There is a major but up until now mostly silent section of Keralite Muslims who look down about the Wahabhi interpretation of Islam and are highly critical of them and very much in favor of modernization. I have seen their clerics debate theology with Wahabis on YouTube. How those clerics deliver sermons, how they undermine the impact of radical clerics within their society and how they interpret their holy texts – in one word genius. They are a very interesting and fascinating bunch of people. Rayana is not a rebellious teenager fighting orthodoxy in her home. Her parents have a significant role in making her the way she is and there are many within her community who look up to her and admire her courage. That would explain the urgency certain people feel in nipping this in the bud.

Comment 15 by Richard Dawkins
It is one thing to burn her alive, with a cloth stuffed in her mouth. But why was she also 'mercilessly beaten'? Are we to presume that beating her before roasting her would make them even richer? I wonder what they planned to do with their riches. Not pass them on to the next generation, it would seem.

Richard

Maybe they wanted to convince themselves that it was not ‘petty’ financial reasons but 'higher' religious motives that where at work here. The greater the intensity of the ritual, the easier it is for its followers to believe such things.

test comment

In Indian wedding's traditionally the bride's household pays for the wedding and a dowry. It is very expensive. Consequently it is not an uncommon attitude to see girl children as a financial burden. The parents have to start saving early to marry off their daughters. So in poor family there is incentive to handle things 'differently'.

The tantrik is just giving a semblance of religious approval to what is basically a financial decision. So it makes the news. Female infanticide and abortion after gender-determination of the fetus don’t draw too much attention anymore.

Comment 292 by jhellegers

Comment 258 by 82abhilash In case you did not notice, I was being sarcastic. The bad Muslim flattens the land of his enemy and the 'good' Muslim comes to build a mosque, instead of helping rebuild what was once there. Do you need to attend kindergarten before you understand what is happening? Stop playing dumb, unless of course you can’t help it.

You stated that good muslims build mosques to worship the conquest. You have not provided any evidence for your statement.

jhellegers you are working real hard at playing dumb are you not? And ignoring history!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utaiCb1g15c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rweS_Dwad4k

Right, they do not make their celebration too obvious because if they did, they would not be able to count on jackasses like you to speak on their behalf.

While I agree with you that religion is capable of limiting the freedoms of individuals (and that that is a bad thing), I disagree on the idea that all, or even most believers want to, and do, limit freedoms. When they do, they should be prohibited from doing so. So, is this the case in the building of mosques?

Right, when mosque worshippers kill people and flatten land of their enemy, there should be limitation on building mosques on land thus obtained.

Apart from this, how about the freedom of religion? Let me first state that it is, or should be, nothing more than a specific reiteration of freedom of thought (however, this reiteration can be functional, for example in societies where freedom of religion specifically is under pressure). It is a part of freedom of thought as religion taking place in one's mind. Freedom of thought - not to be discriminated on the basis of what takes place in one's head - is, I think a great good. I guess you agree on that point

Whatever freedom of religion that comes within the subset of freedom of thought I am for it. But there is more to freedom of religion besides freedom of thought. You must know that. Personally I have doubts as to how much freedom of religion can be justified under the freedom of thought. Religion has lost its academic significance ages ago. Today religion as a postulate for thinking gets in the way of clear thinking.