Hi all,

i was going through the late online edition of nation and a news article caught my eye...below is the copied and pasted article,:



Somali Islamists pull teeth from 'sinners'













Somali government troops patrol a battlefield in which fighting on August 5 had left 10 Islamist insurgents dead,near the outskirts of Mogadishu,August 6,2009. REUTERS

Posted Monday,August 10 2009 at 14:13




MOGADISHU,Monday (Reuters)


Somali Islamist group al Shabaab is forcibly removing gold and silver teeth from residents in southern Somalia because it says they contravene strict religious law,locals from a coastal town said on Monday.

Residents in Marka say al Shabaab has been rounding up anyone seen with a silver or gold tooth and taking them to a masked man who then rips them out using basic tools.



'I never thought al Shabaab would see my denture as a sin. They took me to their station and removed my silver tooth,' resident Bashir told Reuters.



'In the station,I met several men and women whose dentures were being pulled out by a masked man they called a doctor. The doctor used a pincer or his gloved hand depending on the strength of the tooth,' Bashir said.



'As you smile your silver tooth accuses you. I was at a counter with my friend when three armed al Shabaab ordered me to follow them,' he added. 'I am afraid they want to make money from taking all this precious metal.'



Al Shabaab officials declined to comment.



The Islamist group says the gold and silver teeth are used for fashion and beauty,which is against strict interpretations of Islam,residents told Reuters.



Al Shabaab,which means 'Youth' in Arabic,is an al Qaeda-inspired militant group that has taken control of large swathes of south and central Somalia.



The group's hardline interpretation of Islamic law has shocked many Somalis,who are traditionally more moderate Muslims. Some residents,however,give the insurgents credit for restoring order to the regions under their control.



In June,al Shabaab officials in one of the group's Mogadishu strongholds ordered four teenagers to each have a hand and a foot cut off as punishments for robbery.





I have been a fan of islam teachings,but after reading this article aaaiiiii i will be viewing islam from a completely different perspective.



any muslim in the house,to explain this brutal actions...

...and to you SKerians don't visit somalia if you have a slight evidence of a denture,be it gold,silver or aclyric!!!!!




NEVER TALK OF A RHINO IF THERE IS NO TREE NEAREBY - ZULU PROVERB

Kuna mtu ako na order ya dhahabu na shaba. Anatumimia dini kupata dhahabu.

Fundamentals + Sentiments = Position

@ nahdy,

if i look at it from a laymans point of view,i reckon that most of these muslims have the denture in place to help with chiewing hard foods,or any foods rather...why should the rules condemn a person rectifying a deformity or for providing an artificial article which hi/her body needs??? on another note a small percentage wear them for beauty purposes...you see,i would be comfortable indeed if this action included cutting off the fingers of the people who wear the gold or silver rings for beauty,as there is no difference with the people who wear the denture for beauty....


NEVER TALK OF A RHINO IF THERE IS NO TREE NEAREBY - ZULU PROVERB

@ nahdy,

i think your observation can apply very well in the case of people who wear them for beauty purposes....now my bone of contention is how about that guy who is rectifying a deformity or wearing them dentures to help him chew foods??? is it not punishing the poor 'needy' fellow????


NEVER TALK OF A RHINO IF THERE IS NO TREE NEAREBY - ZULU PROVERB