Articles labeled: Islam

Apparently forcing children into servitude is big business in Senegal, Africa. One school actually forces their children to beg in the streets for hours and hours each day. If they don’t bring in enough money, they are beaten. Count your blessings for what you have, folks.

Most of the boys — 90 percent, the study found — are sent out to beg under the cover of Islam, placing the problem at the complicated intersection of greed and tradition. For among the cruelest facts of Coli’s life is that he was not stolen from his family. He was brought to Dakar with their blessing to learn Islam’s holy book.

In the name of religion, Coli spent two hours a day memorizing verses from the Quran and over nine hours begging to pad the pockets of the man he called his teacher.

It was getting dark. Coli had less than half the 72 cents he was told to bring back. He was afraid. He knew what happened to children who failed to meet their daily quotas.

They were stripped and doused in cold water. The older boys picked them up like hammocks by their ankles and wrists. Then the teacher whipped them with an electrical cord until the cord ate their skin.

Two beautiful, teenage girls were allegedly shot by their father and left for dead in a taxi cab last Friday in Texas.

Rumors have it that the girls were shot for defying their father’s native cultural and religious boundaries of Islam, as the girls were very Americanized.

An ongoing manhunt is under way for Yaser Abdel Said, 50, of Lewisville, Texas, wanted for shooting Sarah Yaser Said, 17, and Amina Yaser Said, 18, in his taxi Tuesday night. Police say they don’t have a motive for the shootings, but believe a domestic issue may have led to the deaths.

A public viewing for Sarah and Amina Said was planned for 6 to 9 p.m. CST Friday in Dallas. Their funeral will be at 11 a.m. CST Saturday, also in Dallas.

Friends and Lewisville High School classmates of the Said girls posted photos and comments in a tribute to the sisters set up on the social networking site Facebook.com called “Rest in Peace, Sarah & Amina.”

Lest I be victim of some Jihad, I think this story just speaks for itself and the tolerant religion/culture of Islam. Muslims need to speak out about this. The time is now!

A British primary school teacher arrested in Sudan faces up to 40 lashes for blasphemy after letting her class of 7-year-olds name a teddy bear Muhammad.

Gillian Gibbons, 54, from Liverpool, was arrested at at Khartoum’s Unity High School yesterday, and accused of insulting the Prophet of Islam.

Her colleagues said that they feared for her safety after reports that groups of young men had gathered outside the Khartoum police station where she was taken and were shouting death threats.

The Unity school is a Christian-run but multi-racial and co-educational private school that is popular with Sudanese professionals and expatriate workers.