Faraj Pangeran

“Do not suppose the statements of the prophets to be true; they are all fabrications. Men lived comfortably till they came and spoiled life. The sacred books are only such a set of idle tales as any age could have and indeed did actually produce.”

Normally when you ask an Imam (a religious scholar) what is “Islam” they will respond with “Islam is peace”, “Islam is the straight path”, etc., etc. Then when you ask about homosexuality in Islam, the answer will range from “it is forbidden” to “it is unnatural”, “it does not exist”, or “it is a grave sin”.

Ever since the brutal slaughter in Maguindanao, it raised again the issue of private armies. Private armies exist everywhere in the Philippines and was an issue as far back as the early years of the American colonial regime in the Philippines.

Nearly everything before 1521 is blurry in national textbooks. Thus Butuan, which was predominately a Hindu-Buddhist kingdom founded by Tausugs and which flourished for 500 years, is left out along with the art works it produced such as the Tara of Agusan.

"...It is not by accident that we are the only Christian nation in Asia. We are meant to be the bridge between the Christian West and the non-Christian East..."

Not many people realize this, but many Muslim clerics worldwide actually do support family planning. Back in 1979, a fatwa (religious degree) was issued in Egypt by Sheikh Jadel Haq Ali Jadel Haq which stated that "...A thorough review of the Qur'an reveals no text (nas) prohibiting the prevention of pregnancy or diminution of the number of children, but there are several traditions of the Prophet that indicate its permissibility...."