Young women at Imam Academy Morocco

Someone once said “For God’s sake if you have something to say begin at the end”. Well that is what the title does but now I need to backfill why this is a solution to improving present day Muslim society. When asked about women rights Muslim’s proudly point to the emancipation of women under Islam. In 700 AD the Islamic system of government, as mandated by the Qur’an, gave women rights unheard of in other societies for 800 years or more. Women had property rights and rights of inheritance and they had freedoms not known before (and some not known today). Some women took it upon themselves to travel alone over vast distances to visit Makkah (something no woman would consider today). Many women took the opportunity to become scholars and women were heavily represented among early Muslim scholars. So that is great but what…

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There was a time when we called a spade a spade. There were people who had (and still do) strong feelings that abortions are wrong and they were called ‘Anti-Abortion’. And there were people who felt that it is a woman’s choice, at least in the first trimester, and they were called ‘Pro-Choice’. Enter someone from marketing saying that ‘anti’ is not good, we need to become ‘pro’ something. We need to re-label to become ‘Pro-Life’, which has the added benefit of implying those who oppose us are anti life.

And so Pro Life and Anti Abortion are most often used as synonyms. But I wonder, judging by the actions of people, if they aren’t closer to being antonyms. Consider the following question: Does a child that is born become less precious than the unborn fetus? One would think that to be Pro-Life means that a child that is born is…

A bagpipe in Jewish culture credit: www.hotpipes.com

Tyree is a Scottish name, one I married into, and also Scottish is the maiden name of my paternal grandmother, MacLean.

The windy Isle of Tiree, the outermost of Scotland’s Inner Hebrides, is mighty close to the Isle of Mull, the seat of the MacLean Clan.

I questioned MacLean Clan historian Detta MacLean when I took on the Tyree name and she said my new husband was probably a MacLean. “I grew up on Mull and knew everyone on Tiree. They are all MacLeans!”

Detta MacLean’s point might be a stretch, but it’s very Scottish thinking. Very clannish.

As it happens, the Scots have a good deal in common with the Jews, according to Duncan A. Bruce, author of the 1996 history, The Mark of the Scots. And the parallels, taken together, have landed these two groups a good deal of trouble throughout the ages. Take a look at…