I used to say that Islam is the worst religion on this planet. Women abuse is the law in Islam. Marriage is woman slavery for MOST of the muslims. Even ten years old girls are forced into "marriage" with adults! If they refuse or disobey their husband/master in any way they will be murdered in some horrible way... It angers me to see "progressives" and "leftists" defending muslims and their rights for mosques etc. I believe that it offends the memory of women that fought long ago for the right to vote, the right for a career and the right not to be locked in house as slaves. They seem obvious now but, believe me, they were not in the past. Another element of this evil religion is "jihad", ie the "right" of muslims to IMPOSE their religion to others. If you refuse you must die. Those who defend the muslims are NOT real leftists, they are USA - NWO paid agents, Islam is NOT progress, it is a threat to civilization and must be banished from all civilized world. - Ergatis

Ergatis let me tell you. Islam is the best religion in the world. Islam gives respect to women. I am not saying these stories are not true but the parties involves are not practicing Muslim. Islam is the only religion where wife is faithful to their husband and vice versa. You can only find Muslim girls a true virgin in today’s world like Mary (Mother of Jesus). If you want see true Muslim, take out all the hate and go live with them.... This is a religion of truth, honesty, and purity. Did you every study Islam? If yes then probably a book written by non-Muslim with his/her view.

Odd little news item, sloppily reported too. It says: "The United Nations says that over five thousand women and children die every year in so-called "honor killings", often where family members kill women who refuse to enter forced marriages." Then the editor goes to specify it is about "Muslim girls." This kind of killing goes on in India too among non-Muslims, although it involves less "honor" and more disappointment with the paltry dowry. "Honor killings" take place in Sicily too--Catholic, mind you. Are those included too? Aside from the idiotic blabberings of the likes of ergatis above, one has to observe that the very same people who profess to be heart-broken and outraged by this sad and real tragedy never utter a word about the Palestinian women (Muslim enough for you?) who die at Israeli checkpoints, the tens of thousands of Muslim women and children slaughtered by Israel in Palestine and Lebanon and the hundreds of thousands killed by the US in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I am sorry Ariadna, but my "idiotic blabberings" happen to be facts. Is it true or not that: a. Muslim girls are available for FORCED marriage to adults from the age of 10 years? True or not? b. Women are locked in house and are forbidden to leave without male escort as in the well-known lawsuit of a US- military woman serving in Saudi Arabia? True or not? c. Muslim women are forced to be dressed as ghosts in islamic "republics" under pain of death? True or not? d. Muslim women remain virgin until marriage because if they are not, they will be killed by their angry husband/master. It is NOT their choice. Their only choices are two: Obey or die. Some lesbians are also virgins but in their case it is their own FREE choice... e. Muslim women can't have a career in islamic "republics"? True or not? f. I don't know if they vote but I suspect they don't. Am I right? g. Is jihad a fact or just a creation of my ... overactive imagination? h. Yes Palestinian women are victims of BOTH Israel AND Islam. Don't try to hide a merciless slavery behind a merciless killing. i. And finally we come to my "favorite" part: Mutilation of woman's genitals so that she can't have orgasms because orgasm for woman is a... very great sin! I saw little girls screaming under the knife of an evil cannibal-priest. j. Oh yes, some of them accept their slavery because they have been brainwashed by an evil clergy with the promise of paradise and the threat of hell. Some others obey because they fear for their lives and the rest who resist, die... k. In fact no current religion gives equal rights and respect to women. They are all designed by the clergies of patriarch capitalist societies of the ancient and medieval world. Science advanced since then and proved them to be ... "idiotic blabberings". Most of us still follow them just because they wield the threat of hell.

Islam isnt a threat to anything. Its the way some people choose to intetpret it. Although in my opinion no religion is is good or bad its all just a way other human beings have found to control us. @Ergatis "Even ten years old girls are forced into "marriage" with adults! If they refuse or disobey their husband/master in any way they will be murdered in some horrible way" @Kamran "You can only find Muslim girls a true virgin in today’s world like Mary (Mother of Jesus)" Who cares if a women is a virgin or not a virgin, I dont see the difference. As long as she used a condom, doesnt have kids or some STD it doesnt make a difference for me, and yes I come from a iranian, muslim background. @ariadna I am so happy that atleast another human being amongst all the ---- on this earth is intelligent. I no longer feel alone. Yet you do not give one, just one quote or exract form the koran to back up your points....

This reminds me of the bride-burning my dad told me about going on in India, & some other places, and this acid throwing story he told me too, but I didn't realize that acid throwing was a more common occurrence than I thought until I looked it up. Normally I get all opinionated when I read news and such, but right now I'm sick, and nauseous, just surfing the net at home, and what can I say that someone hasn't said before at some point? It's sad what human beings will do to each other. The ways we do it vary but it happens around the world. Not everywhere, not to and by everyone - but this really isn't the first I've heard of death, and persecution, just look at history, and at different societies. It's awful that help needs to exist in the first place for these girls, but it's a damn good thing it does.

@ergatis: I have to agree that your posts are indeed "idiotic blabberings".  Clearly you've never done any real research into any of these matters, and you blindly believe, like a bleeting sheep, what you see and hear in the biased and propaganda-filled media.  None of what you said is "fact".  Muslim girls are not "available for forced marriages" from the age of 10.  Where exactly did you get this so-called fact?  From an email forward?  I am a Muslim convert, and I am not locked in my house and forbidden to go outside by myself.  None of my Muslim friends are either.  The women you speak of live in repressive countries that culturally impose these rules.  It has nothing to do with religion.  Women in many Muslim countries have equal rights/freedoms as men.  Look at Pakistan, India, Turkey, Iran to name a few.  In these countries, there are females in many professions, including law and medicine.  Where you refer to women being forced to "dress as ghosts", this is indeed a horrible thing.  But again, this has to do  with a cultural and historical issue, not one of Islam….  

@ergatis:
Yes, Muslims (both male and female) are expected to remain virgins until they are married, as this is what is asked of them in the Qu'ran.  But the same is true for Christians and Jews if you read the Bible or the Torah.  
As for Jihad, this is a poorly interpreted concept.  Jihad means that you must preach the word of God.  You must spread his message, and you must not let others sway you from the right path.  This same concept is present in Christianity, however it is called "evangelizing".  And it is much  more obvious in Christianity (ie. Christian missionaries) than it is in Islam.