Some People are Just ....Different

In America, we pride ourselves on tolerance for peoples and cultures that may not fit the mainstream of American thought. By way of example, the 1st Amendment may well tolerate the views of Westbrook Baptist Church, and protect its right to protest against homosexuals by appearing at the funerals of slain veterans. Yesterday, I thought that idea stretched the envelope.

Well, the "stretching the envelope" metaphor just won't work for this --

Saudi author and cleric, "Dr." Muhammad Al-'Arifi, counsels young Muslim men on how to treat their wives.

"Admonish them – once, twice, three times, four times, ten times," he advised. "If this doesn't help, refuse to share their beds."

And if that doesn't work?

"Beat them," one of his three young advisees responded.

"That's right," Al-'Arifi said.

He goes on to calmly explain to the young men that hitting their future wives in the face is a no-no.

"Beating in the face is forbidden, even when it comes to animals."

"Even if you want your camel or donkey to start walking, you are not allowed to beat it in the face. If this is true for animals, it is all the more true when it comes to humans. So beatings should be light and not in the face.

"If he beats her, the beatings must be light and must not make her face ugly. He must beat her where it will not leave marks. He should not beat her on the hand... He should beat her in some places where it will not cause any damage. He should not beat her like he would beat an animal or a child -- slapping them right and left.

"Unfortunately, many husbands beat their wives only when they get mad,and when they start beating, it as if they are punching a wall – they beat with their hands, right and left, and sometimes use their feet. Brother, it is a human being you are beating. This is forbidden. He must not do this."

Click on the title to the post to see a more complete report from FoxNews(from which I have quoted liberally).