WikiIslam - User contributions [en]

User talk:Lemming

2014-01-04T10:48:00Z

Lemming: /* Statistics and archive */

==Citing references==

Hi Lemming. Thanks for your contributions. However, I've reverted [http://www.wikiislam.net/w/index.php?title=Muslim_Statistics_-_Terrorism&curid=12591&diff=97644&oldid=97363&rcid=107321 this] edit to the terrorism stats page temporarily. When citing references, you need to link directly to whatever it is you are citing and, if needed, cite the exact page number or chapter (this would also apply to some of your previous additions, but those are fine for now). The page you linked to, branches off into several more pages. I had a quick read through the main "Terrorism arrests - analysis of charging and sentencing outcomes by religion" and could not find the quote there. Any how, the same quote and more additional information is given in [http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-09-13/uk/42040005_1_offences-terrorism-act-persons this] news article, so I'm going to replace it with that. [[User:Sahabah|--Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 00:23, 26 September 2013 (PDT)

==Factual errors, clean up and need for clarity==

Hi again. I've reverted [http://wikiislam.net/w/index.php?title=List_of_Genuine_Islamic_Inventions_Innovations_Records_and_Firsts&curid=13896&diff=97831&oldid=97732 this edit] for now. A few points that need to be mentioned:

1. One of the statements in your edit is factually incorrect. I checked the source and 7 out of 8 most corrupt countries are not majority Muslim (both Myanmar and N.Korea are within the bottom 8).

2. How you present your sources are not always clear and easy for readers to verify. For example, your first source is an interactive map, not a written list. If a list is not available, then a footnote should be added naming the 6 least peaceful countries.

3. Your edits also require other users to perform a lot of cleanup. Naked URL are not acceptable at all. Please use the "cite web" template in the future (it's in the bottom edit toolbar). Thank you. [[User:Sahabah|--Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 16:49, 2 October 2013 (PDT)

:Just a quick update. I've added back the factually correct part of your edit, now including a quick list of the 6 countries. I've also found a proper reference (the PDF of the report rather than an interactive map). You can look at the formatting [http://wikiislam.net/w/index.php?title=List_of_Genuine_Islamic_Inventions_Innovations_Records_and_Firsts&curid=13896&diff=97840&oldid=97835#Terrorism here]. Note that I added the name of the report, publisher, date of publication and the exact page where the information is located. Now it is very easy for readers and editors to verify. As I noted earlier, your second statement was incorrect. If editors like me found it hard to verify everything then errors like that would continue to creep in and the standard and usefulness of this wiki would be lowered. Normally we also archive every reference, but WebCite is down at the moment. [[User:Sahabah|--Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 17:37, 2 October 2013 (PDT)

::Hi. I will say it a bit clearer; '''do not add statements 'supported' by references which make it hard for us to verify'''. I searched and found the [http://arabia2day.com/reports/sword-of-justice-beheadings-rise-in-saudi-arabia/ full article] you claim says beheading is only used in Islamic countries. It says no such thing. As far as I understand, they are specifically discussing ''only'' Muslim majority nations. And again, please use the "cite web" template from now on. Thank you. [[User:Sahabah|--Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 07:44, 6 October 2013 (PDT)

== Genuine Islamic Inventions ==

Hi Lemming. I thought you may be interested in knowing that the ''List of Genuine Islamic Inventions, Innovations, Records and Firsts'' has now been linked from 2 of our core articles ([http://wikiislam.net/wiki/Islam_and_Propaganda#Genuine_Islamic_Inventions.2C_Innovations.2C_Records_and_Firsts Propaganda] & [http://wikiislam.net/wiki/Islam_and_Science#Genuine_Islamic_Inventions.2C_Innovations.2C_Records_and_Firsts Science]). So it should receive much more views. [[User:Sahabah|--Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 15:37, 21 October 2013 (PDT)

== Muslim veils/crimes ==

hi Lemming, I made a table for that page [http://wikiislam.net/wiki/Muslim_veils_and_crime#Examples] (the table is not visible for most site visitors yet and will be visible when you click Edit). Would be great if you can complete that section. If not we can put it on the to do list. I had done a few of the incidents in the beginning and the first in the UK. Thank you! --[[User:Axius|Axius]] ([[User talk:Axius|talk]]) 16:22, 25 October 2013 (PDT)

:There is a ''huge'' amount of reports where a veil has been used in crime, so I cannot partake in such a task. The alternative table I have added, I think is a good half way point between simple text examples, and a full data set.--[[User:Lemming|Lemming]] ([[User talk:Lemming|talk]]) 06:19, 26 October 2013 (PDT)
:: (moved here to keep on one page so its easy to follow)
::hi, we have big tables like this one [[Honor Killing Index]] so its not a problem. Having all the stuff in the table makes the data look more impressive and easy to browse. Having the ref numbers [1] or [2] in a table cell by itself is not user friendly because we have to hover, look at the ref section and then back. So keep collecting the links (in any way you like) and we'll see how to best present it in the end when you think you have enough links. Thanks for starting this page, this is a good page. --[[User:Axius|Axius]] ([[User talk:Axius|talk]]) 07:26, 26 October 2013 (PDT)
:::Ok, we could have both. It should go on a separate page such as [[List of crimes commited in Muslim veils]].

Here are some proposed headings

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Criminal act
!Location
!Niqab or Burka
!Description
!Source
|}
--[[User:Lemming|Lemming]] ([[User talk:Lemming|talk]]) 09:17, 26 October 2013 (PDT)
:Ok, sounds good. Date can also be added after location. --[[User:Axius|Axius]] ([[User talk:Axius|talk]]) 10:35, 26 October 2013 (PDT)

::I think most of the lead will have to be removed/rewritten for numerous reasons. The style, tone and content doesn't go with what WikiIslam is aiming for. The title will also have to be changed ("Hijab and Crime", or something similar).

::I also must say that I agree with Lemming that if we're going to use a list format, it should be a separate page. Long lists don't really belong in a middle of an article. There should be a "regular" page for subjects for people to read uninterrupted, and if need be, a separate page created for lists. I know I've been guilty of this in the past, but I've also tried to fix it (e.g. the table of stonings you placed in the middle of the stoning article was moved to a separate page listing punishments, the lists placed all over the Honor Violence page was moved to its own "Honor Killing Index" page, and the quotes on Muhammad's pedophilia at the end of the Aisha article was moved to its own page).

::The other issue we need to consider is lists like this need to be constantly updated. As it is, we're barely able to keep up with the lists we already have. In fact, that list of punishments has been left unfinished since a year or so ago. The Accidents and Disasters page has also been barely touched in a year. And as soon as lists like this are not updated, they're out-dated.

::I think the way lemming had the page earlier was fine as a regular article (either divided by [http://wikiislam.net/w/index.php?title=Muslim_veils_and_crime&oldid=98905 type of crime] or by [http://wikiislam.net/w/index.php?title=Muslim_veils_and_crime&oldid=97725#Examples country]). And if anyone is willing to invest their time in creating a separate indepth list, then they can do that also. [[User:Sahabah|--Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 19:59, 26 October 2013 (PDT)
:::I hadnt seen the text and just saw the table. Yea I agree with you. I started this page so editors can see examples of bad/good text [[WikiIslam:Content Guidelines]].
:::Yea having the list on a separate page is fine, as long as we're giving the information in a format where everything is visible easily. Its up to you guys, those were just my suggestions. We can revert back to text format or put it in another page etc. --[[User:Axius|Axius]] ([[User talk:Axius|talk]]) 10:51, 27 October 2013 (PDT)
::::Thanks Ax! That new guideline page is a great idea. Having a visual guide would be ''really'' useful for new editors. I will try to expand on that later with as many different issues that I can think of. [[User:Sahabah|--Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 16:16, 27 October 2013 (PDT)
:::::Great thanks. Yea I had thought of this since a long time. It can be renamed too. I wasn't sure of the name. --[[User:Axius|Axius]] ([[User talk:Axius|talk]]) 16:40, 27 October 2013 (PDT)
Sahabah added a link which is a long page containing lots of good stuff: [[Talk:Hijab_and_Crime]]. --[[User:Axius|Axius]] ([[User talk:Axius|talk]]) 19:06, 27 October 2013 (PDT)

:Hi Lemming. Could you fix the references by using the "cite web" template as you go along, and also archive links via [http://www.webcitation.org/archive WebCite]? Articles will not be removed from the "under construction" stage while they still contain naked URLs, and leaving them all until the end will only result in adding another big task to our ever-growing list of stuff to do. Thanks. [[User:Sahabah|--Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 19:37, 28 October 2013 (PDT)

Lemming, expanding on what Sahabah said above, if you could that add Cite web template to the ref links for this article ([[Hijab and Crime]]) that would be great. Here's an example:

<nowiki><ref>{{</nowiki>cite web|url= <nowiki>http://www.</nowiki>forbes.com/sites/keldjensen/2012/06/12/the-naked-truth-how-body-language-reveals-the-real-you/|title= The Naked Truth: How Body Language Reveals the Real You|publisher= Forbes|author= Keld Jensen|date= June 12, 2012|archiveurl= |deadurl=no}}</ref>

So you just need the URL title, publisher, author and date. You can then also add the archiveurl parameter by using Webcite.org or archive.is. --[[User:Axius|Axius]] ([[User talk:Axius|talk]]) 18:11, 1 November 2013 (PDT)

I will start this when I have finished the article, but I still have many ideas and sources yet to be added. I want to add:
#a map of the world where covering ones face in public is illegal, like [[:File:Map_atheist_persecution_by_islam.jpg]]
#CCTV gallery
#quotes from people saying it a security risk, not including critics of Islam
#Add any interesting finds from my research, such as "The Islamic dress has been used in crime on every populated continent of the world"

You are free to help with any of the above.--[[User:Lemming|Lemming]] ([[User talk:Lemming|talk]]) 03:33, 3 November 2013 (PST)
:Great ideas. At the least I can help with the map (if I have a list), that will be easy. Yea we can have multi color areas for different things (1. illegal, 2. partial restriction, etc. etc). --[[User:Axius|Axius]] ([[User talk:Axius|talk]]) 05:19, 3 November 2013 (PST)

::Hi Lemming. I've reverted several additions you made (see [http://wikiislam.net/w/index.php?title=Hijab_and_Crime&diff=99175&oldid=99170 here]).

::Addition 1 (the women who made the false accusation in Sweden): Unless the observance of hijab was used specially to facilitate the crime, it does not belong on that page. For example, if the same crime was committed while in a sari or skirt, would what they were wearing have any relevance? Absolutely not.

::Addition 2 (assault in Tunisia): The Islamists attacked the school because of a ban on the veil. The news says nothing of the attacker wearing veils or that it helped them commit the crime.

::Addition 3 (the UK bus incident): Again, the veil did not really facilitate the crime.

::Unfortunately it means someone will have to individually check all incidents and references before the article is complete. But that's okay. This page has potential, so thanks for what you are doing. Keep it up. [[User:Sahabah|--Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 08:17, 3 November 2013 (PST)

== Images of Hijab and Crime ==

Hi again. I noticed you added a few images of crimes being committed while observing hijab. We have a page for images of hijab [http://wikiislam.net/wiki/Images:Hijab here]. It would be awesome if you can find more such images (with a link to the original news articles describing the incident). We could then create a sub-section on the hijab image page especially for crimes. Thanks! [[User:Sahabah|--Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 19:42, 28 October 2013 (PDT)

== Focus of Hijab and Crime ==

I'll start by saying that I don't like the idea of a table. It gets in the way of the article and makes it a less pleasant read. Of course, that can be easily fix, and I'll do that soon. The 2 major problems I see are:

# Why are only European (or white majority) countries covered in the table? I haven't looked into this issue, but I'm 100 percent certain there are restrictions on wearing veils in several Muslim majority countries.
# What relevance is this to crimes being committed with the aid of a veil? Certainly, the fact that Judges in Denmark are prohibited from wearing religious or political clothing in a courtroom or that face coverings are prohibited during citizenship ceremonies in Canada are totally irrelevant.

I've toned down and deleted sa few things, but this article still runs the risk of reading like a politically motivated piece. That is something that we do not need [[User:Sahabah|--Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 10:27, 10 November 2013 (PST)

#Turkey and Tunisia is the only Muslim countries I know of with restrictions, but it's a bit blurry. The rest are at the other ends of the scale, where the dress is encouraged or forced.
#The table is to show how countries have enacted laws in response not being able to indentify wearers. Or do you dislike it because they are just statements with little context not showing how it relates to crimes, that would better fit in several sentences instead.--[[User:Lemming|Lemming]] ([[User talk:Lemming|talk]]) 10:43, 10 November 2013 (PST)

:::1. If Turkey and Tunisia have restrictions, then they should be on it. Tunisia has even seen violence due to these restrictions. That fact in itself deserves a mention if we deem the table appropriate.
:::2. Yes, there is no indications as to how many of them relate to crimes. If you can find reliable sources that confirm each law was enacted due to the risk of crime, then it would make sense. [[User:Sahabah|--Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 11:08, 10 November 2013 (PST)

Wikipedia has a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hijab_world2.png map of the world] showing the legal status of hijab. According to that page, there are restrictions in Azerbaijan, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Turkey, Philippines, Thailand, South Sudan, France, Germany, Senegal, Singapore, and Kosovo. [[User:Sahabah|--Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 09:59, 17 November 2013 (PST)

== Afghan women stats ==

Hi, for the new information you added [http://www.wikiislam.net/wiki/Muslim_Statistics_-_Women#Afghanistan here], it looks like its a partial duplicate (87% vs. more than 85%). Could you check if thats the case and combine it if needed? --[[User:Axius|Axius]] ([[User talk:Axius|talk]]) 15:29, 1 December 2013 (PST)
:Yeah, it is. I've sorted it now. [[User:Sahabah|--Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 20:47, 1 December 2013 (PST)
::Cool thanks. --[[User:Axius|Axius]] ([[User talk:Axius|talk]]) 04:40, 2 December 2013 (PST)

== Statistics and archive ==

When you put a "<nowiki> . . . </nowiki>" in between text, it indicates the preceding text is from a different paragraph. But you seem to include it in random places. You also seem to break off quotes with a "..." for no apparent reason eg. [http://wikiislam.net/w/index.php?title=Muslim_Statistics_-_Health_and_Disability&curid=12589&diff=101838&oldid=101079&rcid=112240#HIV.2FAIDS here] you could have simply added the remaining text [(Butler, 2003)]. This leaves quotes looking butchered. Nobody will trust quotes that look like that. Please sort this out. Also please archive each reference here: http://www.webcitation.org/archive . [[User:Sahabah|--Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 16:57, 25 December 2013 (PST)
:I am not familiar with that service, can you insert them? Also what is the guidelines behind it? The core articles don't have them.--[[User:Lemming|Lemming]] ([[User talk:Lemming|talk]]) 05:42, 28 December 2013 (PST)
::1. No. You are a regular editor so you cannot seriously expect other editors to clean up after your edits indefinitely. Using WebCite is simple. Click on the link I provided. Paste the URL to archive in the first box and your email address in the second box. Then click "submit". After a few moments, you will be given the archived link. The service does not keep you email address, but if you would like, you could always put in a false email address.
::2. Guidelines are simple; every reference should be archived.
::3. The core articles were written before we started to archive references. Plus, references on core articles are not really needed because they are simply summaries of other articles. [[User:Sahabah|--Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 10:54, 28 December 2013 (PST)
:::This feels like military camp compared to other wikis that let you put content of ''any'' quality up.--[[User:Lemming|Lemming]] ([[User talk:Lemming|talk]]) 11:32, 31 December 2013 (PST)
::::Yeah, I'm sure it does. But your own words validate our approach. Wikis that let users' insert "content of ''any'' quality" will ultimately lower the overall standard and reliability of their site. We are one of the few sites about Islam, if not the only one, which is taken seriously by people other than "anti-jihadists". That would not be the case if we were to give everyone a free run. [[User:Sahabah|--Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 11:46, 31 December 2013 (PST)
:::::This is getting tiring. You're still not doing it right. Look at [http://wikiislam.net/w/index.php?title=Muslim_Statistics_-_Education_and_Employment&diff=prev&oldid=101982 your edits] vs [http://wikiislam.net/w/index.php?title=Muslim_Statistics_-_Education_and_Employment&diff=101988&oldid=101982 my corrections]. When you put a "<nowiki> . . . </nowiki>" in between text, it indicates the preceding text is from a different paragraph. I.e. people who read it will know there was some sentences in between that were not quoted for relevancy or brevity. You did not do that. You simply put in one "<nowiki> </nowiki>". This is something that reader would not be able to see without pressing "edit" and viewing the formatting. To them, it would appear that there was nothing missed out. You did a similar thing lower down; where there should have been a "..." you placed a "<nowiki> </nowiki>". Then there is the fact that you cut a sentence in the middle (i.e. "pupils of Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin performing poorly in comparison to other minority groups ''while at the same time doing better than their socio-economic position would suggest''"). You only cut off sentences like that if what is cut is not relevant. This could be interpreted as quote-mining/misrepresenting sources or whatever. Do ''not'' do it. If you cannot quote a source without butchering it, what does that tell you? Just do not quote it. You keep on focusing on certain things and I think it's also hurting the pages in a way. We're ending up with a long confusing wall of text that no one will want to read or will understand. [[User:Sahabah|--Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 12:31, 31 December 2013 (PST)
::::::Another option is to dump the text or links on a Sandbox (or talk) page for later retrieval and processing but the best alternative is to work on the text as its put in. We attempt to be a high quality resource and [[What People Say About WikiIslam|people like us]] for that reason and that does mean that any new text should be added after being checked carefully. --[[User:Axius|Axius]] ([[User talk:Axius|talk]]) 13:31, 31 December 2013 (PST)

:::::::Again, you are [http://wikiislam.net/w/index.php?title=Muslim_Statistics_-_Health_and_Disability&diff=102013&oldid=101897 misquoting] sources. Our [http://www.wikiislam.net/wiki/WikiIslam:Policies_and_Guidelines#Acceptable_Contributions policies and guidelines] say: ''"In order to be a regular editor you must understand what the site is all about and the approach that is taken for criticism of Islam. Existing editors on the site will make every effort to initially guide you, but they do not have time to continually make corrections to your edits so if you are not able to take instructions and contribute to the site in an independent self-monitored way, it is best for you to not edit."'' So from now on, please ''do not'' make any more additions to our statistics pages. They will be reverted immediately. Thank you. [[User:Sahabah|--Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 11:39, 1 January 2014 (PST)

"be written in a professional scholarly manner" - I'm not a scholar in any religious field. Surprised you don't want any more stats, I submitted some very telling statistics.--[[User:Lemming|Lemming]] ([[User talk:Lemming|talk]]) 02:48, 4 January 2014 (PST)

User talk:Lemming

2013-12-31T19:32:39Z

Lemming: /* Statistics and archive */

User talk:Lemming

2013-12-28T13:42:23Z

Lemming: /* Statistics and archive */

File:AdultLiteracyRates2010.jpg

2013-12-20T21:01:31Z

Lemming: With an average adult literacy rate of 71.7% in 2010, OIC countries as a group lagged well behind the world average of 80.1% and also the other developing countries' average of 82.5%.

With an average adult literacy rate of 71.7% in 2010, OIC countries as a group lagged well behind the world average of 80.1% and also the other developing countries' average of 82.5%.

Talk:List of Genuine Islamic Inventions Innovations Records and Firsts

2013-12-09T20:26:13Z

Lemming: Created page with "Records and firsts needing source: #Saudi Arabia is the first and only country to ever ban women from driving, for being women. #Youngest divorcee ever in Saudi Arabia or Yeme..."

Records and firsts needing source:
#Saudi Arabia is the first and only country to ever ban women from driving, for being women.
#Youngest divorcee ever in Saudi Arabia or Yemen
#The only countries to have no minimum marriage age are Saudi Arabia and Yemen
#Gulf states, the first to ever apply 'gay tests'

Islam and Science

2013-11-13T20:35:26Z

Lemming: typos

One of the most widely used tools to propagate [[Islam]] among non-Muslims is the alleged harmony between its [[Islam and Scripture|scriptures]] and modern science. This page contains easy-to-read summaries of articles discussing Islam in relation to science.
{{Core}}
==Introduction==

When evaluating claims of miraculous scientific information in “revealed” scriptures such as the [[Qur’an]], it is critical to remember the dictum, “Extraordinary claims demand extraordinary proof.” For certainly, [[Islam and Miracles|miracles]] are not to be taken lightly. If miracles really are the results of direct intervention by God/gods, and if they truly are meant as signs to prove both his/her/their existence and power, then we should expect them to serve those purposes in a clear and unambiguous manner. If God is going through all that trouble to provide us with signs, it would defeat his purpose to make the signs difficult to recognize.

If we assume that [[Allah]] exists, it is safe to say that he is not a Las Vegas magician, and his miracles should reasonably be several cuts above the prestidigitation of Penn and Teller. An all-powerful universal God would doubtlessly be capable of providing miracles that were unchallengeable, unambiguous and dramatic. And it is fully conceivable that God would embed such clear signs of his power and omniscience within his revelation.

The claim of “scientific miracles” in the Qur’an rests upon the contention that the book contains specific and detailed scientific knowledge that can only have been revealed to Prophet [[Muhammad]] miraculously, i.e. that there was no possible non-miraculous way for such information to have been known to a 7th Century Arab.

So it stands to reason that if there actually were non-miraculous ways for such information to be available, no miracle can be demonstrated. And it is important to test such claims, for we are not involved in a casual conversation about fashion or dietary preferences. We are talking about alleged proofs for the divine origin of the Qur’an.

===The Four Part Test===

For a “scientific statement” in the Qur’an to be considered miraculous, it must be capable of passing a four-part test that removes the possibility of a non-miraculous origin of the information:

'''''1. It must be an unambiguous statement of scientific fact requiring no elaborate interpretation to discern its factual meaning.'''''

This point cannot be stressed too intensely. For the scientific information in question must actually be in the Qur’an itself, and not something added later as part of a commentary. If the critical information that distinguishes a “scientific miracle” from a casual statement of obvious fact is not explicitly in the clear words and meaning of the Qur’an, we cannot trust it as even being there.

If the verse has to be “interpreted” to extract hidden meaning that is not obviously there, the claim of a miracle has been “corrupted” by the commentary, and cannot be considered valid.

'''''2. The fact must have been previously unknown to every other non-Islamic civilization that had contact with the Arabian Peninsula.'''''

Key to the claim of “scientific miracles” in the Qur’an is the contention that the information included was unknown until recently, or at least until many years after the death of Muhammad. So, of course, if it can be shown that the information was already available to other peoples or cultures with whom the Arabs were in contact, this claim is shown to be simply false.

It does not matter the source of that other culture’s information. It may have been a lucky guess, it may have been the result of precocious scientific achievement… in fact it may even potentially have been a miracle the other culture had experienced years before.

But if that information was available before the Qur’an was written down, there can be no credit to the claim of a “Qur’anic miracle.”

'''''3. It must not be obvious to any casual observer.'''''

This may sound like an obvious point, but given the nature of many of the stock “miracles” claimed by Muslim apologists, it still must be discussed explicitly. For often, what is claimed to be a miracle of the Qur’an is something of which any individual with his or her eyes open would have been aware.

If the information in question is available to anyone who simply looks at the phenomenon, requiring no sophisticated instruments, tools or interpretation, then it cannot be considered miraculous.

'''''4. It must be true.'''''

As with the previous point, this one sounds intuitively obvious. But it too requires explicit mention as occasionally the claims of Qur’anic “miracles” depend on misunderstandings or misstatements about reality and science. If the information in question is not actually true, then certainly it cannot be a miraculous revelation from God, as God should be expected to know what is or is not true.

==Medicine, Healthcare and Biology in Islam==

===Medicine and Healthcare===
{{Main|Medicine and Healthcare in Islam}}

Islamic medicine, healthcare and Biology relies on superstitions, general beliefs among the people during the prophet's time and borrowings from the practices and beliefs of other civilizations. For example; today you will find Muslims who champion the self-alleged health benefits of drinking camel urine (as instructed by Muhammad), but those who are actually willing to practice such things are far less forthcoming. The allowance and even encouragement of marriages between relatives, such as cousins, is another issue that deserves to be sent back to the 7th century. Medically, this common Muslim practice is harmful because it raises the probability for genetic disorders to occur in offspring. And the much lauded embryology found within the Qur'an is in reality plagiarized from Greek medicine. Therefore embryology, as described in the Qur'an, is neither original nor correct. These are but a few of the example which are covered in our articles.

===The Medicinal Value of Camel Urine===
{{Main|Camel Urine and Islam}}

This article is about the use of camel urine as medicine in the Hadiths and how such usage is viewed in the Muslim world. Muhammad prescribed camel urine as medicine to the followers from Uraynah. Because Muhammad is a prophet, Muslims believe he received a divine revelation from God. As a result they continue to study and prescribe camel urine as medicine despite the lack of evidence proving there is any medicinal value in camel urine and that there is some evidence that drinking urine is actually harmful.

===Dipping Flies Into Drinks===
{{Main|Diseases and Cures in the Wings of Houseflies}}

The thesis put forward by some Muslims is that it has recently been proven by modern science that flies carry not only pathogens but also the agents that limit these pathogens, thus proving the fly wing hadiths that tell us "If a fly falls into one of your containers [of food or drink], immerse it completely before removing it, for under one of its wings there is venom and under another there is its antidote." They principally identify these agents to be bacteriophages, though they also sometimes refer to fungi.

The scientific evidence does not support the veracity of the fly wing hadiths for the following reasons: (1) Contrary to their innovative interpretations of relevant hadith, bacteriophages are not limited to any specific wing of the fly. (2) Contrary to their innovative interpretations of relevant hadith, bacteriophages in the natural state and concentration are not antidotal to bacterial diseases, particularly for temperate or lysogenic phages. (3) Bacteriophages are ineffective against non-bacterial diseases carried by flies, meaning even if the wings were to provide you with an antidote to bacterial diseases, they could infect you with another non-bacterial disease (i.e. dipping a fly into your drink is not good advice). (4) Phage therapy is not a generally-accepted medical therapy at present because it is largely ineffective and requires large quantities of purified, possibly genetically-engineered, phages not present in the natural condition.

===Adverse Effects of Islamic Fasting===
{{Main|Adverse Effects of Islamic Fasting}}

Medical fasting is different from Islamic fasting (Sawm), and contrary to popular Muslim beliefs, Islamic fasting, unlike Medical fasting, has numerous adverse effects that have been observed using scientific studies and news sources. Intermittent and prolonged fasting is generally not conducive to a healthy lifestyle. Depriving the body of water and essential nutrients by dividing and postponing meals to irregular intervals does nothing to limit consumption. In-fact it causes a host of health, performance and mood disorders. Fasting is not normally prescribed for the well being of human beings. Instead, it is commonly understood that eating healthy, smaller-portioned meals, interspersed throughout the day is far better in maintaining a well-balanced diet and far more forgiving on a person's metabolism. Any claims that prolonged and intermittent fasting contributes to the well-being of an individual's health are misleading, based on the scientific studies that prove otherwise. If the Islamic argument in favor of fasting is that “we fast because God commanded us to do so," then it is obvious that God is not a nutritionist or a dietitian because the negatives definitely outweigh the positives. So the question to the Muslim world is: what benefit does the Muslim world get for 1 billion people staying hungry throughout the day for one full month every year? Did Allah actually want Muslims to suffer physically, economically and socially for one month every year? Also, if fasting is beneficial as Muslims claim, why do Muslims not fast the entire year instead of just one month?

===Moderate Alcohol Consumption and its Health Benefits===
{{Main|Moderate Alcohol Consumption and its Health Benefits}}

Alcohol and other intoxicants are strictly prohibited (haram) in Islam. At first this aspect of Islam may seem inspired and full of wisdom, considering the abuse of alcohol can lead to a lot of misery and suffering. To be sure, we are in no way endorsing the consumption or abuse of alcohol. However, we are asking the question 'should you throw the baby out with the bath water?' When used in moderation, research suggests that there are numerous benefits in the consumption of alcohol, and an all-knowing deity would have been aware of this. The Jews and Christians are allowed to consume alcohol. The pagan Arabs before and shortly after their conversion to Islam also consumed alcohol. So why did Allah prohibit something that may be beneficial and which was an accepted norm among the religions before Islam? Of course the Muslims will cite Qur'an 2:219 and state "In them is great sin, and some profit, for men; but the sin is greater than the profit." However, if this was the true reason behind its prohibition then it only exposes Allah's flawed logic. Surely the "all-wise" would have only prohibited its abuse and not given us an outright ban. Furthermore, if the potential health risk of alcohol was the cause of the prohibition, why not also warn Muslims against the dangers of drinking milk?

===Milk is Agreeable/Good for Humans to Drink?===
{{Main|Qur'an and Milk}}

The Qur'an clearly encourages people to drink milk and calls it "pure and agreeable to those who drink it." It's even being served in the Muslim Paradise. In reality, one glass of milk is potentially more harmful than a glass of alcoholic beverage. The Northern Europeans are among the rather small group of the totality of humankind to whom consumption of milk after the weaning stage is most 'agreeable' due to evolutionary changes. For much of the rest of humanity lactose-intolerance after the weaning stage is default.

So it seems that the Qur'anic statement "And verily in cattle (too) will ye find an instructive sign...We produce, for your drink, milk, pure and agreeable to those who drink it" is more appropriate to the genetic cluster of (kafir) Northern Europeans and their US descendants than to the other genetic clusters among humanity.

===Drinking Zamzam Water and its Health Risks===
{{Main|Drinking Zamzam Water and its Health Risks}}

Millions of Muslims visit the Zamzam well in Mecca each year while performing the Hajj or Umrah pilgrimages, in order to drink its water and, in many cases, to take home some of its water for distribution among friends and relations believing the well and the water which it pumps to be miraculous.

As with urine, milk, and alcohol, Muslims often make claims of their religious beliefs being backed by science. However, in May 2011, a BBC investigation found that genuine Zamzam water taken from the well contained arsenic levels three times the legal limit, something which could contribute to increasing people's risk of cancer. In addition to the dangerous arsenic levels, the holy water contained high levels of nitrate and potentially harmful bacteria.

===Health Effects of Islamic Dress‎===
{{Main|Health Effects of Islamic Dress‎}}

The majority of female Muslims worldwide, following the Islamic requirement of observing Hijab, wear some form of Islamic dress. This ranges anywhere from wearing a simple head covering, to the burqa (a form of "full hijab"), which covers almost all exposed skin.

There is concern among the medical community about some of the health effects of the extreme styles of Islamic dress, with the main issues arising from Vitamin D deficiency due to lack skin exposed to UV light. It has been established by credible scientific evidence that almost all women who observe the full hijab are chronically deficient in Vitamin D. Vitamin D is a vital nutrient and deficiency of this kind can lead to osteomalacia in adults and rickets in children. There is also a strong association between deficiency in Vitamin D and an increased risk of developing several deadly cancers, including breast cancer.

For Islam as a religion, the implications are troublesome. Islam is considered by its adherents to be the perfect way of life for mankind. If Islam was mandated by Allah, and if he wanted women to observe hijab, then logically he would not have created humans with the need to get Vitamin D from exposing their skin to the sun.

===Embryology in Islamic Scripture===
{{Main|Embryology in Islamic Scripture|History of Embryology}}

“Islamic embryology” is derived from both the Qur’an and the hadith, and is quite consistent across all the contributing sources. The core of the story can be found in the Qur’an, 22:5. There are a handful of additional ayaat that deal with this subject, and none of them disagree with the basic scenario. There is also more to learn from the hadith, particularly that of Bukhari and Muslim. Again, the accounts are quite consistent, and the additional information they provide is important.

The details of embryology as reflected in the Qur’an and the hadith can be summarized as follows; the embryo spends 40 days as a drop of sperm or seed, the embryo then spends another 40 days as a “clot” or a “leech-like clot” of blood, the embryo then spends another 40 days as a “lump of flesh” during which the gender of the child is assigned by an angel at Allah’s direction.

These then are the details that must be correlated with actual embryonic development to evaluate the accuracy or inaccuracy of the Islamic account. The question is actually a simple one: Does this account describe the first 120 days of embryonic development or doesn’t it?

===Reproduction in the Qur'an and Hadith===
{{Main|Greek and Jewish Ideas about Reproduction in the Quran and Hadith|l1=Greek and Jewish Ideas about Reproduction in the Qur'an and Hadith}}

The hadith contain many statements about fluids from both the man and woman that were believed to form the human embryo. The Qur’an too says that the embryo is formed from emitted fluid, and in one verse perhaps indicates a mingling of male and female fluids. In this article we shall present new research to trace the origins of each of these ideas at least as far back as the Jewish Talmud and the ancient Greek physicians. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the influence of ideas from other cultures on the Qur’an and hadith regarding reproduction. It will go without saying that these ideas are inaccurate compared with current scientific knowledge of reproduction and embryology.

===Cousin Marriage in Islam===
{{Main|Cousin Marriage in Islam}}

Cousin marriage is explicitly allowed in Islam as seen in verse 4:23 of the Qur'an. Muhammad himself married cousins, as he did with Zaynab bint Jahsh, who was not only the daughter of his father's sister, but was also divorced from a marriage with Muhammad's adopted son, Zayd ibn Haritha. Muhammad also allowed the marriage of his daughter, Fatimah, to his cousin, Ali ibn Abi Talib, who would later go on to become the fourth Rightly-guided Caliph of Islam. The second Caliph, Umar ibn al-Khattab, also married his cousin, Atikah bint Zayd ibn Amr ibn Nufayl.

From a biological point of view it becomes clear that first cousin marriage is not recommended because close relatives have a higher than normal consanguinity which means an increased chance of sharing genes for recessive traits. With this high amount of shared DNA, you have a higher risk of birth defects in a baby. The British geneticist, Professor Steve Jones, giving The John Maddox Lecture at the 2011 Hay Festival had stated in relation to Muslim inbreeding, "It is common in the Islamic world to marry your brother’s daughter, which is actually [genetically] closer than marrying your cousin." A rough estimate shows that close to half of all Muslims in the world are inbred.

==The Universe According to Islam==

===Adam, Eve, and the Six Days of Creation===
{{Main|Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Creation}}

This page simply quotes authoritative Islamic sources, i.e. the Qur'an, hadith, and scholars, to provide you with an accurate picture of what Islam teaches of the creation of the universe and its human inhabitants. The basic creation narrative is consistent throughout.

It began six thousand years before the advent of Islam. The first thing to be created was the planet Earth, which took two days to complete, from Sunday to Monday. Then it took another two days to create the mountains, trees, and everything else. The final two days, Thursday and Friday, were spent creating the "heavens", the sun, moon, other planets, and a sixty cubits (approximately ninety feet) tall Adam.

Hawwa' (Eve) was created from Adam's left rib, whilst he was asleep in the Garden. She is blamed by Adam for persuading him to eat from the forbidden tree. As a result, they are both cast out from the garden in Paradise and sent down to the planet Earth, where their decedents continue to decrease in size.

As punishment for her transgression in particular, Allah makes Eve menstruate, suffer pregnancy and become stupid. Therefore, according to Islamic beliefs, today all women menstruate (are deficient in religion) and are created stupid (deficient in intelligence).

===A Qur’anic Understanding of the Universe===
{{Main|A Qur’anic Understanding of the Universe}}

This article is designed to uncover and explain the actual state of scientific knowledge that is presented to us in the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Specifically, we will explore Islamic Cosmology, in particular the Qur'ans understanding of the nature and structure of the physical universe. To no surprise, the Qur'an's understanding of the universe matches that of the mythical cosmos believed by 7th century Arabians rather than an accurate description of the real universe.

In the Qur'an, the entire universe is very small and contains simply the earth and its surrounding heavens. There are no galaxies, other solar systems, or such a thing as “outer space.” The earth is the top-most of seven, flat discs, surrounded by the seven solid concentric domes of the heavens. The celestial objects that do exist (sun, moon, stars and planets) are quite small, very close, and they follow semi-circular paths within the innermost of the seven heavenly domes. When they are not in the sky above the earth, they are resting somewhere underneath it, except while petitioning Allah’s permission to return the following day (or night). Paradise exists between the seven heavens, and hell exists between the seven earths. All of this is submerged in a cosmic sea, above which is the throne of Allah.

===The Flat Earth===
{{Main|Flat Earth and the Qur'an}}

As recently as 1993 the supreme religious authority of Saudi Arabia ''Sheik Abdul-Aziz Ibn Baaz'' declared "The earth is flat. Whoever claims it is round is an atheist deserving of punishment." and in a televised debate aired on Iraqi Al-Fayhaa TV (October 31, 2007), Muslim Researcher on Astronomy Fadhel ''Al-Sa'd'' also declared that the Earth is flat as evidenced by Qur'anic verses and that the sun is much smaller than the Earth and revolves around it. As devout Muslims, they have good reason to conclude the Earth is flat; the Qur'anic verses 15:19, 20:53, 43:10, 50:7, 51:48, 71:19, 78:6, 79:30, 88:20 and 91:6 all clearly state this. While many have attempted to explain away this oddity, they prey on their listeners ignorance of the Arabic language. As such, their apologetic claims have been easily refuted by native Arabic speakers. There is no escaping the fact that, according to the Qur'an, the earth is flat.

===The Motionless Center - Planet Earth===
{{Main|The Geocentric Qur'an}}

This article examines the evidence for Qur'anic geocentric cosmology. Some may confuse geocentricism with the idea that the Earth is flat. This is not the case. These are two different ideas. Geocentrism simply is the notion that the earth is the (immovable) center of our universe, thus all celestial bodies mover around it. According to the Qur'an, the Sun (and the moon and the five known planets) follow a curved (rounded) course (a Falak). This falak starts in the east (where the sun goes up), goes high above the earth and ends after sunset with the Sun resting at night at a hidden place. All this took place around an earth that was spread out and had a firmament built on invisible pillars above it. This was a common belief at the time. Sahih (authentic) hadiths affirm this geocentric cosmology (so Muhammad or at least the people around him agree with it), and great ancient, and even modern-day, Muslim astronomists agree that the Qur'an is geocentric. In ancient times, many people - but certainly not all - did not know any better than what they seemed to observe everyday: the sun appeared to be going around the earth through our skies. We cannot blame a 7th century Bedouin for not knowing this, but should not the omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient creator of the universe know better?

===Sun Sets in a Muddy Spring===
{{Main|Dhul-Qarnayn and the Sun Controversy in the Qur'an}}

The precise meaning of the opening phrases in verses 86 and 90 in the 18th chapter of the Qur’an, Surah al-Kahf, or “The Cave”, is a matter of considerable controversy. These verses occur within an account concerning a powerful figure called Dhu’l Qarnayn, “the two-horned one”, who Allah guides on a series of three fantastic journeys in Qur’an 18:83-101. They are controversial due to Muslim sensitivity to claims that they have Allah saying that the sun sets and rises in physical locations on or at the edges of Earth.

Our analysis shows that the various interpretations that have been proposed for verses 18:86 and 18:90 in the Qur’an to reconcile them with scientific facts do not stand up to detailed scrutiny. The evidence overwhelmingly supports the clear and obvious interpretation that this is intended to be understood as a historical account in which Dhu’l Qarnayn traveled until he reached the place where the sun sets and actually found that it went down into a muddy spring near to where a people were, and that he then traveled until he reached the place where the sun rises and actually found that it rose up above a people who lived close to the place where the sun rises.

===Ramadan and the North and South Poles===
{{Main|The Ramadan Pole Paradox}}

This article consists of a set of questions and answers exploring Ramadan's relation to the North and South Poles. According to Islamic rules, the length of a fast is governed by the rising and the setting of the sun. This can cause a huge problem for those who live close to these poles. The closer we get to the poles, the longer our days or nights become. They can eventually extend for up to several months each, making the fourth Pillar of Islam impossible to practice without starving yourself to death. Obviously Muhammad was unaware of the poles.

===Islamic Writing and the Universe===
{{Main|Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Cosmology}}

Islamic scriptures and scholars have much to say in regards to the cosmology of the universe.

{{Quote|{{Muslim|1|297}}|It is narrated on the authority of Abu Dharr that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) one day said: Do you know where the sun goes? They replied: Allah and His Apostle know best. He (the Holy Prophet) observed: Verily it (the sun) glides till it reaches its resting place under the Throne. Then it falls prostrate and remains there until it is asked: Rise up and go to the place whence you came, and it goes back and continues emerging out from its rising place and then glides till it reaches its place of rest under the Throne and falls prostrate and remains in that state until it is asked: Rise up and return to the place whence you came, and it returns and emerges out from it rising place and the it glides (in such a normal way) that the people do not discern anything ( unusual in it) till it reaches its resting place under the Throne. Then it would be said to it: Rise up and emerge out from the place of your setting, and it will rise from the place of its setting. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said. Do you know when it would happen? It would happen at the time when faith will not benefit one who has not previously believed or has derived no good from the faith.}}

==Islamic Science and the Golden Age==

===The Miracle of Islamic Science===
{{Main|Setting the Record Straight: The Non-Miracle of Islamic Science}}

This is a refutation of Dr K. Ajram's ''Setting the Record Straight: The Miracle of Islamic Science''. The purpose of this analysis is to put the achievements of Golden Age Muslim scientists in the proper perspective; neither denigrating their achievements nor inflating them. All scientific and technological progress is accomplished in progression; Muslim achievements are but links in the chain. Few of the great Muslim scientific achievements stood alone, but were derived by Muslim scientists standing on the shoulders of those who came before them. This analysis also highlights the fatal flaw of the Islamic Golden Age. There were few ‘follow-up’ breakthroughs on the backs of the works of the great Muslim scientists. In effect, the Ummah allowed or encouraged these works to wither on the vine or die stillborn, even before the rise of mysticism at the expense of rational thinking, an event often attributed to al-Ghazzali around the turn of the 12th century. Indeed, it would seem orthodox Islam utterly stifles intellectual reasoning. Therefore, Islam is not the cause of scientific progress during the Golden Age. Many people would say that the Golden Age scientific progress was made in spite of Islam, not because of it. A prime example is the great philosopher-physician Ibn Sina (Avicenna) whose work is constantly referenced by Dr K. Ajram. It is true that Avicenna was one of the most influential medieval philosophers, but he was also one of the most frequently attacked by Muslims. Today, the majority of Muslims would consider Ibn Sina, and many of the other great 'Islamic' scientists, as heretical apostates for their beliefs, and therefore non-Muslim disbelievers.

===Muslims 'Saved' the Work of Greek Philosophers from Destruction===
{{Main|Arab Transmission of the Classics}}

The ''Arab transmission of the classics'' is a common and persistent myth that Arabic commentators such as Avicenna and Averroes 'saved' the work of Aristotle and other Greek philosophers from destruction. According to the myth, these works would otherwise have perished in the long European dark age between fifth and the tenth centuries. Thus the versions of Aristotle used in the West were translations from the Arabic, which came from the South West of Europe in the reconquest of Spain from the Muslims during the twelve and thirteenth centuries.

This is incorrect. It was actually the Byzantines in the East who saved the ancient learning of the Greeks in the original language, and the first Latin texts to be used were translation from the Greek, in the 12th century, rather than, in most cases, the Arabic, which were only used in default of these.

It is nevertheless true, and no myth, that the work of the Arabic commentators, particularly Averroes, had a profound influence on the scholastic philosophers of the Latin West in the thirteenth century. Aristotle's Greek is terse and very difficult to understand. The work of the Arabic commentators helped in explaining and clarifying Aristotle's dense and apparently obscure thought. Thus Western intellectual tradition owes a great debt to the Arabic scholars in terms of ''understanding'' Aristotle's thought. In terms of the ''texts'', however, these would have survived had the Arabic commentators never existed.

===Islamic Inventions that Changed the World===
{{Main|Islamic Inventions? How Islamic Inventors Did Not Change The World}}

These past few years have seen many inventions claimed and attributed to Islamic inventors, which in fact either existed in pre-Islamic eras, were invented by other cultures, or both. However, this detail has not halted Muslim and non-Muslim apologists from perpetuating these false claims. Such claims have even been forced upon the general public in a nationwide tour which opened with an exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester and the University of Manchester, England.

To celebrate this series of events, an article titled “How Islamic inventors changed the world” was written by Paul Vallely and published in The Independent. This inaccurate piece of writing has received much praise from Muslims and is still being widely circulated on Islamic websites, forums and blogs. This article lists and examines all twenty of these “Islamic inventions that changed the world”, and in doing so, it reveals their actual inventors and the true role of Islam/Muslims, if any, behind the inventions.

In short, we find that Paul Vallely's article is fundamentally misleading. It omits, distorts, and makes blunders concerning the most basic of historical facts to give the reader a false impression. It leaves you wondering what could have possibly motivated him into writing such a deceptive piece of journalism? This exhibition claimed to have shown 1001 Islamic inventions. If the best twenty are proven false, what of the other 981?

===Islamic Science in Wikipedia Articles===
{{Main|Islam, Science and the Problems at Wikipedia}}

At Wikipedia, Islam-related articles are severely compromised by Muslim editors. An example of this is a 2010 incident where an editor with over 67,000 edits was caught intentionally inserting false information into articles.

Jagged 85 is the main contributor to the many inaccurate Islam/Science/Golden Age articles which are still being copied and pasted all over the internet by Muslims, and more than 20% of Wikipedia's "Timeline of historic inventions" was provided by him.

With contributions to over 8,100 separate articles, it is unlikely that all of Jagged 85's edits will ever be fixed. And even if they were, these Wikipedia articles have already been reproduced all over the net by other sites which use Wikipedia as a source.

===Genuine Islamic Inventions, Innovations, Records and Firsts===
{{Main|List of Genuine Islamic Inventions Innovations Records and Firsts|l1=List of Genuine Islamic Inventions, Innovations, Records and Firsts}}

Many articles (for example, "How Islamic Inventors Changed The World" and "Setting the Record Straight: The Miracle of Islamic Science") have made provably false claims, attributing various inventions, innovations and discoveries made by others to Islam and its followers. This article lists only genuine Islamic/Muslim inventions, innovations, records and firsts. Examples include:

*The yellow badge that was to be eventually used by the Nazis against the Jews, was invented by a Muslim caliph in Baghdad in the 9th century as a variant of the zunnār belt. This then spread to the western world in medieval times.
*According to Dr. K. Ajram, the author of "Miracle of Islamic Science", Muslim scholars invented racial-typing centuries before the German Johann Friedrich Blumenbach "divided mankind into white, yellow, brown, black and red peoples".
*The world's first PC virus, Brain.a, was created in September, 1986, by two brothers from Lahore, Pakistan, Amjad Farooq Alvi and Basit Farooq Alvi. They included their names, phone number and address in the code.

==Science in the Qur'an==

===Scientific Errors in the Qur'an and Hadith===
{{Main|Scientific Errors in the Qur'an|Scientific Errors in the Hadith}}

This page lists various types of scientific errors found in the Qur'an. The subjects of these errors include; Evolution, Astronomy, Biology, Geology, Zoology and many others which are often confirmed by the hadith.

===Non-Muslims finding Science in the Qur'an===
{{Main|Dr. Keith Moore and the Islamic Additions|l1=Dr. Keith Moore and the "Islamic Additions"|Bucailleism}}

The new Mullahs and other Islamists feel very happy whenever they find an occidental (western white person) who talks in favor of their faith (Islam). This is especially true when these western people try to associate the Qur'an and Hadith with anything resembling an inkling of scientific truth. For the last 25 years or so, Muslims have found several non-Muslim supporters (pseudo) of their faith. One of the results of such liaisons is ''Bucailleism'', the belief that "the Qur'an prophesied the Big Bang theory, space travel and other contemporary scientific breakthroughs," and that "there are more than 1200 verses (Ayat) which can be interpreted in the light of modern science." It has been called "a fast-growing branch of Islamic fundamentalism." Named after none-other than the French (Catholic) surgeon Maurice Bucaille, its proponents believe that "one of the main convincing evidences" that lead many to convert to Islam "is the large number of scientific facts in the Quran." These articles take a critical look at this fairly recent phenomena.

===Scientific Miracles in...the Georgics===
{{Main|NATVRAE MIRABILIS ORIGINISQVE DIVINAE GEORGICAE VERGILII}}

This article argues that the Georgica, written by Virgil in Golden Latin in the year 28 BC, contains many scientific miracles (i.e. scientific foreknowledge). Furthermore, Virgil was an ancient Roman poet and the ancient Romans were polytheists, thus the Roman pantheon of deities must exist. Of course this article is written as part satire. It parodies the logic of Muslim apologists, and demonstrates very effectively how easy it is to reinterpret any ancient poetry, such as the Qur'an, and reveal so-called scientific miracles.

===Qur'an and the Big Bang===
{{Main|Qur'an and the Big Bang}}

Islamic apologists attempt to claim that the “Big Bang” is actually described by the Qur’an in one of many miraculous displays of scientific precocity in text. However on closer examination, Muslim claims of miraculous scientific information in the Qur’an are shown to be, yet again, in error. In reality, the Qur’an is completely silent on the “big bang” because it clearly has no awareness whatsoever of a universe that pre-existed the creation of the planet Earth, or extended outwards into infinite space. It has no understanding of galaxies, or clusters of galaxies, or quasars or pulsars or any of the other things that could have easily been mentioned by an omniscient Allah, and left us no room for quibbling.

===Qur'an Predicted Black Holes And Pulsars===
{{Main|Qur'an Predicted Black Holes And Pulsars}}

Harun Yahya, makes many claims of Qur'anic Science. This article seeks to debunk two such claims, namely that the Qur'an predicted black holes and pulsars. We will show the absurdity of the black hole claim, while showing the pulsar claim to be conjectural and devoid of factual basis. In doing so, we will also show Harun Yahya’s self-contradiction as he used the same Qur'anic verse to ‘prove’ both the black hole and the pulsar. Now, even to the uninitiated, it would seem impossible for something to be both a black hole and a pulsar. However, apologists do not appear to be inhibited by such constraints of logic.

===Speed of Light in the Qur'an===
{{Main|Speed of Light in the Qur'an}}

In an article published in Islami City, Dr. Mansour Hassab-Elnaby claims the verse 32:5 reveals that light in one day travels a distance equal to 12,000 lunar orbits, and upon calculating that distance we find the exact speed of light. This verse clearly has nothing to do with the speed of light. There is no mention of the moon, light or even distance in this verse. If these methods were to be applied to other texts, such as Shakespeare's writings or Virgil's Georgics, they too can be "proven" divine. No matter how we look at Dr. Hassab-Elnaby's calculations, they are mathematically incorrect. Even the notion of measuring the speed of light with the orbit of the Moon or the length of the day is a fallacy. Dr. Hassab-Elnaby also makes many deliberate errors to doctor his scientific miracle, and in his zeal to ascribe miracles to the Qur'an, he throws out of the window the concept of Allah's omnipresence. The maker of the Universe, according to him, depends on the speed of light to manage his affairs. Even if we assume there really is a miracle in this plagiarized allegory, shouldn't the credit go to the Bible from which it originates?

===Earth Made of Seven Layers===
{{Main|Earth Made of Seven Layers}}

Many Muslims have come up with some extraordinary claims, including the claim that modern science proves the Qur'an correct in asserting the earth is made of 7 "layers". This article seeks to show the error of the claim that verse 65:12 shows the earth is composed of 7 layers. In truth, the earth is not composed of 7 layers, but 5. Even if the earth was composed of 7 layers, it doesn't alter the fact that if these apologists cared to delve a little deeper into their own sources they would discover that the 7 earths being referred to in verse 65:12 are in fact flat islands, one under the other.

===Qur'an and the Descent of Iron Miracle===
{{Main|Qur'an and the Descent of Iron Miracle}}

Many apologists propagate the ‘iron sent down from heaven miracle’ pseudoscience. A chief proponent of this claim is Harun Yahya. There is nothing miraculous about surah 57:26 describing iron being ‘sent down’ by some deity. The ancient Egyptians already derived that concept three thousand years before Islam. They called iron “ba-en-pet” or ‘metal from heaven’. This concept was also shared by the ancient Mesopotamians. We have also shown many of the other 'miraculous' claims in connection with iron to be patent scientific nonsense.

===Qur'an Describes Altitude Sickness===
{{Main|Qur'an Describes Altitude Sickness}}

This article discusses and refutes the claim that the Qur'an's description of altitude sickness in verse 6:125 is somehow miraculous, scientifically accurate, or prophetic. If we take the verse figuratively, then it is not miraculous at all, since it is describing a phenomenon that would have been well-known to the wandering Arab nomads long before the revelation of the Qur'an.

If we take the verse literally, then it is scientifically inaccurate. There is no “tightening” of the chest. The constrictive sensation experienced at high altitudes is simply a result of having less air to breathe into your lungs, in addition to the gas already there actually expanding. In fact, when we take modern scientific knowledge into consideration, problems with a literal interpretation are two-fold since it has been postulated that human adaption has lead to people born and raised in high altitudes (exceeding 3000 meters) to have enlarged chests which "could allow for increased lung volumes and thereby increase oxygen uptake."

===The Qur'an and Mountains===
{{Main|The Qur'an and Mountains}}

This article refutes the claim that the Qur'an had foreshadowed the scientific knowledge about Mountains as Pegs stabilizing the crust or even the earth. There are two elements to this ‘Qur'anic Science’ claim: A. Mountains are Pegs. This is untrue as not all mountains have peg-like roots. B. Mountains stabilize the crust or the earth. This is unproven. There is no scientific evidence for this assertion, therefore the Qur'an cannot be validated by scientific evidence that does not exist. The mere fact of isostacy is not proof that mountains stabilize the crust or the earth. The mere fact that collision-type mountains are formed at the edges of tectonic plates is not proof that mountains stabilize the plates. The mere fact that mountains have deep roots is not proof that mountains stabilize anything.

===Qur'an Predicted Land Decreasing===
{{Main|Qur'an Predicted Land Decreasing}}

Dr. Al Zeiny, PhD, claims a so-called ‘proof’ of Qur'anic Science by positing the proposition that the Qur'an correctly predicted the geological fact that land is decreasing due to the movements of tectonic plates. He cites verses 13:41 and 21:44 as evidence. Alas for Dr. Zeiny, the geological facts do not support his case that land is decreasing as the Qur'an supposedly suggests.

In fact, we'd like to thank Dr. Zeiny for helping to prove the Qur'an incorrect in asserting that land is decreasing, and thereby also prove that the Qur'an is false and therefore man-made. By extension, Dr. Zeiny has also proven that Allah is also false and therefore man-made.

===Creation of Humans from Clay===
{{Main|Creation of Humans from Clay}}

Many Muslims use the recent scientific hypothesis of clay particles as catalysts for abiogenesis as evidence of the veracity of their scripture. However, the scientific hypothesis postulates that the clay merely 'match-makes' RNA and membrane vesicles - and therefore does not form a building block. This is contrary to the Islamic Faith which postulates that human beings were created from clay, implying clay was a building block. Notwithstanding this key distinction, is Islam the only religion which postulated the creation of human beings from clay? The answer is no.

Many religions pre-dating Islam also carry this 'creation of human beings from clay' story. The earliest are the pre-cursors of the Abrahamic Faiths - namely the early Mesopotamian religions. Other faiths that postulate the 'creation of human beings from clay' stories include the ancient Egyptians, some African tribes and the Incas. In fact, the ‘creation of humans from clay’ stories are common throughout the world, including far-flung places like Australia and the Pacific Islands which were not in contact with Islam or any of the other Abrahamic Faiths until recent times.

===Qur'an and Semen Production===
{{Main|Qur'an and Semen Production (Qur'an 86:7)|l1=Qur'an and Semen Production}}

This article lists and refutes all the various Islamic attempts to show that the Qur'an correctly describes semen production from between the ''sulb'' and the ''tara’ib'' in verse 86:7. There are at least seven distinct classes of Islamic explanations, and these propositions are frequently conflicting. For example, Ibn Kathir refers to ''tara’ib'' as a female organ, while other tafsirs claim it belongs to the man. Another conflict is the definition of ''sulb'' to mean either the backbone or the ‘hardening’ of the loins.

===Qur'an Describes Gender Determination By Sperm ===
{{Main|Qur'an Describes Gender Determination By Sperm }}

Various apologists make the usual Islamic polemic about how the Qur'an can be proved by modern scientific knowledge, using the old canard about how the Qur'an is the only ancient book that states that gender is determined by the sperm. In this, they may point out the ignorance of the Greeks who thought gender was determined by the relative strengths of sperm from the male and female parents as Hippocrates imagined.

This article does not seek to prove that the ancient Egyptians shared some aspects of our modern understanding of gender determination and reproduction. It merely aims to show that the Qur'an was not the first religious text to suggest that gender is determined by the semen of the male parent.

===Qur'an and Embryology===
{{Main|Embryology in the Qur'an}}

There are propagations of the Qur'anic ‘so-called’ Embryology by such luminaries as Dr. Keith Moore and Dr. Maurice Bucaille. These works are aped by such Islamic scholars as Dr. Al Zeiny, Dr. Zakir Naik, Dr. Ibrahim Syed, Dr. Sharif Kaf Al-Ghazal, and the ubiquitous Harun Yahya aka Adnan Oktar. A good additional material is provided by Dr. Omar Abdul Rehman in which he goes into even greater detail in his attempt to validate the Qur'anic ‘human reproduction’ verses with modern scientific facts. On the net, you will find many excellent debunkings of the Qur'anic Embryology Pseudoscience (“QEP”). Here we attempt to add to this debate, concentrating solely on the Qur'anic verses.

===Qur'anic Claim of Everything Created in Pairs===
{{Main|Qur'anic Claim of Everything Created in Pairs}}

This article refutes the claim that Man did not know anything about the "creation in pairs" at the time of the 'descent' of the Qur'an. The case against the Qur'an is really very simple. All one has to do is to show that not all creatures are ‘created’ in pairs.

Muhammad, being who he was, did not have access to a microscope or a good Level 1 biology textbook. It was all too easy for him to observe male and female humans, camels, dogs, and even devils, jinns, and angels. But as he had no idea about micro-organisms and herpetology he was unaware that he was mistaken in his belief that all creatures came in males and females.

Based on the existence of the schizophyllum commune, and asexual, hermaphroditic and parthenogenetic organisms, the Qur'anic verses about Allah creating all creatures in pairs (male and female) is refuted.

===Qur'an and the Lying Prefrontal Cerebrum===
{{Main|Qur'an and the Lying Prefrontal Cerebrum}}

Several apologists promulgate Professor Keith L. Moore's Qur'anic Pseudoscience of the lying sinful prefrontal area of the cerebrum (here referred to as the prefrontal cerebrum). There are many web sites that are copy-pasting this proposition, and a search of the internet reveals that all the Muslim claims that the cerebrum is responsible for lying and sin comes from the same source, i.e. from Keith Moore.

However, Modern medical research utilizing fMRI conduct brain scans has revealed that the prefrontal cerebrum is not responsible for lying. Other brain regions are responsible, particularly the anterior cingulate gyrus which lies in the medial part of the brain in the frontal-parietal area and not in the prefrontal cerebrum. Thus, the scientific evidence does not support the pseudoscientific claim that the Qur'an correctly asserts that the prefrontal region is responsible for lying as it is not the region responsible for the decision-making process of lying.

===Meeting of Fresh and Salt Water in the Qur'an===
{{Main|Meeting of Fresh and Salt Water in the Quran|l1=Meeting of Fresh and Salt Water in the Qur'an}}

Muslim apologists believe that Surah 25:53 of the Qur’an is scientifically accurate. They conclude that since the process was unknown to humankind during the time of Prophet Muhammad, this verse (and the Qur’an as a whole) is revealed by Allah. This article will prove that the verse in question is scientifically wrong. Also it will prove that a layman could make a better guess than the allegedly divine author of the Qur'an.

In summary, this article will: A. briefly introduce you to a real river-estuary-ocean system. B. make logical deductions based on the verse and see how far only common sense can take us. C. explain what the verse claims on the meeting of fresh and salt water. D. explain what elementary science tells us about the process. E. explain what modern science tells us about the process. F. show you how Islamic apologists "prove" this “scientific miracle” G. state our analysis on the “scientific miracle”.

==See Also==

'''Articles'''

{{Hub4|Zakir Naik|Zakir Naik}}
{{Hub4|Harun Yahya|Harun Yahya}}
* [[Averroes| Averroes (Ibn Rushd: 1126-98)]]
* [[Islamization of Knowledge]]
* [[Muslim Statistics - Science|Muslim Statistics (Science)]]

'''Multimedia'''

* [[Videos on Islam:Arabic Analysis]]

'''Other Core Articles'''

''Core articles contain an overview of other articles related to a specific issue, and serve as a starting point for anyone wishing to learn about Islam:''
* [[Islam and Apostasy]]
* [[Islam and Homosexuality]]
* [[Islam and Miracles]]
* [[Islam and Pedophilia]]
* [[Islam and Propaganda]]
* [[Islam and the People of the Book]]
* [[Islam and Scripture]]
* [[Islam and Violence]]
* [[Islam and Women]]

==External Links==

* [http://www.answering-islam.org/Quran/Science/index.htm Qur'an and Science] ''- [[Answering Islam]]''
*[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.adherents.com/people/100_scientists.html|2=2012-12-16}} The Scientific 100] ''- 3 different rankings from Adherents.com showing how little Muslims contributed to science''

[[Category:Core Article]]
[[Category:Islam and Science]]
[[Category:THHuxley]]
__NOEDITSECTION__
[[ru:Ислам и наука]]

User talk:Lemming

2013-11-10T18:43:43Z

Lemming: /* Focus of Hijab and Crime */

User talk:Lemming

2013-11-03T11:33:09Z

Lemming:

File:Burkabandits.jpg

2013-10-28T23:05:00Z

Lemming:

User talk:Lemming

2013-10-26T16:17:06Z

Lemming: /* Muslim veils/crimes */

User talk:Al-Qaum

2013-10-20T15:32:56Z

Lemming: /* So */ new section

==Get on with it!==

Yeah, you heard me. LOL. Welcome. :) --[[User:Sahabah|Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 09:23, 13 December 2012 (PST)
:Hi Al-Qaum, a welcome from me too! If you do as many edits as Sahabah has done, this website would be complete and I would have to retire. --[[User:Axius|Axius]] ([[User talk:Axius|talk]]) 14:46, 13 December 2012 (PST)

Thanks :) [[User:Al-Qaum|Al-Qaum]] ([[User talk:Al-Qaum|talk]]) 09:46, 19 December 2012 (PST)

==Some help==

Al-Qaum. You may find it easier to copy and paste this empty template, then add the text in:

:<nowiki>{{Quote|1=[{{Reference archive|1=|2=2012-12-19}} ] , December , 2012|2=}}</nowiki>

Also for those skipped text:

:<nowiki> . . . </nowiki>

Hope that helps. Leave me a message on my talk page if you have any probs.

Cheers, guv. --[[User:Sahabah|Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 09:30, 19 December 2012 (PST)

Iiiight :P [[User:Al-Qaum|Al-Qaum]] ([[User talk:Al-Qaum|talk]]) 09:45, 19 December 2012 (PST)

==Thanks!==

Salaam. Just a quick thank you for taking control of our news section! It means a lot. --[[User:Sahabah|Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 09:19, 27 December 2012 (PST)

Shalom. No problem [[User:Al-Qaum|Al-Qaum]] ([[User talk:Al-Qaum|talk]]) 10:19, 27 December 2012 (PST)

==Link==

I've left you that link on your user page. --[[User:Sahabah|Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 22:06, 7 January 2013 (PST)

Thanks [[User:Al-Qaum|Al-Qaum]] ([[User talk:Al-Qaum|talk]]) 22:11, 7 January 2013 (PST)

== Persecution links ==

I've remove this link ([{{Reference archive|1=http://www.worthynews.com/12042-fatwa-threatens-iraqi-christians|2=2012-12-21}} Cleric Encourages Kidnapping of Iraqi Christian Women & Girls]) from the persecution page and moved it to the "Interesting Articles" page. This is because a fatwa (words) encouraging persecution is not actual persecution. The news you added to United States is great because scaring people on a bus by saying you're going to blow it up definitely is persecution. Hope that helps. :) --[[User:Sahabah|Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 05:45, 11 January 2013 (PST)

Yesh. Thanks [[User:Al-Qaum|Al-Qaum]] ([[User talk:Al-Qaum|talk]]) 15:02, 13 January 2013 (PST)

==MSTDT==

Hi. I've sorted that page out for you[http://wikiislam.net/wiki/Muslims_Say_the_Darndest_Things]. The template can be found here[http://wikiislam.net/wiki/Template:MSTDTQ]. I've got rid of most of the quotes, because we should only keep the "best". Good luck and thanks for volunteering to create this series. I can see it has the potential to become very popular.[[User:Sahabah|--Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 16:06, 23 February 2013 (PST)

:No problem. Cheers gov' [[User:Al-Qaum|Al-Qaum]] ([[User talk:Al-Qaum|talk]]) 16:22, 23 February 2013 (PST)

::LOL. Stop pilfering my words :D I've just added some extra instructions to that template so you can use it easily.[[User:Sahabah|--Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 16:29, 23 February 2013 (PST)

==Honor killing==

Just so you are aware, there's lots more here: http://wikiislam.net/wiki/Talk:Honor_Related_Violence_(Pakistan) [[User:Sahabah|--Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 21:08, 4 March 2013 (PST)

==Blocks==

Sorry about the friggin blocks. The site bot is doing it in accident. I'll try to keep an eye out in case it blocks you again (lol it'll probably block me and Axius next).[[User:Sahabah|--Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 20:49, 10 March 2013 (PDT)
:Yea, sorry, I dont know how that happened. Yea that sucks! I was actually working on this block extension today and trying to fix bugs/make it ready for the RU site.
:Can you remember the steps you were trying to do? I'll then replicate it and track this down. --[[User:Axius|Axius]] ([[User talk:Axius|talk]]) 20:54, 10 March 2013 (PDT)
I couldn't replicate it - not sure what happened. But I'll try some other fixes and add in another check and we'll have to wait to see if it happens again. Just to be sure, could you try that action again? (file upload). And then later after I do these fixes, I'll have you do that once more. --[[User:Axius|Axius]] ([[User talk:Axius|talk]]) 16:42, 11 March 2013 (PDT)

I'll try it again after I update the news section. --[[User:Al-Qaum|Al-Qaum]] ([[User talk:Al-Qaum|talk]]) 21:27, 11 March 2013 (PDT)
:hi Al-Q, for some reason its not recognizing your username. Its either because of the dash or capitalization. I need to fix that. Try doing the same file upload and see if it blocks you again. If it does, don't do any other edits (so it wont keep blocking you) until I look into it. Easy way to check if its working is to try to edit the main page (and revert). This way you wont get blocked.
:Just to confirm, all you did was to do that file upload and thats the exact moment it blocks in the first place, correct? (in addition to the other blocks). Also tell me the exact capitalization that you type in when you login. For example you may be typing al-quam, or Al-quam, or al-Qaum. It might be a bug in the system that I will fix.
:Sahabah, click this [http://wikiislam.net/w/index.php?title=Special:EditThrottleAdmin&action=cleartable] after unblocking. Sorry guys. --[[User:Axius|Axius]] ([[User talk:Axius|talk]]) 04:51, 12 March 2013 (PDT)
Hi Axius. Yes, it kept blocking as soon as I uploaded images. And I type in Al-Qaum when I log in.--[[User:Al-Qaum|Al-Qaum]] ([[User talk:Al-Qaum|talk]]) 18:23, 12 March 2013 (PDT)
:Ok thanks. Try the upload now. If it blocks again then we'll have to do a rename of the username for now (without any dashes, or capital letters in the middle). --[[User:Axius|Axius]] ([[User talk:Axius|talk]]) 19:18, 12 March 2013 (PDT)
::Ok I think it should be fixed now (maybe). Try a file upload and that will tell me if it worked. --[[User:Axius|Axius]] ([[User talk:Axius|talk]]) 14:48, 17 March 2013 (PDT)
Ok. I'll find something to upload after I finish with the news.--[[User:Al-Qaum|Al-Qaum]] ([[User talk:Al-Qaum|talk]]) 20:05, 18 March 2013 (PDT)
:Thanks, or just upload anything arbitrary. Sorry for any block in advance. You can actually unlock yourself as well -> [http://wikiislam.net/wiki/Special:Contributions/Al-Qaum] (I think) and after you do, click on this link-> [http://wikiislam.net/w/index.php?title=Special:EditThrottleAdmin&action=cleartable]. I'm doing a big overhaul of this blocking system. --[[User:Axius|Axius]] ([[User talk:Axius|talk]]) 20:15, 18 March 2013 (PDT)
I just uploaded 6 image files and I didn't get blocked :P--[[User:Al-Qaum|Al-Qaum]] ([[User talk:Al-Qaum|talk]]) 00:10, 19 March 2013 (PDT)
:Great looked like it works now. thanks --[[User:Axius|Axius]] ([[User talk:Axius|talk]]) 04:36, 19 March 2013 (PDT)
NP, and thanks for fixing it --[[User:Al-Qaum|Al-Qaum]] ([[User talk:Al-Qaum|talk]]) 14:10, 19 March 2013 (PDT)

==Webcite==

Hey Al, I fixed that link for you[http://wikiislam.net/w/index.php?title=Zakir_Naik:_His_Background,_Views_and_Debates&curid=2363&diff=83986&oldid=83985]. I did it by archiving the link without all the crap after the ''.html'' (see here:[http://wikiislam.net/w/index.php?title=Zakir_Naik%3A_His_Background%2C_Views_and_Debates&diff=83986&oldid=83984 ])I dunno why, but sometimes when you visit pages through other links, it adds extra stuff to the URL that you don't need. [[User:Sahabah|--Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 16:01, 19 March 2013 (PDT)
:OK. Thanks. [[User:Al-Qaum|Al-Qaum]] ([[User talk:Al-Qaum|talk]]) 16:06, 19 March 2013 (PDT)

==Naming==

Thanks for that new page! I moved it from "Honor Related Violence (Yemen)" to "Honor Related Violence - Yemen" because URLs break with brackets. We then use the rename template to change the displayed name (see here[http://wikiislam.net/w/index.php?title=Honor_Related_Violence_-_Yemen&diff=84170&oldid=84168]). We then link it like this[http://wikiislam.net/w/index.php?title=Yemen_%28persecution%29&diff=84171&oldid=82646].[[User:Sahabah|--Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 19:40, 20 March 2013 (PDT)
:Ok :P. [[User:Al-Qaum|Al-Qaum]] ([[User talk:Al-Qaum|talk]]) 19:43, 20 March 2013 (PDT)

== Image resizing ==

hi Al-Q, for these certain images (of Islamic violence etc), could you resize images before uploading to around 800pixels on the maximum width, and with 70-80% quality, if it asks. This would reduce the file size. This is in case you plan to upload a lot more. [http://www.picresize.com/ one site for resizing] --[[User:Axius|Axius]] ([[User talk:Axius|talk]]) 18:32, 5 April 2013 (PDT)
:Ok. No problem[[User:Al-Qaum|Al-Qaum]] ([[User talk:Al-Qaum|talk]]) 18:46, 5 April 2013 (PDT)

==Boston images==

Hey again. I've temporarily hidden the image additions until the motives are confirmed. Statistically, it's most likely Islamic. But it could very well be a "Real American" nutter.[[User:Sahabah|--Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 17:11, 16 April 2013 (PDT)
:Ok. I was thinking the same too.[[User:Al-Qaum|Al-Qaum]] ([[User talk:Al-Qaum|talk]]) 22:13, 16 April 2013 (PDT)

==Boston==

I added your page to here: http://wikiislam.net/wiki/United_States_(persecution) [[User:Sahabah|--Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 19:00, 26 April 2013 (PDT)
: Great. Thanks.[[User:Al-Qaum|Al-Qaum]] ([[User talk:Al-Qaum|talk]]) 15:51, 27 April 2013 (PDT)

==New articles list==

Hi Al. I'm going to link the hub page rather than the one you added, since it's all new stuff. That was a good idea to give it it's own page. Now the main news pages don't have to be filled with news on the same thing. [[User:Sahabah|--Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 04:20, 29 April 2013 (PDT)
:Ok. That sounds better.[[User:Al-Qaum|Al-Qaum]] ([[User talk:Al-Qaum|talk]]) 15:30, 29 April 2013 (PDT)

==New template for news==

Al, there's a new template for you to use when you add news and stuff. It's under "'''Insert Quote:'''". I think it's meant to be inserted within the first quote template like this:

<nowiki>{{Quote|</nowiki>'''Insert new template here'''<nowiki>|</nowiki>'''Insert quote here'''<nowiki>}}</nowiki>

Let me know if you need any help with it.[[User:Sahabah|--Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 00:33, 10 June 2013 (PDT)
:Ignore those instructions. I've fixed it so you just have to press the second template under "'''Insert Quote:'''", and it will automatically do all that.[[User:Sahabah|--Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 03:28, 10 June 2013 (PDT)
OK. Thanks.[[User:Al-Qaum|Al-Qaum]] ([[User talk:Al-Qaum|talk]]) 19:27, 10 June 2013 (PDT)

Ooops! Thanks for correcting that heading :) [[User:Sahabah|--Sahabah]] ([[User talk:Sahabah|talk]]) 21:12, 8 July 2013 (PDT)

:NP :P[[User:Al-Qaum|Al-Qaum]] ([[User talk:Al-Qaum|talk]]) 21:50, 8 July 2013 (PDT)

== So ==

Can this go in the news section? [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/10390430/Assad-regime-snipers-targeting-unborn-babies.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/10390430/Assad-regime-snipers-targeting-unborn-babies.html].--[[User:Lemming|Lemming]] ([[User talk:Lemming|talk]]) 08:32, 20 October 2013 (PDT)

File:Wikiislam-net-October-2013-uae.png

2013-10-20T14:55:34Z

Lemming: wikiislam.net blocked in UAE.

wikiislam.net blocked in UAE.

File:Wikiislam-net-October-2013-iran.png

2013-10-20T14:55:12Z

Lemming: wikiislam.net blocked in Iran

wikiislam.net blocked in Iran

Niqab

2013-09-28T12:29:53Z

Lemming: Redirected page to Hijab

#REDIRECT[[Hijab]]

Islamic Attire and Health

2013-09-22T20:37:21Z

Lemming: /* Health Effects */

<metadesc>Ill health effects of Islamic Dress in relation to Vitamin D levels.</metadesc>
[[File:Burqa9.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The Burqa, an example of "full hijab", can contribute significantly to certain health problems (''[[Images:Hijab|more images]]'').]]
This article discusses the potential [[health]] effects for [[Islam and Women|women]] who observe [[Hijab]].
==Hijab==

The majority of female Muslims worldwide, following the [[Islam|Islamic]] requirement of observing Hijab, wear some form of Islamic dress. This ranges anywhere from wearing a simple head covering, to the burqa (a form of "full hijab"), which covers almost all exposed skin.

Full hijab can consist of the following elements:

*Jilbāb; this refers to any long and loose-fitting coat or garment worn by women.
*Khimar; a scarf or wrap, often referred to simply as 'hijab', used to cover the head and neck.
*Niqāb; a piece of cloth which veils the face.

Some Muslim jurists regard the wearing of a niqab as [[fard|wajib]] (mandatory), while others believe it is mustahab (favored by [[Allah]]).<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://islamic-world.net/sister/hijab_in_quran.htm|2=2011-07-03}} Hijab In The Al-Quran And Sunnah] - Khalifah Institute, accessed July 3, 2011</ref>

==Health Effects==

There is concern among the medical community about some of the health effects of the extreme styles of Islamic dress, with the main issues arising from Vitamin D deficiency due to lack skin exposed to UV light. It has been established by credible scientific evidence that almost all women who observe the full hijab are chronically deficient in Vitamin D.<ref>Mishal, A.A., Effects of Different Dress Styles on Vitamin D Levels in Healthy Young Jordanian Women. Osteoporosis International, 2001. 12(11): p. 931-935.</ref> Vitamin D is a vital nutrient and deficiency of this kind can lead to various diseases.

===Vitamin D Deficiency===

Vitamin D is fat soluble vitamin which is an essential nutrient for human health.<ref>Moan, J. and A. Juzeniene, Solar radiation and human health. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B:Biology, 2010: p. 109-110.</ref><ref>Bandgar, T.R., Vitamin d and hip fractures: Indian scenario. The Journal of the Association of Physicians of India, 2010. 58(9): p. 535-537.</ref> Vitamin D is synthesised when ultraviolet rays from sunlight strike the human skin triggering a series of reactions, it is by this method that a vast majority of a persons daily intake of Vitamin D is produced. It is naturally absent in significant quantities in almost all food items commonly consumed, with a very few select foods containing appreciable amounts and very few consumer products being fortified with it.<ref>Office of Dietary Supplements - National Institutes of Health. [http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind/ Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin D.] 2011. Retrieved July 2, 2011.</ref>

The main role of Vitamin D in the body is to regulate the correct amounts of calcium present in the blood. This vitamin aids in the absorption of calcium to create healthy, strong bones. Insufficient amounts of Vitamin D leads to weak, brittle and misshapen bones; a condition known as osteomalacia in adults and rickets in children. Sufficient amounts of Vitamin D are also crucial in preventing fractures and osteoporosis in older adults.<ref>[http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vitamin-d/NS_patient-vitamind Vitamin D] - Mayo Clinic. 2011. Retrieved July 2, 2011.</ref>

In the United Kingdom, cases of rickets have been rare until recently. Cases of the disease have increased dramatically due to the growing Muslim population.<ref>http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/rise-in-rickets-linked-to-ethnic-groups-that-shun-the-sun-2319920.html</ref><ref>http://digitaljournal.com/article/316191</ref><ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1154211.stm</ref>

Low levels of Vitamin D have also been linked to a whole host of devastating disorders including cardiovascular diseases, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. There is also a strong association between deficiency in Vitamin D and an increased risk of developing several deadly cancers, including breast cancer.<ref>Holick, M.F., Sunlight and vitamin D for bone health and prevention of autoimmune diseases, cancers, and cardiovascular disease. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 2004. 80(6 Suppl).</ref>

The concern is not only towards the woman who chooses to observe the more covering forms of Islamic dress but also towards any potential children she may carry. Infants born to vitamin D deficient mothers have been found to suffer from an increased prevalence of seizures.<ref>Bandgar, T.R., Vitamin d and hip fractures: Indian scenario. The Journal of the Association of Physicians of India, 2010. 58(9): p. 535-537.</ref> If these children observe the full hijab in childhood, they run the risk of not reaching the height they would of otherwise reached if they were not vitamin D deficient.<ref>Holick, M.F., Sunlight and vitamin D for bone health and prevention of autoimmune diseases, cancers, and cardiovascular disease. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 2004. 80(6 Suppl)</ref>

====Islamic Dress and Health====

Since almost all the daily intake of Vitamin D is from sunlight, exposure there is significant concern for women who wear the burqa or "full hijab". This style of dress, leaving only a very small portion of skin around the eyes exposed, greatly reduces the surface area of the body which sunlight is exposed to and hence reduces the amount of Vitamin D synthesized. Such low rates of Vitamin D production will quickly exhaust the bodies excess emergency stores of Vitamin D contained in the fat and the person will likely go into a deficient state.

Due to this reason, serious vitamin D deficiency is wide-spread in many Muslim majority countries. A study performed by doctors at King Fahd University Hospital in [[Saudi Arabia]], showed that out of all 52 women tested, ''all'' had seriously deficient levels of Vitamin D and were at risk of many serious health problems, despite living in one of the sunniest places on the planet.<ref>Elsammak, M.Y., et al., Vitamin D deficiency in Saudi Arabs. Hormone and Metabolic Research, 2010. 42(5): p. 364-368.</ref> Furthermore, in a study undertaken in [[Jordan]], 83.3% of women wearing the most covering style of Islamic dresses were found to be deficient in summer time. This is rather striking when compared to the fact only 18.2% of Jordanian men studied were found to be deficient.<ref>Mishal, A.A., Effects of Different Dress Styles on Vitamin D Levels in Healthy Young Jordanian Women. Osteoporosis International, 2001. 12(11): p. 931-935.</ref> Jordan, like Saudi Arabia, holds the distinction of being one of the sunniest places on the planet, so the effect of wearing the burqa on Vitamin D levels and health is profound.

====Effect of Ethnicity and Migration====

There is also concern for the health of immigrants from Islamic majority countries, most of which are around the equator and receive the highest amount of sunlight of any place on earth. There concern arises when these women migrate to countries with lower amounts of sunlight throughout the year compared to their previous home country. Skin tone is darkest at the equator in response to the sunlight.<ref>Barsh, G.S., What Controls Variation in Human Skin Color? PLoS Biol, 2003. 1(1): p. e27.</ref><ref>Relethford, J.H., Hemispheric difference in human skin color. American journal of physical anthropology, 1997. 104(4): p. 449-457.</ref> Darker skin blocks out significantly more UV radiation and hence decreases Vitamin D production by an enormous amount (people with dark skin pigmentation may need 20 - 30 times as much exposure to sunlight).<ref>Mike Adams - [http://www.naturalnews.com/003069.html Vitamin D myths, facts and statistics] - NaturalNews, January 1, 2005</ref> All these factors combined with the heavily covering Islamic dress create serious potential health concerns for Islamic migrants in countries away from the equator such as [[Canada]], the [[United States]], [[Europe]] and [[Australia]].<ref>Hagenau, T., et al., Global vitamin D levels in relation to age, gender, skin pigmentation and latitude: an ecologic meta-regression analysis. Osteoporosis International, 2009. 20(1): p. 133-140.</ref><ref>Hanley, D.A. and K.S. Davison, Vitamin D Insufficiency in North America. The Journal of Nutrition, 2005. 135(2): p. 332-337</ref>

This is further evidenced by numerous scientific studies. A study was undertaken in ''Dearborn, Michigan'', the most-concentrated Arab-American settlement in the United States to assess the relationship between Vitamin D levels and Islamic dress choice in migrant Arab-American Muslim women. The average vitamin D level was found to be 4 ng/ml in veiled women who undertook ''no'' vitamin D supplementation and 7 ng/ml in women who wore the same style veil but chose to take supplements.<ref>Hobbs, R., et al., Severe Vitamin D Deficiency in Arab-American Women Living in Dearborn, Michigan. Endocrine Practice, 2009. 15(1): p. 35-40.</ref> The threshold for rickets and osteomalacia risk is 8 ng/ml and below; clinical deficiency is considered as anything below 16 ng/ml.<ref>Heaney, PR. Functional indices of vitamin D status and ramiﬁcations of vitamin D deficiency. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2004; 80 : S1706 – S1709</ref> This illustrates a very serious health risk for migrant Muslim women who immigrate to such countries and wear the burqa.

===Obesity===

It has been noted that the observance of hijab, the garments and the traditions surrounding them, can discourage exercise both psychologically and practically.<ref name="TDCJul12010">Caroline May - [{{Reference archive|1=http://dailycaller.com/2010/07/01/the-burka-may-be-making-muslim-women-fatter-by-discouraging-exercise/|2=2012-03-05}} The burka may be making Muslim women fatter by discouraging exercise] - The Daily Caller, July 1, 2010</ref><ref name="ANSMar132012">[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/sections/generalnews/2012/03/13/visualizza_new.html_131156617.html|2=2012-03-15}} Qatar: surge in diabetes/obesity, unhealthy Arab habits] - ANSAmed, March 13, 2012</ref> The style of dress can make it easy to hide the bloat of a large meal, and it can be physically restrictive for those who wish to exercise, especially outdoors where one has to be aware of the weather (if it is too hot or humid). In the West, where most indoor gyms are mixed-sex, exercise without Islamic dress can be very difficult for observant Muslim women, and some forms of Islamic dress can make playing almost any sport nearly impossible.<ref name="TDCJul12010"></ref><ref name="ANSMar132012"></ref>

According to The Economist magazine’s world rankings, the countries with the highest obesity rates among women are Muslim countries<ref name="TDCJul12010"></ref> (data from 1999-2003 show 8 of the top 10 to be Muslim majorities; [[Qatar]], Saudi Arabia, [[Palestinian Authority area|Palestinian territories]], [[Lebanon]], Albania, [[Bahrain]], [[Egypt]], and the [[United Arab Emirates]]),<ref>[[:File:Economist rankings obesity women.JPG|Economist.com rankings for obesity among women]]</ref> and a 2006 study presented by Qatari expert Issam Abd Rabbu at the "Facts About Obesity" seminar, found that up to 70 percent of women living in the Gulf Arab states (Bahrain, [[Kuwait]], [[Oman]], Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) were overweight or obese.<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=14663|2=2012-03-05}} Up to 70% of Gulf women are obese] - Middle East Online, September 29, 2005</ref> Dr. Abdul Rahman Musaiqir, head of the Arab Center for Nutrition at Bahrain University, has said the problem of obesity among women in the Gulf states is being disguised by their Islamic dress, and that obesity rates are much higher than in developed countries.<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.emirates247.com/news/region/gulf-women-hide-weight-under-gowns-2011-01-12-1.341366|2=2012-03-05}} Gulf women hide weight under gowns] - Emirates 24/7, January 12, 2011</ref>

A 2011 study issued by the National Commercial Bank (NCB), Saudi Arabia’s largest bank, found that the number of Saudis suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity is increasing at an alarming rate, and a survey released by the Saudi Diabetes and Endocrine Association (SDEA) in 2010 showed that over 70 percent of the Saudi population are "alarmingly obese".<ref>Nadim Kawach - [{{Reference archive|1=http://www.emirates247.com/news/region/blood-pressure-and-obesity-epidemic-in-saudi-2011-05-02-1.387705|2=2012-03-05}} Blood pressure and obesity epidemic in Saudi] - Emirates 24/7, May 2, 2011</ref> Figures released by the Qatar Diabetes Association (QDA) state that 20% of the population has been diagnosed as diabetic in Qatar, and the disorder is affecting more and more children.<ref name="ANSMar132012"></ref> Some of the health problems associated with obesity include; heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, painful wear and inflammation on weight-bearing joints, breathing problems and sleep apnea.<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://nation-health.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/health-problems-associated-with-obesity.html|2=2012-03-22}} Health Problems Associated with Obesity] - The Nation's Health, March 2011</ref>

==Implications for the Islamic Faith==

The observance of hijab prevents women from getting enough vitamin D. This can lead to a whole host of disorders. For Islam as a religion, the implications are troublesome.

Islam is considered by its adherents to be the perfect way of life for mankind. If Islam was mandated by Allah, and if he wanted women to observe hijab, then logically he would not have created humans with the need to get Vitamin D from exposing their skin to the sun.

It could be argued that today this can be combated with vitamin D supplementation combined with daily exposure to the sun in the privacy of ones backyard or some other location safe from the eyes of non-mahram men. However, this is not a satisfactory solution.

Many are not fortunate enough to have their own private gardens where they can sit, and sitting in front of a window inside their homes will not help because window glass only lets through UV-A rays, not UV-B and UV-C. You need UV-B rays for the production of vitamin D.<ref>Shereen Jegtvig - [{{Reference archive|1=http://nutrition.about.com/od/askyournutritionist/f/sunlight.htm|2=2011-11-01}} How Much Sun Exposure Do I Need for Vitamin D?] - About.com, October 06, 2011</ref>

Furthermore, it was only in 1923 that it was established when 7-dehydrocholesterol is irradiated with light, a form of a fat-soluble vitamin is produced,<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.beyonddiscovery.org/content/view.txt.asp?a=414|2=2011-08-06}} Unraveling The Enigma Of Vitamin D] - United States National Academy of Sciences, accessed August 6, 2011</ref> and until the mid-1930s, when the first commercial yeast-extract and semi-synthetic vitamin C supplement tablets were sold, vitamins were obtained solely through food intake and (in the case of vitamin D) through exposure to the sun.<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vitamin&oldid=442774268 Vitamin] - Wikipedia, accessed August 6, 2011</ref>

So what of the Muslim women prior to the 1930s and their vitamin intake? If this were a satisfactory explanation to avoid Islam contradicting modern scientific knowledge, then it would have been mentioned in the [[Qur'an]] or [[hadith]] [[literature]], but it is not.

It could also be argued that long-term excessive exposure to UV radiation from sunlight can cause skin cancer and other ailments. However, according to epidemiologist Robyn Lucas at Australian National University,<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://web.archive.org/web/20090410154214/http://nceph.anu.edu.au/Staff_Students/staff_pages/lucas.php|2=2011-08-20}} National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health] - Australian National University, October 17, 2008</ref> analysis of lifespan versus disease shows that far more lives are lost to diseases caused by lack of sunlight than by those caused by too much,<ref>Deborah Kotz - [{{Reference archive|1=http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/heart/articles/2008/06/23/time-in-the-sun-how-much-is-needed-for-vitamin-d|2=2011-08-20}} Time in the Sun: How Much Is Needed for Vitamin D?] - U.S.News, June 23, 2008</ref> and of course, a women is always capable of avoiding what she feels to be too much or too little sunlight, but with the restrictive Islamic dress laws in force, this ability is taken away from her.
{{Core Science}}

==See Also==

{{Hub4|Hijab|Hijab}}
{{Hub4|Health|Health}}

==External Links==
*[http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/272307 Women could endanger their health by wearing burqas] - ''Digital Journal''
*[http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-6088759/Addressing-vitamin-D-deficiency-among.html Addressing vitamin D deficiency among veiled pregnant women in Australia] - ''Excerpt from 'Nutrition & Dietetics: The Journal of the Dietitians Association of Australia ''
*[http://www.reuters.com/article/2007/06/25/us-middle-deficiency-idUSHAR56610220070625 Middle Eastern women may have vitamin D deficiency] - ''Reuters''
*[http://forum09.faithfreedom.org/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=6113 The consequences of Islamic dress]'' - [[Faith Freedom International|FFI Forum]]''
*[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.rferl.org/content/synthetic-hijabs/24694264.html|2=2012-09-05}} Synthetic Hijabs Get Under Tajik Women's Skin] ''- Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty''
*[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Burqa-clad-women-prone-to-Vitamin-D-deficiency-Doctors/articleshow/20468505.cms Burqa-clad women prone to vitamin D deficiency: Doctors] - ''The Times of India''

==References==
{{Reflist|2|refs=}}

[[Category:Islam and Women]]
[[Category:Islam and Science]]