Iraq says 4000 Arabs in Iraq for 'Martyrdom'
March 30, 2003 8:19 AM   Subscribe

Iraq says 4,000 Arabs in Iraq for 'Martyrdom' check the math: each martyr promised 72 virgins in Paradise times 4,000= 288 thousand virgins. Howq many virgins in your Heaven?
posted by Postroad (18 comments total)
 
If we're fighting this war against muslim fundamentalism, then why are we allied with the fundamentalist, muslim Saudi Arabia against the secular Iraq?
If we're fighting this war against terrorism, then why are we allied with the country that spawned the 9/11 attacks - Saudi Arabia?

I guess I'm just stupid and there's a Real Good explanation for this somewhere.
posted by spazzm at 8:30 AM on March 30, 2003


Yeah - when you find it, let me know. I'm interested.
posted by hilatron at 8:33 AM on March 30, 2003


Regarding the presentation of this FPP: What, MeFi really isn't a boyzone?

But it is a humorous way to present a serious war post.
posted by DBAPaul at 8:35 AM on March 30, 2003


I think this proves that my lifelong plan to clone Natalie Portman and distribute 20 clones to each male on the planet is a reflection of the will of God Himself.
posted by Ryvar at 8:35 AM on March 30, 2003


Don't buy the hype.

For example, the famous passage about the virgins is based on the word hur, which is an adjective in the feminine plural meaning simply ''white.'' Islamic tradition insists the term hur stands for ''houri,'' which means virgin, but Mr. Luxenberg insists that this is a forced misreading of the text. In both ancient Aramaic and in at least one respected dictionary of early Arabic, hur means ''white raisin.''

Mr. Luxenberg has traced the passages dealing with paradise to a Christian text called Hymns of Paradise by a fourth-century author. Mr. Luxenberg said the word paradise was derived from the Aramaic word for garden and all the descriptions of paradise described it as a garden of flowing waters, abundant fruits and white raisins, a prized delicacy in the ancient Near East. In this context, white raisins, mentioned often as hur, Mr. Luxenberg said, makes more sense than a reward of sexual favors.


Every repitition of a lie makes it stronger - even when you mock it. The best thing you can do with these bubbles is burst them.
posted by dash_slot- at 8:51 AM on March 30, 2003


postroad, do you have any interests in life besides pussy and the mideast?
posted by donkeyschlong at 9:08 AM on March 30, 2003


But it is a humorous way to present a serious war post

*cries*
posted by matteo at 9:14 AM on March 30, 2003


If we're fighting this war against muslim fundamentalism, then why are we allied with the fundamentalist, muslim Saudi Arabia against the secular Iraq?
If we're fighting this war against terrorism, then why are we allied with the country that spawned the 9/11 attacks - Saudi Arabia?

I guess I'm just stupid and there's a Real Good explanation for this somewhere.


From "Practice to Deceive - Chaos in the Middle East is not the Bush hawks' nightmare scenario--it's their plan.":

Next, consider the hawks' plans for those Middle East states that are authoritarian yet "friendly" to the United States--specifically Egypt and Saudi Arabia. No question these are problem countries. Their governments buy our weapons and accept our foreign aid yet allow vicious anti-Semitism to spew from the state run airwaves and tolerate clerics who preach jihad against the West. But is it really in our interests to work for their overthrow? Many hawks clearly think so. I asked Richard Perle last year about the dangers that might flow from the fall of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. "Mubarak is no great shakes," he quipped. "Surely we can do better than Mubarak." When I asked Perle's friend and fellow Reagan-era neocon Ken Adelman to calculate the costs of having the toppling of Saddam lead to the overthrow of the House of Saud, he shot back: "All the better if you ask me."
posted by Sirius at 9:59 AM on March 30, 2003


I think this proves that my lifelong plan to clone Natalie Portman and distribute 20 clones to each male on the planet is a reflection of the will of God Himself.

what makes you think her clones will pay any more attention to you (all) than the original?

Don't buy the hype.

It isnt just hype that makes people believe that, though. Virgins have long been seen as the spoils of war - check out how many passages in the OT have god commanding the israelites to kill all men, all children, and all women that have lain with a man, but to keep all virgins for themselves...
posted by mdn at 10:01 AM on March 30, 2003


4,000 x 72 = a lot of raisins.
posted by DaShiv at 10:09 AM on March 30, 2003


Seriously though, what's with the male desire to "have" virgins? Why is this a sexual goal? Would seem to me that the only benefit would be that the virgin wouldn't know what a horrible lay the man is. Gee, I guess I answered my own question.

I'd have some links for this post, but I don't want to end up in porno-hell trying to get them.
posted by Juicylicious at 10:21 AM on March 30, 2003


While we are discussing martyrs and virgins, a thought comes to mind...now that there have been suicide bombings by female "martyrs", I have to wonder if they also get 72 virgins? And if so, do they want them? Of course, depending upon what the meaning of "hur" is, maybe it all doesn't amount to a hill of raisinettes covered in confectioner's sugar...
posted by Corky at 10:28 AM on March 30, 2003


haha, those crazy arabs!

or was that not the intended reaction? this post should be deleted.
posted by rhyax at 2:48 PM on March 30, 2003


See kids, now this is how you do a snarky FPP-- humorous, insightful, and of course snarky.

Good job, good job.
posted by xmutex at 4:38 PM on March 30, 2003


Donkeyscholong: No
posted by Postroad at 4:39 PM on March 30, 2003


This isn't a stab at Arabs in any way, it's a stab against any person who would take with seriousness the promise of virgins in Heaven, the population in this question happens to be Arab.

And yes, I'd applaud the mockery of anyone who would believe in that sort of insanity-- it's funny.
posted by xmutex at 4:39 PM on March 30, 2003


yeah ryax. let's delete this post and leave the 346709 recent posts on mefi that are all about how terrible this war is.
by the way i like the raisins' theory. perhaps mr. Luxenberg should try to sell it to Hamas's followers - because sure as hell this is not their understanding; for them a promise of virgins is a promise of virgins.
Juicylicious - funny. Sadly the real reason is that a woman is considered dirty and seducing in life and so the promise of a virgin is a promise of purity.
and Corky - the discussion of the rewards to female suicide bombers - and the legitimacy of such - have been a topic of active discussion in the Muslim world in the last 1.5 years. Al-Azhar (located in that American ally country, Egypt) has yet to voice a definitive opinion on whether it's only the male suicide bombers that are good or women can partake in the fun.
posted by bokononito at 6:00 PM on March 30, 2003


Are they sure the translation is correct?
posted by trox at 6:40 AM on March 31, 2003


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