a particular bias, but this article completely fails to distinguish between Islam - in which FGM is widespread across both Sunni and Shia traditions - and Christianity, in which absolutely no mainstream church or denomination would support such barbarism. You fail to specify that some Islamic theologians claim to find support for the practice in the Qur'an ('sunna' circumcision), but no Christian theologian claims biblical provenance. You equate 'Muslim cultures' with 'Christian cultures' in Africa and the Middle East, but fail to mention the number of adherents, or how widespread their influence. If FGM is practised by any Christian communities, it is undoubtedly obscure and heretical. That is plainly not the case within Islam, which alone in the West is advocating the practice. Your article is misleading and biased in its presentation of Christianity.

This was part of a complaint he made to the BBC who, of course, were trying to play down this appalling aspect of Islam.

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Edited by leggedstruggle (15 Jul 2015 2.41pm)

mother-in-law is an anagram of woman hitler

The practice of FGM predates the arrival of Islam and Christianity in most African countries, and is likely as not tied to much older customs and beliefs. Religion doesn't form culture, it informs it and becomes part of it and older beliefs tend to be absorbed into the newer faiths.

FGM is practiced by Christians, Muslims and Anamists in Ethiopia (although its more prevalent among Muslims, its still very common practice among Protestant and Catholics in that country).

"One Nation Under God, has turned into One Nation Under the Influence of One Drug"
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Why do we need so many mosques? Also what was the reason for the pub closing?