Just curious - how many muslims are on mumsnet?

[Galvanise]

Hello/Salaam,

I know mumsnet has a wide and diverse population and I tend to recognise some MN usernames as regulars. Just intrigued to know how big/small a community it may be.

Of course, I respect that there may be those who do not wish to even identify themselves for various reasons - which is fine too.

I am not asking for 'religiousness' levels or any vital stats! Nor is this a muslim-only thread or an 'no non-muslims' thread.
If you really wish to tell me that you are not a muslim, that is fine too :)

:)

crescent - I don't consider Saudis as mainstream Muslim, either. The point was that even the Saudis (whom we all know are rather extremist in many ways) haven't worried about alcohol on their skin. Even Saudi Arabia was rational enough to say that touching alcohol is fine as long as it is not ingested.

I thought this was obvious, especially from the way I ended that post with the sentence:

It is quite sobering to see views on MN that are more extremist than those accepted in Saudi Arabia, by Wahhabis under Sharia rule.

"Also isn't this part of the remit of a caliph?"

Caliphate was abolished after Ottoman Empire's collapse because there was no place for it in the secular republic built out of its ashes. It wasn't a grand design for the good of Islam.

I do agree with you that no Pope figure in Islam is a good thing, though. In fact, it appears intentional, and part of the effort to cut out the middlemen between man and God.

"I think there is a differnce between ethanol and 'alcohol' as in any chemical with a -OH group."

Sorry, littleducks, but Ethanol is actually exactly the same substance as drinking alcohol.

Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. A psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs known, ethanol produces a state known as alcohol intoxication when consumed. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a solvent, and as a fuel. (From Wikipedia)

Thanks for all the interesting links Crescent, I've have a look when I get a chance. Hope your DCs get better soon.

Yes I know ethanol is drinking alcohol. I meant that sometimes you see long complicated chemical names that end in alcohol, as they are technically alcohols (as opposed to belonging in another chemical group) which are not the same thing-there are some in my shampoo!

Anyway it was described badly, I blame my newly pregnant brain!!

little ducks i understood you and i agree, some people dont understand alcohol is a chemical structure.

have you seen discover magazine? it is the new kids magazine from sisters, in the first issue it tackles environmental stuff for kids.

Yeah, I thought that magazine looked really good, my DS is a but young for it at the moment.

Congratulations, littleducks

Thanks cote.

Too soon to tell 'real life' people so I'm just dropping it into convo on here as in at over excited want to share stage!

Just wanted to say that ime washable nappies are not a headache. You get used to them very quickly. They are very cost effective and obviously much better for the environment. I would definitely recommend them even if used part-time.

Congratulations to the expectant ladies

Congratulations littleducks. May Allah SWT bless you with a healthy baby who will grow to be a pious Muslim and bring your family much happIness and joy. Ameen.

Congrats littleducks and others!
Yes Juules I agree they are not a headache once you get used to them. I now use a combination of Naty (apparently relatively environmentally friendly disposable nappies) and washables. Whenever I've had to use just disposables for a few days I am appalled by the mound on nappies that builds up in the outside bin!
I also cut up some peices of cloth to use as wipes, have separate colours for bum/face , put bum ones to wash with the nappies and face ones in the normal wash. Do have baby wipes as back up though!
Do recycle but that's easy as it gets collected. Also use environmentally friendly cleaning products.
Before making myself sound like some angel that I'm not I also have a tumble drier which I use to much, a dishwasher, drive a car and fly several times a year.
I used to be so up on all the issues but since I've been a mum my world seems to have become smaller!
I think being environmentally friendly is more about a general attitude than anything, about buying less, wasting less, being satisfied with 2nd hand or managing with what you've got. It's all economical as well, and also Islamic, as it is about being humble and patient, and careful with your surroundings.

Cote I often read it framed as a negative thing that Muslims have no religious living figurehead person like the pope. Mostly by islamophobes who try to discredit your interpretation of Islam saying well there is no leadership in Islam so the interpretation of the radical violent Muslim groups is just as valid as yours. (At least that's what I think they meant). I think one of the negative consequences of the ending of the caliphate system is that it is more difficult to police the Muslim world and deal with radical, unorthodox interpretations. If you look at the time of the caliphate of Ali RA the nephew of the Prophet PBUH he faced a radical, extremist group called the khawarij who are frighteningly similar to today's extremist groups in that they were violent and justified the killing of innocents and declared many normal Muslims apostates thereby legitimising (to themselves) crimes against them. He just dealt with them headon and wiped them out. Today would be impossible for Muslim governments to completely get rid of them because they cross over to different countries to operate so fall under lots of countries jurisdictions. Unfortunately a lot of dictators in the Muslim world probably benefit from group's like these because then they can present their tyrannical regimes as being justified. I know a lot of westerners support the Syrian regime because they are afraid of 'islamists' (whatever on earth that means) gettIng to power.

that's a really interesting perspective peaceful

Discover mag got a three for one pound offer, go to the sisters mag site and fill in the contact us email saying u want offer and they wil phone u inshallah. I love little explorers mag too.

MacBooks everyone on upped duff ness

Peaceful r u saying khilafah is the solution lol

peaceful - re "there is no leadership in Islam so the interpretation of the radical violent Muslim groups is just as valid as yours"

The idea, as I remember it, is that Jesus didn't establish a Church & appoint a Pope, and God was very disappointed to see it happen. So when he sent down Islam, he made it clear that the religion was between each man and God, with no need for an institution or leader in the middle.

I happen to think that is a good thing. If there were to be a Caliph in Islam right now, it would probably be someone like Khomeini or some Saudi prince. Where would the moderates and progressives of the world be, then? They would be called "heretics".

"one of the negative consequences of the ending of the caliphate system is that it is more difficult to police the Muslim world and deal with radical, unorthodox interpretations"

One person's "radical, unorthodox" is another's "normal". I honestly think it is a good thing that nobody is "policing" anyone's religion. If there has to be religion in the world, everyone should be free to practice it as he/she sees fit.

"He (Ali) just dealt with them headon and wiped them out. Today would be impossible for Muslim governments to completely get rid of them because they cross over to different countries to operate so fall under lots of countries jurisdictions."

That wouldn't change if Islam had a Caliph, since he wouldn't be able to order a strike into another country.

"I know a lot of westerners support the Syrian regime because they are afraid of 'islamists' (whatever on earth that means) gettIng to power."

I am really in two minds over this. On one hand, a dictatorship is not a good thing. On the other hand, nobody deserves to have their country run over by a band of ignorant misogynists from the Dark Ages, like what happened in Iran after the Shah or Afghanistan after the Soviets.

I can't decide which is worse. In fact, I think I'd rather live under a dictator than in Saudi Arabia or Iran.

Just working my way through all the links you posted today Crescent. The al-muhajirun video is really interesting. It's great to see people going out there and stating the obvious, doesn't happen often enough!

hmm, thought it went a bit downhill at the end though!