Half-marriage
and the Debate that never was
Mohammad Omar Farooq, PhD
February 2001I was somewhat amused at the series currently being posted on NFB as "Transcript of Religious Debate between Ali Sina and Ayatollah Montazeri" [emphasis is mine]. Initially, it continued to be released without providing any source and reference. It is still not clear as to who sent or initiated this series.
Anyone who has done his or her due diligence about Islam would not find ANYTHING new in this series. Indeed, much better researched and harsher criticism against Islam and Muslims are available online. Indeed, Muslims should be familiar with such "differing" perspective. We owe it to ourselves to scrutinize our faith and challenge ourselves. A truth-seeker’s indispensable friend is his or her scrutinizing and probing mind. The same is true for Muslims, quite contrary to what has become common among Muslims and what in Kazi’s words "nindabad"ira (abusers/revilers) of Islam would like us to believe. (Remember Muslims! Choose bouquet, not Fatwa.). [Bouquet: From the Kazi’s court]
Truth-seekers have nothing to be afraid of. It’s a fact that due to our devotion, we sometime develop blindness to the weaknesses of what we might be holding as dear. Anyone who helps me to better understand or test what I choose as my way of life, whether friend or foe, deserves my utmost gratitude. Thus, there is no reason to shun any such "lively exchange" or "debate" as presented on NFB or elsewhere. People generally are capable of distinguishing between sincere criticisms of scholarly and probing minds on one hand and the abusers/revilers (Nindabadira) on the other. Just because some observations or thoughts come in the form of abuse/nindabad, a conscientious Muslim should not summarily dismiss it. There is great truth in Kobi-guru’s statement: "Nindukere bashi ami shobar cheye bhalo." Thus, my comments on this "debate" series are not related to its merits or demerits, which has to be dealt with separately.
Even though the series was being posted without any source or providing information as to who should be thanked for sharing this "lively exchange", after some inquiries, the source information of this "debate" was provided. Upon visiting the site and taking a closer look at the series and the source site, I recognized something interesting. That is, I must have wrong/incorrect understanding about what a debate is. Why?
Well, suppose someone X asked Carl Sagan, the famous astronomer, three questions in writing and he responded to these questions in writing. Then X added his or her own commentaries on the response of Carl Sagan and included all these at X’s website. Would this be called a "debate" or "lively exchange" or "head-on clash"?
If someone Y sent a set of questions to any expert of that field and the expert replies as a courtesy to the questioners, then Y adds his commentaries to it and make the whole thing available online, would this be called a "debate" or "lively exchange"? Of course, as I said, what I have understood and known as debate all along might be simply incorrect. Therefore, I will be glad to be further enlightened.
Let's take it little bit more formally. According to the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, the word "debate" has the following meanings:
- a contention by words or arguments. (Ayatullah Montazeri merely answered three questions. Where was the contention or arguments, except from one side? Where was the "head-on clash"?)
- the formal discussion of a motion before a deliberative body according to the rules of parliamentary procedure (Inapplicable)
- a regulated discussion of a proposition between two matched sides (Inapplicable)
Also, in what sense was it a "transcript"? From the same dictionary, one can check that a transcript is "a written, printed, or typed copy; especially a usually typewritten copy of dictated or recorded material". What kind of transcript is this one? In what sense is it a transcript?
So, what really is this? First of all, (unless I have missed it), quite conspicuously, there is no information at that website as to who Mr. Ali Sina is. Or, is it another of those fictitious cyber-personalities? Anyway, anyone can find out from the website of Mr. Ali Sina that he posed three questions to Ayatullah Montazeri. As he responds to so many inquiries, Ayatuallah Montazeri responded to these questions. Based on his response, Mr. Ali Sina added his "free-thinking" commentaries. That’s it. Then, quite freely it has been elevated to the level of a "debate" between Ali Sina and Ayatullah Montazeri, and to give it an appearance of respectability or credence, a free-style label "transcript" has been added. Well, if this is how ultra-secularists or secular fundamentalists want to strike homeruns, then one can’t but remember the saying that "Mollar dour masjid porjonto". Likewise, it seems that the run of the ultra-secularists or secular fundamentalists is only this far.
In a way, this is comforting. Let everyone read these information (or research). Then, if they come to the conclusion that Islam is not for them, by all means, such people following their conscience should move ahead and be whatever they like. "Let there be no compulsion in this way of life (deen)" [2/al-Baqara/256] But turning or elevating answers to three questions of an inquirer into a "debate" or "lively exchange"? Well, those who believe that Islam is the problem, not the abuse in its name, have to do better than this. I am afraid that they need to work lot harder and get busier to become better at it.
What about half-marriage? What does that have anything to do with the issue at hand? Or, is it another of my "mumbo-jumbos"? I believe that instead of taking everything so seriously, from time to time, we should be able to have some discussions on the lighter side. I am all for it. Indeed, to raise consciousness among Muslims about the lighter side of life, I have put together (probably) the very first Hadith Humor page. I must warn, especially Muslims, though because the content of that page is SERIOUSLY light stuff.
I still have not clarified about half-marriage. Have I? Actually, there was really no "debate", "lively exchange" or "head-on clash" between Ali Sina and Ayatullah Montazeri. One could call it a "half-debate". Some commoner told his friend that I am half-married to the crown princess of the kingdom. The friend was puzzled and asked: "What do you mean? How can you be half-married to anyone?" The commoner responded: "Marriage is a two-part thing – a proposal and its acceptance. Well, I have sent my proposal."
Mr. Sina sent three questions and received answers. That’s at least half-debate alright. I would NOT recommend that the NFB Editorial discretion is used to reflect the reality and publish the rest of the series under the title "Transcript of Religious Half-Debate between Ali Sina and Ayatollah Montazeri." Rather, NFB should continue to publish it as originally intended, because as sign of desperation against Islam, not against the abuses in the name of Islam, this should be for the record.
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Half-marriage Ali Sina Ali Sina Half-marriage Montazeri Half-marriage Debate Ali
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Half-marriage Ali Sina Ali Sina Half-marriage Montazeri Half-marriage Debate Ali
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Half-marriage Ali Sina Ali Sina Half-marriage Montazeri Half-marriage Debate Ali
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Half-marriage Ali Sina Ali Sina Half-marriage Montazeri Half-marriage Debate Ali
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Half-marriage Ali Sina Ali Sina Half-marriage Montazeri Half-marriage Debate Ali
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Half-marriage Ali Sina Ali Sina Half-marriage Montazeri Half-marriage Debate Ali
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Half-marriage Ali Sina Ali Sina Half-marriage Montazeri Half-marriage Debate Ali
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