I Bet You Didn’t Know, Part Two (By Popular Demand)
On June 26, 2023 I posted an essay titled “I Bet You Didn’t Know” that revealed many facts about the religion of Islam that Americans are often unaware of, with the result being widespread misunderstanding of the true nature of that religion. The post was well received, so, by popular demand, I’ll add more little known facts. Each of these facts is attested to in Islamic scripture and/or by Islamic scholarly writing and sermons. So, without further adieu:
I bet you didn’t know that: The Earth is flat. Yes, it’s true. As reported in a headline by the Mid East Research Institute (MEMRI): “California: Islamic scholar says ‘if the Quran says that the Earth is flat, then it has to be flat.’” This startling claim, by the way, was NOT made during the middle ages; it was made on June 10, 2023. The “scholar” is Dr. Ali Ataie, a professor at Zaytuna College in Berkeley, CA. The claim was made during a videotaped lecture at the Muslim Community Center in the San Francisco Bay Area. According to the good professor, the theology behind the statement comes directly from the Koran:
Allah has fashioned the earth a bed for you…” (Qur’an 2:22)
“…until, when he reached the setting-place of the sun, he found it setting in a spring of muddy water, and found people nearby.” (Qur’an 18:86)
“And Allah has made the earth a carpet for you…” (Qur’an 71:19)
After a incredulous uproar in social media, the video has since been taken down by the Bay Area Muslim Community Center. A discussion of the lecture can still be found, however, via the following link:
California: Islamic scholar says ‘if the Quran says that the Earth is flat, then it has to be flat’
Next, if you are a male, I bet that you didn’t know that you are allowed to marry a six year old girl and “consummate” the “marriage” at the age of NINE. This is based upon multiple Hadiths describing the Prophet’s (Peace Be Unto Him, PBUH) “marriage” to six year old Ayesha and the subsequent 9 year old consummation. Because the Prophet (PBUH) is considered to be the “perfect man,” such a “marriage” must, of course, be “halal” (permitted).
I bet you didn’t know that if you are a European, you need to return Italy, France, Spain and Greece to the Islamic Caliphate. These lands, you see, are said to “belong” to the Islamic Umma as they were once “consecrated” by Muslims.
I bet you didn’t know that Islamic sacred law, The Sharia, mandates death for anyone who mentions “something impermissible about Allah, the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), or Islam” (source: ‘Umdat al-Salik, o11.10), and such laws are based upon passages in the Hadith and Sirat in which Muhammad (PBUH) orders the murders of people who have insulted him. These murdered slanderers, in Muhammad’s time, include Abu Afak (who is said to have been over one hundred years old at the time of his murder), and the poetess Asma bint Marwa. Afak, who was killed in his sleep, was murdered in response to Muhammad’s plea, “Who will avenge me on this scoundrel?”
If you are a woman, I bet you didn’t know that it is sinful for you to lick an ice cream cone. Writing for the Bavarian-based Süddeutsche Zeitung, Mohamad Alkhalaf sought to contrast the cultural differences between German society and that of his native Syria and he used the consumption of ice cream in public as one example. He stated further: “Women in particular are expected to show a reserved and respectful demeanor in public,” Alkhalaf further wrote. “Eating ice cream and other meals that could be considered phallic in shape would be perceived as provocative or offensive.” So, ladies, get your dishes and spoons at the ready, and, for heaven’s sake, throw out your bananas!
The next few facts are taken from the very helpful online guide to proper Muslim behavior, Fatwa Resource. The site can be accessed through the following link:
http://www.fatwa-online.com
I bet you didn’t know that watching Mickey Mouse Cartoons is sinful. This is attested to in Fatwa Resource by Shaykh Saalih ibn Fowzaan, (Fatwa Resource, July 17, 2017). The reason is that Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters inhabit the Magic Kingdom.” Magic, in Islam is akin to sourcery, and is strictly haram (prohibited).
I bet you didn’t know that It is sinful for a man to trim his beard. This is attested to in Fatwa Resource by Abdul-‘Azeez Aal ash-Sha-ykh (April 27, 2018). The rationale is, simply, that Mohammed (PBUH) never shaved his beard, so neither should you.
I bet you didn’t know that “Anyone who says that the Prophet is black should be killed.” It’s true. It’s attested to in the Hadith of al-Bukhari. Mohammed, although dark skinned, went to great pains to emphasize that he was NOT black because Arabs, then and now, unashamedly regard blacks as inferiors.
And, in a refreshingly practical ruling, I bet you didn’t know that it is prohibited for you to live on MARS. Yes, staying way ahead of the curve, Muslim scholars have determined that it is haram for you to live on Mars. As reported in the United Kingdom’s newspaper, the Daily Mail: “Muslim leaders issue a fatwa against anyone living on MARS.” The rationale is, simply, that there is ‘no righteous reason’ to be there.” (source: Daily Mail, By Ted Thornhill 13:32 19 Feb 2014, updated 06:54 21 Feb 2014). So, ladies and gentlemen, cancel your Mars vacation reservations, and reschedule your trip at a resort in, say, beautiful Somalia or, perhaps, lovely Yemen.