It doesn’t hurt anyone, it’s pleasurable, it can act as a mild anesthetic and help with insomnia among other things. I view it favorably and practice it regularly.
This might be more of a cultural question than a religious one, but what are your views on the differences between Morocco and USA in women’s position in society?
Hmm, this is a very broad question. I’ve been thinking of how to answer it for 5 minutes now and I’m going to have to go with “it depends”. Personally, i’ve smoked hashich and pot before and probably will do in the future but i’m not a regular user (read: i never actually buy any). It’s kind of nice, music sounds better for a while then i fall asleep. If i’m with friends, some things become funnier, then I fall asleep :).
I asked my dentist to use laughing gas once and I liked it too. It was a bit pricey though so I don’t plan on repeating it.
I guess i don’t have any problems with altered states of consciousness per se. If you enjoy it and don’t harm yourself or others in the short and long terms, why not?
If this doesn’t answer your question, please break it down to more specific questions and i’ll give it another shot.
Given a clear choice, would you rather live in an Islamic state with sharia and religious police, or in a liberal democracy where Muslims are viewed with not a little suspicion?
Would you extend this choice to the residents of Kashmir?
If you were asked to recommend one book that explains Islam to westerners, which would it be?
I only have superficial knowledge (which probably is at least partly mistaken) about gender relations in Morocco - and in US, for that matter - so I wasn’t looking for a very detailed answer, just a general gist.
'kay. Here’s what I don’t get. If you’re not following the rules of your religion (as I understand it, anyway…no booze, etc.), why would you identify as a member of that religion? I’ve never understood. Is there a Muslim “Light”…you know… kind of the way Christianity goes with various flavors according to what you like?
No expert here, but I believe the prohibition from alcohol came about after a follower of Mohamed had such a drinking problem that it lead to him missing and forgetting his prayers. So alcohol became strictly prohibited. But other forms of ‘drug’ are a grey area if they do not interfere with the Muslim following the rules of Islam. I believe it also links in with the rules about food. Some things are bad for the soul and strictly forbidden (pork, alcohol, and a few other restrictions), others are bad for the body and so should not be used but are not a deadly sin (often tobacco is in this list), and the rest is fully allowed and halal.
Are you married? And would you consider marrying a non-muslim woman? Would your family be upset if you were to marry a non-muslim if she didn’t convert to Islam?
I’m a hypocrit when it comes to homosexuality. I’ll socialize with gays and befriend them just as readily as I’d do with straights. I do support equal rights for them (adoption included). I support the concept of gay marriage but i’d rather see another word be used to describe it. If i have children that turn out to be gay, I’ll have a hard time accepting it though.
