by Kelli Holloran

Created on: March 27, 2009

Prior to writing my opinion, I would like to let everyone who is Muslim know that I have a graduate degree in Women's Studies, and have read quite a few books and articles about Islam, seen videos of Muslim women who very much approve of wearing the veil and had a very strong minded professor during my studies that made it clear to all of us that everyone has their own view on life. While I am an American (and probably hated therefore by many Muslims just due to that fact, or at least my opinion would not be valued), I also want everyone to know: I do not approve of the State of Israel, or anything it is doing in the Middle East. I do not approve of the "War in Iraq," I am very aware that there were no "Weapons of Mass Destruction" causing us to go to that war, and I strongly believe the U.S. Government hid and/or had some level of a conspiracy to bring us into that war. What Israel is doing to the Palestinians in Gaza is horrific. I am deeply opposed to dropping bombs, white phosphorus, and other millitary actions against innocent, unequally armed people. In fact, I disagree entirely with the State of Israel having removed the Palestinians from their homeland in order to have their own particular "Zion." I read Edward Said's books when I was a student, and believe me I am not opposed to Mulsims "in general" or feel that they are just barbaric or backwards as some other people might state.

HOWEVER, I also have a Masters in Sociology and took many classes on criminology and know about the history of crime and criminal law to a certain extent. Regardless of any particular "religion," there are two types of crimes: mala in se crimes (like rape and murder) and then other lessor crimes. Then there are many crimes that VARY from group to group. Some of these may be, for example, in one place it is illegal to smoke marijuana and it is legal somewhere else. These types of crimes are simply crimes that do not cross cultural, ethnic, religious, etc. boundaries. Crimes like rape and murder, however, do. But for all crimes, the punishments are different cross-culturally. In one place "first degree, premeditated murder" may warrant the death penalty, in another its life in prison. If you go down the list of crimes, the lessor degree the crime, the more the punishment varies. So one has to consider the fact that there has been established a certain "human rights" law globally to secure the basic human rights of all peoples.

I believe that SOME (not all) Muslim countries severely

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