Peace-rating of Islam
By starting this thread I would like to clarify the bad image of Islam. Most people, even Muslims, believe that certain behaviours are associated with Islam.
General questions about the Islamic belief are also welcome.
note: only one question at a time.
It has come to be my opinion, that Islam has a wide varation of divisions, so that it becomes very hard to talk about it as a whole (quite similiar to chritianity.) Would you agree with this?
No not really, first of all 83% of all Muslims are sunni’s and the second largest group is Shia wich almost make it 100% and they both follow the exact same quran. We have a lot more in common than differences. So there is not a real problem about that.
But for the sake of information: I will reply the answers according to the Quran and the sayings of the Prophet which are recorded in Sahih Muslim and Sahih Bukhari.
How would you apply Islamic morals to whats going on in Dafur? I don’t know much about it but the “Janjaweed” Milita don’t seem to be using any morals at all. Raping, looting and killing the non-arabs in Dafur.
I’ve read some articles from what’s happening in Darfur. From what I’ve read I can assure Islam doesn’t allow any of the above mentioned crimes therefore they are commiting evil.
Muhammed said about the following in his Last Sermon several months before he dies:
“All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black, nor a black has any superiority over a white- except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim, which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not therefor, do injustice to yourselves.”
Clearly we musn’t make any destinction between Arab and non-Arab but the Arabs in Darfur who are commiting crimes do make this distinction.
Secondly, raping is strictly forbidden and is considered a major sin in Islam. An excerpt from: http://www.islam101.com/rights/hrM2.htm
The third important thing that we find in the Charter of Human
Rights granted by Islam is that a woman’s chastity has to be respected
and protected under all circumstances, whether she belongs to our
own nation or to the nation of an enemy, whether we find her in the
wild forest or in a conquered city; whether she is our co-religionist or
belongs to some other religion or has no religion at all. A Muslim
cannot outrage her under any circumstances. All promiscuous relation-
ship has been forbidden to him, irrespective of the status or position
of the woman, whether the woman is a willing or an unwilling partner
to the act. The words of the Holy Quran in this respect are: “Do not
approach (the bounds of) adultery” (17:32). Heavy punishment has
been prescribed for this crime, and the order has not been qualified by
any conditions. Since the violation of chastity of a woman is
forbidden in Islam, a Muslim who perpetrates this crime cannot escape
punishment whether he receives it in this world or in the Hereafter.
Thirdly, there is a difference between looting and war booty. Looting is primarly destroying and taking during the war.
An excerpt from the following site:
http://www.jamaat.org/islam/HumanRightsEnemies.html
No looting and destruction in the enemy’s country
Muslims have been instructed by the Prophet not to pillage or plunder or destroy residential areas, nor harm the property of anyone not fighting. It has been narrated in the Hadith: “The Prophet has prohibited the Believers from loot and plunder” (Bukhari, AbuDawood). His injunction is: “The loot is no more lawful than the carrion” (AbuDawood). AbuBakr Siddeeq used to tell soldiers on their way to war: “Do not destroy the villages and towns, do not spoil the cultivated fields and gardens, and do not slaughter the cattle.”
So we can conclude those people who are commting these sins are in grave error and are not following the Path of Allah.
What does it say about jihad and all, Hadj? When and how?
That’s not really a specific question but I will try to answer your question using text from encyclopedias and Islamic scholars.
First we have to define Jihad. What is Jihad? I found the following (objective) article at wikipedia.org:
Jihad (جهاد) is an Arabic word which comes from the Arabic root word ‘jahada’; which means “exerting utmost effort”. The literal meaning of the word is not “holy war”, a more accurate translation would be “struggle” or “striving”.
Muslims often refer to jihad in two connotations, supported by a hadith recorded by Imam Baihaqi and al-Khatib al-Baghdadi (though its isnad is considered weak):
* "lesser (outer) jihad"—a military struggle i.e. a holy war
* "greater (inner) jihad"—the struggle of personal self-improvement against the self's base desires"
Other actions that are considered jihad (on the basis of hadiths with better isnad) include:
* Speaking out against an oppressive ruler (Sunan Abu-Dawud, Book 37, Number 4330)
* Going to Hajj - for women, this is the best form of jihad, (Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 26, Number 595).
* Taking care of elderly parents, as the prophet Muhammad ordered a youth to do, instead of joining a military campaign (Narrated by Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, and al-Nasa'i).
According to the Qur’an,
Permission (to fight) is given to those upon whom war is made because they are oppressed ... those who have been expelled from their homes without a just cause except that they say: Our Lord is Allah. (22:39-40)
Now you could ask about the jihad of a Muslim who is watching pornography but want to resist it. Or (obviously) the greater jihad, just like for example in Palestina. I think you’re more interested in the second.
If yes, please ask a specific question about war ethics in Islam.
Just a clarification, not all Arabs are Muslims and not all Muslims are Arabs. The on going rapes and looting that is going on in Dafur is being perpeutrated by secularist arabs, as far as I understand it, so these Arabs are not Muslims…and they admit that themselves, however these Arabs have formed an alliance with the Muslims in the North who have stood by and allowed this to happen, on this basis they are accountable. I just thought that I should bring this to ppl’s attention, not that it makes the Muslim leaders there any less guilty.
The alliance between the two sides is based upong their common roots of origin…Arab background…once they’ve finished killing the innocent people in the South they’ll probably both realise that they both want to different things…a secular Arab state and a Muslim state…and thats when the alliance will probably fall.
I hope these facts are correct, I am still trying to figure out the exact on going politics there, plz forgive me if I have misquoted anything. I would love to hear from anybody who has worked out exactly what is happening there. I would also love to know why the world is being so blind to what is going on.
marhaba hadj,
i realize that you have alot more in common than differences, but i wonder if those differences are not significant. Shi’ites’ belief in the Imams as the successors of the Prophet would create, at the very least, additional interpretations and traditions which would separate it from Sunni Islam. Sunni and Shia may both start with the Quran, but interpretation means alot (for example the Wahabbi interpretation of the Quran would be very different than a more moderate Muslim’s)
also, just a question, i know that there are various sects within Shia Islam (twelver, sevener, etc.)…is Sunni Islam basically free of such sects? Also, what kind of role do the four schools of thought play in terms of interpretation of Sharia within Sunni Islam.
Shi’ites are considered Muslims because they are allowed to visit the Kaaba. Many (sunni) Muslims find some believes of the Shia very disrupting and Sunnis rather claimes they are (a little) deviated from the path in stead of calling them non-muslims. In de advent of information technology and other technology advances I see a bright future for a peaceful dialogue between Sunni’s and Shia.
Concerning the schools in the Sunni traditions they can’t be considered sects. The diffeferences are too small and they don’t hate eachother and all the school refute their own rule if the tradition of Muhammed is contradictive with that specific ruling. And the schools always try to make a consensus with eachother so they can following the path of our Prophet.
I can’t say that Sunni are free from sects, there are always sects however till now I haven’t notice a significant sect in Sunni. It’s rather difficult to truly deviate to a sects as a sunni because their sources are the Quran and Hadith and they are very detailed.
here is my question:
(1) If you think Islam is a peaceful religion… is there any religion you think is not peaceful? And what is the difference?!
(2) How do you reconcile what is written with what goes on in reality? (read: how do you avoid having to reconcile it?) And are the major religions not somehow partly responsible for the actions their members do?
(for example: a christian bishop who also molests alter boys… no problem whatsoever with the church? a grand mufti who advocates killing and so his people go out and kill… no problem for the mosque?)
And finally
(3) Who made you the resident, infallible, expert on Islam?
And can I have a picture with you?
Monooq…there is a difference between a religion and its members… just as there is a difference between, for example, America and Americans. Some Americans are theives, murderers, all around bad people. This doesn’t mean that there is (necessarily) anything evil about the American system, or that the American system condones such behaivor… don’t judge an ideological system by its members, who will inevitably be unable to live up to the ideology.
Most religions I know preach peace and try to everything to achieve peace like Islam.
You’re right about the point that many believers of any religion have gone far away from the right path and including are also so-called Imams and state leaders. The best way to make a real effort so that people follow the rules of Islam is very simple in words but difficult in reality:
– Information: People must know the truth from the Quran and the Hadith and not from some imam or his/her parents. Thanks to the advances of information technology people know a lot more about the true islam.
– Islamic Judical system: There must be leaders who must bear responbilities to tell the truth and order the people to do the right thing. The problem nowadays is quite simple: we have no leader. When there is no leader many groups take right in their own hands.
– Ummah: Why are Islamic countries not connected? Why don’t they fuse? Even Europe has a better integration than between Islamic countries. The Ummah must return so that whole Islam can be represented in one organ instead of many countries.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not expert at all. I don’t even posses a bachelor degree in Islamic Law. However I’ve aqcuired some knowledge trough reading books and fatwa’s of noble scholars. So If I ever say somethings that contradicts the Quran or the Hadith then it’s totally my fault. I try always to give reference to prove my point.
And for our “rebel” Monooq: click here for my picture
N.B. Don’t ever ask three questions in one reply. I’ve clearly said: only one question at a time. [/url]
if some americans are thieves, then america isn’t perfectly honest.
if some buddhists are murderers, then buddhism isn’t perfectly peaceful.
(you can get around this like hadj did by denying they’re buddhists, but ill ask you who you are to decide that)
It’s my opinion that if you have a system that has slapped someone into poverty, and he steals, it is a good part the system’s fault. not all. but not none.
And so:
It’s my opinion that if you have a religion that advocates violence (for whatever reason), and you see that violence played out, it is a good part the religion’s fault.
Hello Hadj,
my question is:
what is the Quran’s position on the ‘place’ of women, i.e. the advent of feminism, chauvanism.
more specifically, what is the ideology on Female Genital Mutilation?
First of all, I want to point it out that Islam was the first movement in the world that gave women on a large scale much better right than ever. Can you imagine that? 1400 years ago? To prove my point I will cite from a fatwa:
The status of woman in Islam constitutes no problem. The attitude of the Qur’an and the early Muslims bear witness to the fact that woman is, at least, as vital to life as man himself, and that she is not inferior to him nor is she one of the lower species. Had it not been for the impact of foreign cultures and alien influences, this question would have never arisen among the Muslims. The status of woman was taken for granted to be equal to that of man. It was, of course, a matter of fact, and no one, then, considered it as a problem at all.
It is not the tone of Islam that brands woman as the product of the devil or the seed of evil. Nor does the Qur’an place man as the dominant lord of woman who has no choice but to surrender to his dominance. Nor was it Islam that introduced the question of whether or not woman has any soul in her. Never in the history of Islam has any Muslim doubted the human status of woman or her possession of soul and other fine spiritual qualities. Unlike other popular beliefs, Islam does not blame Eve alone for the Original Sin. The Qur’an makes it very clear that both Adam and Eve were tempted; that they both sinned; that Allah’s pardon was granted to both after their repentance; and that Allah addressed them jointly. Allah Almighty says:
“And We said: O Adam! Dwell thou and thy wife in the Garden, and eat ye freely (of the fruits) thereof where ye will; but come not nigh this tree lest ye become wrongdoers. But Satan caused them to deflect therefrom and expelled them from the (happy) state in which they were; and We said: Fall down, one of you a foe unto the other! There shall be for you on earth a habitation and provision for a tune. Then Adam received from his Lord words (of revelation), and He relented toward him. Lo! He is the Relenting the Merciful. We said: Go down, all of you, from hence; but verily there cometh unto you from Me a guidance; and whoso followeth My guidance, there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve.†(Al-Baqarah: 36-38)
To this equal partnership in the reproduction of human kind Allah says:
“O mankind! Lo! We have created you male and female, and have made `you nations and tribes that ye may know one another. Lo! the noblest of you, in the sight of Allah, is the best in conduct. Lo! Allah is Knower, Aware.†(Al-Hujurat: 13)
2- She is equal to man in bearing personal and common responsibilities and in receiving rewards for her deeds. She is acknowledged as an independent personality, in possession of human qualities and worthy of spiritual aspirations. Her human nature is neither inferior to nor deviant from that of man. Both are members of one another. Allah Almighty says:
“And their Lord hath heard them (and He saith): Lo! I suffer not the work of any worker, male or female, to be lost. Ye proceed one from another…†(Al `Imran: 195)
3- She is equal to man in the pursuit of education and knowledge. When Islam enjoins the seeking of knowledge upon Muslims, it makes no distinction between man and woman. Almost fourteen centuries ago, Muhammad declared that the pursuit of knowledge is incumbent on every Muslim male and female. This declaration was very clear and was implemented by Muslims throughout history.
4- She is entitled to freedom of expression as much as man is. Her sound opinions are taken into consideration and cannot be disregarded just because she happen to belong to the female sex. It is reported in the Qur’an and history that woman not only expressed her opinion freely but also argued and participated in serious discussions with the Prophet himself as well as with other Muslim leaders. Allah Almighty says:
“Allah hath heard the saying of her that disputeth with thee (Muhammad) concerning her husband, and complaineth unto Allah. And Allah heareth your colloquy. Lo! Allah is Nearer, Knower. Such of you as put away your wives (by saying they are as their mothers) They are not their mothers; none are their mothers except those who gave them birth they indeed utter an ill word and a lie. And lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. Those who put away their wives (by saying they are as their mothers) and afterward would go back on that which they have said; (the penalty) in that case (is) the freeing of a slave before they touch one another. Unto this ye are exhorted; and Allah is informed of what ye do.†(Al-Mujadalah: 1-4)
Besides there were occasions when Muslim women expressed their views on legislative matters of public interest, and stood in opposition to the Caliphs, who then accepted the sound arguments of these women. A specific example took place during the Caliphate of `Umar Ibn Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him.
5- Historical records show that women participated in public life with the early Muslims, especially in times of emergencies. Women used to accompany the Muslim armies engaged in battles to nurse the wounded, prepare supplies, serve the warriors, and so on. They were not shut behind iron bars or considered worthless creatures and deprived of souls.
6- Islam grants woman equal rights to contract, to enterprise, to earn and possess independently. Her life, her property, her honor are as sacred as those of man. If she commits any offense, her penalty is no less or more than of man’s in a similar case. If she is wronged or harmed, she gets due compensations equal to what a man in her position would get. Allah Almighty says:
“O ye who believe! Retaliation is prescribed for you in the matter of the murdered; the freeman for the freeman, and the slave for the slave, and the female for the female. And for him who is forgiven somewhat by his (injured) brother, prosecution according to usage and payment unto him in kindness. This is alleviation and a mercy from your Lord. He who transgresseth after this will have a painful doom.†(Al-Baqarah: 195)
7- Islam does not state these rights in a statistical form and then relax. It has taken all measures to safeguard them and put them into practice as integral articles of Faith. It never tolerates those who are inclined to prejudice against woman or discrimination between man and woman. Time and again, the Qur’an reproaches those who used to believe woman to be inferior to man. Allah Almighty says:
“And they assign unto Allah daughters. Be He glorified! and unto themselves what they desire; When if one of them receiveth tidings of the birth of a female, his face remaineth darkened, and he is wroth inwardly. He bideth himself from the folk because of the evil of that whereof he hath bad tidings, (asking himself): Shall he keep it in contempt, or bury it beneath the dust. Verily evil is their judgment.†(An-Nahl: 57-59)
The article is quite a long and I recommend eveyone to read so that he never say anymore that Islam is rude to women but infact shows the best justice between men and women.
As for female circumcision I have to say anything that harms the body is forbidden in Islam (.i.e. smoking etc.). All scholars agree that female circumcision is not an obligatory (i.e. male is). To explain this issue better and how contemporary Muslim look at it I will cite from a fatwah by a renowned (Sheikh Yusuf Qardawi):
There is no clear-cut evidence in Shari`ah indicating that circumcision is prescribed either as mandatory or a confirmed act of the sunnah for women in Islam.
The hadith “When the two circumcised parts (of a man and a woman) contact, performing ghusl (for both) becomes a must†indicates that females were circumcised at that time; however, this does not include evidence either for its being mandatory or a confirmed act of the sunnah.
There is another hadith to the effect that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to a midwife: “Reduce the size of the clitoris (of a woman) but do not exceed the limit, for that is better for her health and pleasant for her husband [that is, it would enhance her conjugal relation with her husband].â€
This hadith is not authentic, for all its chains of reporters are weak, although Sheikh Al-Albani considered this hadith to be authentic due to its being narrated with more than one chain of reporters. Nevertheless, one doubts such a way to conclude its authenticity. Circumcision is an issue of interest to every Muslim family that requires clear evidence. This being the case, why is this hadith referred to even though it has weak chains of narration?
Even if one approves of its authenticity, does the way the hadith is expressed refer to the circumcision’s being imperative or recommendable, or does it simply clarify how it should be performed?
I believe that the hadith merely guides women to what is best to be done when they perform female circumcision, and this does not imply that this operation is obligatory or even a confirmed act of the sunnah.
In my point of view, female circumcision is permissible, but it is an established rule that permissible matters may be banned if they happen to involve harm, due to the juristic rule that there should be no harm, nor reciprocating harm. Permissible matters may also remain in practice and be improved, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) advised the midwife to reduce the clitoris without exceeding the limit.
In fact, female circumcision needs to be scrutinized. If unbiased experts prove that it really has harmful effects on females, it should be banned so as to ward off such effects.
At the same time, if it is proved by some specialized doctors that some females are physically in need of being circumcised, this operation can be performed, on condition that it is just the prepuce of the clitoris that is cut, not the clitoris itself.
Medical opinion on female circumcision:
Specialized contemporary doctors are of the opinion that circumcision has significant harmful effects on most women, the most apparent of which is that it leaves them without the ability to enjoy sexual stimulation in their marital life.
Moreover, some doctors have proved that circumcision has undeniable far-reaching negative effects on women’s health, as well as on their social, sexual, and psychological well-being.
For example, Dr. Ahmad Shawqi Al-Fangari says:
“It is medically established that the clitoris plays a central role in female sexual stimulation. Female circumcision, as practiced by midwives, means cutting the entire clitoris, and sometimes it involves cutting part of the labia. This operation violates a human right for women, for it makes it impossible for them to experience orgasm later in their marital life. It may even cause them to be frigid, which is one of the most important causes leading to divorce and disintegration of the family in the Muslim world.
A related and not less serious phenomenon in the countries that practice female circumcision is men’s becoming addicted to opium and hashish, believing that this would enable them to prolong erection in a desperate attempt to make their circumcised wives experience sexual gratification. Sociologists are almost unanimous that there is no hope of combating men’s addiction to such drugs in the Muslim world unless female circumcision is first stopped. In addition to the damaging effects circumcision has on the sexual feelings of women, it causes them many other health problems. The operation itself is often performed in unhygienic conditions by unqualified midwives, meaning that females are at risk of contracting infections, and it may even cause sterility or obstetric problems later in life. These are just a few examples of the many harmful effects of circumcision on females.â€
I believe that the way the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) advised the midwife to follow in practicing female circumcision does not have such damaging effects as cited by doctors and sociologists above. Such effects are rather the result of what is called Pharaonic circumcision (that is, infibulation), which, in fact, mutilates the female genitals and involves removing the entire clitoris, the prepuce, and adjacent labia, followed by sewing up the vulva.
This way of circumcision is practiced in Egypt and Sudan. In the rest of the Arab countries, there is almost no female circumcision. Hence, if female circumcision is prescribed in Islam, would the religious scholars of these countries overlook their country’s noncompliance all that time?
This proves that female circumcision is not prescribed in Islam; it is just permissible. But when it is practiced, it is to be done according to the way the Prophet described, that is, cutting only the tip or the prepuce of the clitoris, not the entire clitoris.â€
hadj, thanks for your answer, i didn’t really know what jihad was all about, which is why i asked it in such a general question
i am equally interested in the struggle for people to better themselves as in the struggle to win back their homes
though i find the first more essential, because if all would realize that they can in fact, live together without violence, there would be no such thing as an armed jihad, would there?
i am against war, hadj as i am against any form of violence, but i might understand… now and then… i’d prolly fight if they destroyed my home…
now the former question reminded me of a discussion…
you know what happened in france?
there it is now forbidden for woman to wear the head-covering thing (forgive the language, i don’t know the english word) whilst working for the government… because those people should be an example of neutrality
so what do you think about this, and what sais islam about this?
You said you find the first more essential, we Muslims agree with you on that. We call it the greater Jihad as for battle we call it the smaller jihad. You’re most correct if no one had attacked any Muslims where so ever there wouldn’t be violence.
Agreed.
First of all, I’m going to give my opinion on this issue and then secondly a scholars opinion.
The head scarf is called the hijab (pronounced as: geezab). My opinion is very clear. God, All Mighty ordered the believing women to lower their gaze and men to lower their gaze. Further He says that women should put veils on to protect (their whole bodies). And it’s an obligation by God, Himself. Who is more superior the government of God? If I were a woman I would have put a hijab in all cases and be pleased to endure the hardship I will face because I know I strive for my religion. I would advise women in France who are forced to remove their hijab to leave the country (for example to Belgium).
As the scholars opinion:
The European Council for Fatwa and Research, established in Britain in 1997, includes as its members a number of Muslim scholars who give fatwas to the Muslim communities in Europe, and other scholars in the Arab and Muslim world. The council started by tackling an issue of a paramount importance to the entire Muslim world, particularly the Muslims in France, that is, the refusal of France and Europe to allow Muslim female students to wear hijab in schools.
The Western countries discourage Muslim female students from wearing hijab, thus compelling them to neglect a religious obligation.
Muslim women are not to neglect such an obligation at any rate. Allah Almighty says: “And it becometh not a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His messenger have decided an affair (for them), that they should (after that) claim any say in their affair; and whoso is rebellious to Allah and His messenger, he verily goeth astray in error manifest.†(Al-Ahzab: 36)
There is no scholarly difference with regard to Muslim women’s obligation to wear hijab.
Wearing hijab refers to covering the whole body except the face and hands—and according to some Islamic schools of jurisprudence—the feet, too.
The obligation to wear hijab is proved by the Qur’an and Sunnah. Scholars unanimously agree upon that. The Muslim nation applied the obligation for 13 centuries. But following their invasion of the Muslim countries, the foreign occupiers imposed different ways of life on the Muslims, and this, in the long run, brought its effects and led the majority of the Muslims to deviate from the right path.
But with the Muslims’ increasing awareness of their religion, they have started to regain confidence in themselves and their religion and have returned voluntarily to the right path. Hence, many Muslim women abide by the obligation to wear hijab.
The European Council for Fatwa and Research states in that regard:
“There is no doubt that it is a religious obligation upon every adult female Muslim to wear hijab. It is sufficient to cite as evidence of that the following verses:
“And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest, and to display of their adornment only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils over their bosoms.†(An-Nur: 31)
“O Prophet! Tell thy wives and thy daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks close round them (when they go abroad). That will be better, that so they may be recognized and not annoyed.†(Al-Ahzab: 59)
Religiously, morally, and constitutionally speaking, it is not lawful to prevent Muslim women from obeying their religion with regard to wearing hijab.
If European countries discourage Muslim women from wearing hijab, it does not befit France, in particular, to follow in their footsteps, forgetting that it is the very country that adopted and called in its revolution for establishing the principles of freedom, brotherhood, equality, and observance of human rights.
Every human being has the right to follow the teachings of his or her religion and seek to please his or her Lord. No one can compel him or her, under any circumstances, to give up his or her duties.
Wearing hijab is part and parcel of the Muslim woman’s religious freedom and personal freedom. The observance of such freedoms is prescribed in modern constitutions, international agreements, and the Declaration of Human Rights.
Besides, it is known that liberal secularism [which European countries claim] does not adopt a hostile attitude towards religious beliefs. Its stance on that is impartial. If so, and if they do not prevent women from uncovering parts of their bodies and wearing miniskirts, for instance, why should they discourage Muslim women from covering their bodies? By insisting on refusing hijab, they handle matters with double standards.
Atheistic secularism is what is hostile to religions in general and believes that religions are what draw peoples backwards.
What some French say about the hijab that it is a religious symbol [and, thus, may create religious differences in society] is not true at all. Symbols have no functions in themselves, as is the case with the yarmulke and the Star of David of the Jews, and the cross of the Christians.
As for hijab, it has a function in Islam; it is the means by which Muslim women cover themselves and preserve their modesty.
If you need a more specific answer, please ask again!
I must say thanks for your answer and the great sites you added in your replys, I have always been interested in Islam but I never really knew where to look to learn more about it and now I can, cheers.
If you want any specific you can always ask. I would recommend you (and all others who are interested) to visit the following portal:
http://www.alexa.com/browse/general?catid=228358&mode=general
