The nuisance involved in going to a betting room provides us with plenty of reasons not to go unless you absolutely must go. At the end of the day, those traffic jams, the nuisance, and task list entailed can’t compensate the toil merely for that prospect of trying your hand at betting room, then again if you’re the sort of gal who is quite frenetic about gambling casinos then going virtual would probably be the evident answer. You’re not required to leave home to experiment with online texas holdem or other preferred games as you’ll do everything from your domestic environment if you possess a functional computer plus, obviously, broadband internet access. Though, let’s remember that there’s a good number of facts which you must first cotton on concerning online texas holdem or other preferred games, particularly so should you be lacking experience regarding this subject.

The first thing which a well informed virtual gamester like me definitely will look out for is an online texas holdem or other preferred games establishment of the category that is prepared to guarantee high winnings. Make a point of establishing that the online texas holdem or other preferred games establishment has partnered with a reliable certified public accountant in order to inspect the quoted casino games’ payoff on a monthly basis. You should take care to make certain the virtual betting establishment has a license, e. g. by checking the government certified operating permit on site. If it’s not possible to unearth any government certified operating permit on any given virtual betting establishment, don’t even endeavor to place your wager on that site. Practice your online gambling bill here.

Going further, another material tip is to try your hand at the outset with insignificant sums in place of forfeiting big dollars off the cuff. First thing, check the status of this specific virtual betting operation rather than chancing some serious injury– particularly so money loss… Finally, here is another most critical piece of advice concerning virtual video poker. It is this– to call to mind always that all kinds of gambling should actually be about enjoyment and not about becoming rich. Betting is definitely no profession, rather, it is a pastime which is supposed to make you happy and living sweet. So simply having gone along with the given facts, you are now free to go ahead give yourself up to the temptation of virtual betting…

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Pick3 Lotto Tips & Information

Here are some great tips on pick3 lotto’s.

* For best results bet your numbers to draw straight and box. *
Stop playing guessing games and use mathematics to choose your
numbers for Pick3. All types of lotteries is based on
mathematics and has a specific formula. * Certain number
patterns appear more frequently in data series, while other
patterns go through a delay. * Historically, pick 3 numbers show
discrepancy in their frequency. * If you play 1 pick-3 straight
combination for 1000 drawings, your chance (degree of certainty)
to hit the winning combination is approximately 0.632 (63.2%).
On the other hand, if you play all 1000 pick-3 numbers in one
draw, the chance is 100% that you’ll hit the winning number. *
$1 can become up to $500 with Pick 3. The way you play
determines how much you win. Pick your numbers, then decide how
you want to play them - Straight, Box, Straight/Box, Front Pair
or Back Pair. It’s all up to you.

By now you certainly know that all lotteries are “games of
chance.” You take a chance or risk every time you play the
lottery. Many people use special numbers or play significant
dates in their lives, in the hope of winning. They leave
everything to chance when in fact, it’s all about mathematics
and the odds or probability.

The good news is that the days of guessing and taking your
chances with lotteries especially pick3 lotteries is gone. At
http://www.pick3uwin.com/ we have devised a unique system that
eliminates the guesswork and improves your chances of winning at
pick3 lotteries. Our simple, 3-prong system humiliates Veteran
Lotto players who dump thousands of dollars into losing numbers
every day… and it’s Guaranteed to massively boost YOUR odds of
winning ANY state or province Pick 3 Lotto - every single time
you use it! You can easily master it in minutes, and start
winning as soon as TODAY!

All states have lotteries of some type and chances are they have
pick3 lotteries. SO you can place bets anytime you like. Let’s
take a look at the type of bets and the amount of prizes for the
“Pick-3″ Lottery.

1. Straight Bet The purchaser shall select a three-digit number
that will become a winner only if said number matches digit for
digit in sequence the winning number selected by the drawing.
For example, if the winning number is 123, then only straight
bets placed on 123 will be winners.

2. Straight Wheel (3-Way Combination Bets) Any combination of
three digits, two of which are the same will become a straight
bet winner if said number matches digit for digit, in any
sequence, the winning number drawn. For example, if the winning
number is 112, then combination (straight) bets placed on any of
the following will be winners:

112 121 211

3. Straight Wheel (6-Way Combination Bets) Any combination of
three digits, all different, will become a straight bet winner
if said number matches digit for digit, in any sequence, the
winning number drawn. For example, if the winning number is 123,
then combination (straight) bets placed on any of the following
will be winners:

123 213 312 132 231 321

4. Box (3-Way Combination Bets) Any combination of three
digits, two of which are the same, will become a winner if said
number matches digit for digit, in any sequence, the winning
number drawn. For example, if the winning number is 112, then
combination (box) bets placed on any of the following will be
winners:

112 121 211

5. Box (6-Way Combination Bets) Any combination of three
digits, all different, will become a winner if said number
matches digit for digit, in any sequence, the winning number
drawn. For example, if the winning number is 123, then
combination (box) bets placed on any of the following will be
winners:

123 213 312 132 231 321

6. Front Pair Bets The purchaser shall select the first two
digits of the three-digit number that will become a winner if
the first two digits selected match digit for digit in sequence
the first two digits of the winning number selected by the
drawing. For example, if the winning number is 123, then only
front pair bets placed on 12X will be winners.

7. Back Pair Bets The purchaser shall select the last two
digits of the three-digit number that will become a winner if
the last two digits selected match digit for digit in sequence
the last two digits of the winning number selected by the
drawing. For example, if the winning number is 123, then only
back pair bets placed on X23 will be winners.

8. Split Pair Bets The purchaser shall select the first and
last digit of the three digit number that will become a winner
if the first and last digit selected match digit for digit in
sequence the first and last digit of the winning number selected
by the drawing. For example, if the winning number is 123, then
only split pair bets placed on lX3 will be winners.

Why not make the most of your bets with a real system that
really works, our pick3uwin system! Just drop by our site
http://www.pick3uwin.com/ and see for yourself how easy it can
be to pick winners for a change. Our simple strategies will put
you on a winning streak in no time. Until next time, Happy
betting and good luck

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The average auto insurance policy price is derived from a variety of factors. Many of these variables are common knowledge and make sense for the most part but it’s always a good idea to refresh yourself with what insurance companies are looking for when determining how much your coverage will cost.

Driving Record - Your auto insurance policy price is determined from 6 major areas. The first is your driving record. The key thing to remember is the better your driving record the lower your total cost to insure your automobile. This would include auto accidents, speeding tickets and believe it or not if you’ve gone without insurance for several years. The good thing is that you can directly control many of these factors. Concentrate on keeping a clean driving record and this area shouldn’t cause your rates to be outrageous.

Coverage Amount - Do a self check sometime and call your insurance company up to see what impact raising and lowering your deductibles and coverage amount has on the price of your insurance. Raising a deductible lowers your monthly payment. Increasing the deductible has the opposite effect. The same goes for the actual coverage amounts.

Age - Case studious have proven that younger drivers are involved in more accidents then older drivers. This potential to be involved in a collision is a result of inexperience behind the wheel of an automobile. Generally speaking most insurance companies charge more for individuals under the age of 25.

Vehicle Model and Driving Mileage - If your interested in that fancy new sports car you may want to check how much it will effect your auto insurance policy price. Thanks in large part to theft, vehicular costs and safety records some cars rate a higher premium over other vehicles. As if it wasn’t bad enough the amount of annual miles you place on your vehicle through driving can increase your auto policy. The average used is 10,000 miles in a year. If you exceed that total then you can expect a rate increase based on your increased potential to be involved in an auto accident.

Your Residence - It’s a pretty safe bet that you’ll pay more for your auto insurance policy if you live in a big city when compared to a nice farm out in the country. The city probably has more thefts and accidents, which lead to higher costs absorbed by the insurance company and then passed along to the consumer when the insurance companies determine your auto insurance policy price.

Hopefully this information can help you focus in on some areas within your auto policy that you can review with your insurance agent in the hopes of actually lowering your auto insurance rates instead of raising them.

Timothy Gorman is a successful webmaster and publisher of Best-Free-Insurance-Quotes.com. He provides more insurance information and offers discount home, life and auto insurance. that you can research in your pajamas on his website

Other websites operated by Tim

Cellular-Phone-Solutions.com - Free information and resources regarding cell phones and cell phone plans.

Military-Loans-Online.com - Which provides free money saving loan quotes on all of your loan needs to include home equity loan information.

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EARLY PREGNANCY SYMPTOMS

Although a lot of women experience pregnancy symptoms, and find signs of being pregnant, other’s don’t “feel” pregnant. Certain signs and symptoms of being pregnant can be confused with other illnesses. The following list are some telltale symptoms of pregnancy. Morning sickness is one of the most common signs of being pregnant, but you also might be one of the lucky ones who never experience this pregnancy symptom. Missing a period is another sign and symptom of being pregnant. We’ll go into greater detail below, and you can read below.

MISSING A PERIOD

One of the most common signs and symptoms of being pregnant, missing a period can also be caused by other reasons. Although missing a period is one of the most common of the pregnancy symptoms, stress, illness, weight fluctuations or coming off the oral contraceptive pill can also be the cause of this. Irregular periods are a common symptom of polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition in which periods can occur several months apart. If you still feel like you are experiencing other pregnancy symptoms, continue reading the other signs of being pregnant.

TENDERNESS OF THE BREAST

Another sign and symptom of pregnancy is the changing of size and feel of your breast. As early as a few days after conception, this pregnancy symptom may occur. Your breast is beginning to enlarge, as it gets ready for breastfeeding. Many women claim that their breasts are very sensitive and that they experience a very sharp, tingling sensation as well. Being one of the signs and symptoms of being pregnant, the tenderness of the breast often disappears a few weeks later.

NAUSEA AND VOMITING

Considered another one of the classic sign and symptoms of being pregnant, nausea and vomiting, (aka morning sickness) has become one of the most feared of all pregnancy symptoms. Feeling sick is a common complaint and is experienced by most women from weeks 5 to 6 of their pregnancy. However, morning sickness can also be felt as early as two weeks after conception. Morning sickness can occur at any time of the day, and can vary from an occasional faint sensation to overwhelming vomiting and nausea. By and large, morning sickness is one of the pregnancy symptoms that tends to disappear towards the end of the first trimester.

TIREDNESS

Many women experience fatigue as one of their pregnancy symptoms. Although this might be a sign of being pregnant, it can also indicate other things as well.

DARKENING OF THE AREOLA

Being one of the first physical symptoms of pregnancy, the darkening of the areola can occur throughout your entire pregnancy. If you notice the darkening of the areola, this could be considered one of the signs and symptoms of being pregnant.

FREQUENT URINATION

If you experience that you are urinating more frequently, this might be another of the pregnancy symptoms that confirm that you are pregnant. As early as two weeks after conception, you might find yourself experience this pregnancy symptom. The pressure of the literally reducing size of your bladder is the cause of this. Your uterus beings to rise up into the abdomen, and this annoying pregnancy symptom is the result. Rising levels of the pregnancy hormone progesterone stimulate the bladder muscles, so that it feels full, even though you might not need to urinate. Of all of the pregnancy symptoms, and signs of being pregnant, women sometimes find this to be the most annoying.

CHANGES IN TASTE AND SMELL

Don’t be surprised if you experience this pregnancy sign and symptom. Many women claim that certain foods make them feel queasy - while others experience a craving for other foods. Another sign of this pregnancy symptom, is a strange metallic taste.

CONSTIPATION

Another of the annoying signs and symptoms of being pregnant, constipation occurs.

CONFIRMING YOUR PREGNANCY

Two weeks after conception, your baby is no bigger than a pinhead, comprised of a few balls of cells. As it begins to develop in the lining of the uterus, the placenta begins to form and produce necessary pregnancy hormones. Below are some ways to confirm that the pregnancy symptoms and signs of being pregnant that you have noticed are accurate, and that you will be having a baby.

HOME PREGNANCY TESTS

Being very accurate, these tests can be purchased at a local drugstore, and can confirm pregnancy by detecting the level of HCG in your urine. Your health care provider may rely on this test, and may only repeating testing if complications arise. If you receive a positive result, you may want to make an appointment with your doctor so that they can confirm you are pregnant and begin follow-up.

OFFICE URINE TEST

Similar to that of a home pregnancy test, and office urine test confirms pregnancy by also detecting the level of HCG in your urine. Being nearly 100% accurate, this test does not require you to urinate first thing in the morning. This type of test also can determine that the signs and symptoms of being pregnant hold true, and that your pregnancy symptoms are right.

PREGNANCY BLOOD TEST

In order to assist dating your pregnancy, your healthcare provider may also perform a pregnancy blood test. This particular pregnancy test can give you a positive or negative result, and once again detects the level of HCG. This time, it detects that level in your blood, and depending on your pregnancy symptoms, helps them determine what kind of care to give you. Pregnancy blood tests are useful if there are any concerns about miscarriage, or if there are indications that an unusual pregnancy is occurring.

INTERNAL EXAM

Four to six weeks after conception, your doctor can receive indefinite proof by examining you internally. Certain signs like the thickening of vaginal tissues and the softening of your uterus will confirm that the pregnancy symptoms are right on!

Brian Gardner is the Founder of PregnancyEtc.com - An Online Pregnancy Resource For 9 Months & Beyond. Having recently experienced pregnancy firsthand with his wife Shelly, Brian has dedicated his efforts towards pregnancy research. The development of http://www.pregnancyetc.com was to ensure that expecting parents had a place to find information on pregnancy and babies.

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In an earlier article, we discussed the annual gift tax exclusion and how it works. In summary, we said that you could give up to $12,000 in cash or property to any one person during 2006 and not have to pay a federal gift tax. In fact, you don’t even have to file a gift tax return. This is not the result of a kind and benevolent federal government at work. Rather, it is simply an effort to avoid an administrative nightmare keeping track of nominal gifts for weddings, birthdays, holidays, etc. Can you image having to file a gift tax return every time you took a bottle of wine over to your neighbors’ for dinner?

So, the annual gift tax exclusion exists purely for administrative reasons. But, what happens if you exceed that exclusion amount during 2006 or any other year? What if, for example, you give your son or daughter $20,000 as a down-payment on a house?

In that case, you are required to file a federal gift tax return (Form 709) for the year of the gift. The return is required by April 15th of the following year, just like your personal income tax return (Form 1040). For 2006, the gift tax return would have to be filed by April 15, 2007.

However, that does not mean that you will actually pay a gift tax, because the tax laws give you a credit that can be applied against any gift taxes incurred during your lifetime and any estate taxes incurred upon your death. Because the credit applies against both the gift tax and the estate tax, it’s called a “unified credit.”

For years 2002 through 2009, the gift tax unified credit is $345,800. That translates into a gift of $1,000,000 before any gift taxes are actually paid.

That being the case, why do you have to file a gift tax return when your gifts to any one person exceed the annual gift tax exclusion for that year? The answer is simply because the gift tax unified credit of $345,800 through 2009 is cumulative, and the only way the federal government can keep track of your taxable gifts and the amount of unified credit you have used is through the filing of gift tax returns.

In our example above, we assumed that you gave your son or daughter $20,000 as a down-payment on a house in 2006. In that case, you would have to file a gift tax return for 2006 and report the gift. However, the amount of the reportable gift is not $20,000, but only $8,000, since the first $12,000 is covered by the annual gift tax exclusion. Under the gift tax rate schedule, the gift tax on $8,000 is 18% or $1,440. Against this gift tax, you would apply $1,440 of your gift tax unified credit of $345,800, leaving no gift tax owing. The amount of gift tax unified credit available to offset any of your future gifts would be reduced to $344,360 ($345,800 - $1440).

The important point here is that you don’t pay any gift taxes on the first $1,000,000 in gifts that you make during your lifetime. And, the $1,000,000 in gifts does not include any gifts covered by the annual gift tax exclusion. So, for all practical purposes, if you don’t plan to give away more than $1,000,000 during your lifetime, then your decision to make gifts should not be influenced by federal gift taxes. The only downside, if any, is that you will have to file a federal gift tax return for each year in which your gifts to any one person exceed the annual gift tax exclusion for that year.

Attorney Michael Pancheri is a practicing attorney and the founder and CEO of the Living Trust Network. You may contact him by email at info@livingtrustnetwork.com. You may also contact him at the Living Trust Network’s web site. Its URL is http://www.livingtrustnetwork.com

Copyright 2005. The Living Trust Network, LLC.

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The maker of Cialis will apply to the FDA for approval of a once-a-day version of its ED treatment. The company maintains that a daily dose will allow the benefactor to enjoy more spontaneous delight than he can with what the manufacturer refers to as its “on demand” version.

The company maintains that side effects of the new dosage are mild and consist primarily of an inexplicable bulge in the pantaloons.

Dr. Ira D. Sharlip, professor of urology at the Univesity of California, San Francisco, stated, “For patients who are more sexually active, which generally means younger patients, whose sexual activity is more spontaneous, it will be an attractive alternative, provided the cost is not prohibitive.”

Until now, men had to take Cialis and other impotence drugs thirty minutes or more before they flung themselves into the arms of their lovers. Now they’ll be ready at the drop of a belt.

Some analysts doubt that millions of men will take the drug every day, since the biggest users of the therapy generally have sex only a couple of times a week.

Insurance companies may also refuse to pay for a daily dose.

Interestingly, a Cialis a day may also have cardiovascular benefits, since the enzyme that Cialis, as well as other impotence drugs, inhibits, flows in all the body’s blood vessels. As a result, the drug may be an effective treatment for high blood pressure.

An expert stated, “There may be a much bigger picture than just for erectile dysfunction.”

He certainly chose his adjective well, since “bigger” does seem to be the operative word here, except in regard to the one item Cialis does, at its best, reduce the size of, and that is, of course, the performance anxiety, or uncertainty, of the aspiring lover.

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About the Author

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Getting into debts is sometimes like getting stuck in a quagmire, the more you try to come out of it the deeper you go into it. This trend has been seen and noticed in many countries around the world. So if you or anyone in your close relations finds himself in a similar situation then my advice will be to go in for unsecured debt consolidation loans.

What unsecured debt consolidation loans do is that they provide a single loan to a borrower to cover up for the other debts that the person may have accumulated over a period of time. A person can take the unsecured debt consolidation loans in two circumstances. The first one when he is not able to pay off his debts to all the creditors and the other when he just takes the loan to make it easier for himself to pay the other loans.

Unsecured Debt Consolidation Loan as the name suggests are not secured loans i.e. to avail them it is not necessary to provide any sort of asset or collateral need not be pledged. This makes the loan highly accessible to large number of the UK population. This is because many of the local population has no collateral or do not want to offer any to the creditors.

Many people are of the opinion that the unsecured debt consolidation loans are the second best option after the secured loans. That though is only a delusion, unsecured debt consolidation loans offer the similar advantage to the borrowers that too without any obligation to provide a security. So, if we weigh all the options they might be a better bet then the secured loans as there is now nothing for borrowers to loose.

There are people who just stick to the same routine of paying the loans without considering what is going on around them without considering the advantages that they may get by taking the unsecured debt consolidation loans. One thing that can be inferred and seen from the experiences that the people have only enjoyed and went on achieve more with the help of the unsecured debt consolidation loans. Whereas, people who persisted with their multiple creditors had problems in future. So what the past experiences and the experts tell us is that debt consolidation loans are a option that every borrower should consider.

Applying for the unsecured debt consolidation is not a difficult task as well all the borrowers need to do is either apply to an online lender or a local lender and submit your case with him. If the profile matches loan will be approved in good time. Both statistics and experts tell us the same things so why not try the loans as in the best case scenario you will enjoy many benefits and in the worst case you will remain equal.

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It is time to dispel widespread myths and misconceptions about
this important religion and to see what the Bible says about
Islam and the world’s future!

NOT SINCE the days of the Crusades has religion played such a
crucial role in world affairs.

From Morocco to Indonesia, Islam is reemerging as a political
and religious force that cannot be ignored. Moslems are
reasserting their faith–culturally, spiritually and politically.

“God may be Head in the West,” one observer has commented, “but
He is very much alive in the Middle East!”

Westerners Confused

Few topics have created as much misunderstanding in the Western
world as that of Islam. Most Westerners do not begin to
comprehend even the most basic tenets of that important faith.
They view it largely from a standpoint of ignorance and
uninformed impressions.

Yet few topics arc as vital to understand during this momentous
last quarter of the 20th century!

Moslems are well aware of how Western cartoonists depict them,
how Hollywood portrays them, how Westerners write about them.
The exaggerated and misleading stereotype of the robed,
hook-nosed camel driver is well known–and widely
resented–throughout the Middle East.

Events in the Moslem world are too often interpreted through
Western eyes. Western observers often impose their own
preconceived notions onto events there and interpret them
according to Western criteria. They see the Islamic faith from
the vantage point of their own limited Western, largely
Judeo-Christian experience.

Here lies the root of the West’s gross misunderstanding of the
Moslem world.

Proper “Camera Setting”

To properly comprehend the Moslem world, it is necessary to put
oneself into Moslem shoes, to think in Moslem terms, to see the
world through Moslem eyes. From that perspective one can begin
to acquire a deeper insight into Islam and its role in world
events today.

A century ago, when Britain was wrestling with troublesome
problems in Egypt and the Sudan, Prime Minister Gladstone
thought it wise to study the Koran, Islam’s Holy Book. Only that
way, he asserted, could he really come to know the people and
the faith with which he was contending.

Despite the questionable results of his Middle Eastern
policies, Gladstone had at least understood in principle the
importance of viewing the Moslem world from the proper vantage
point, the proper “camera setting.”

It is also time to understand what the Bible says about the
Moslem faith and about the significance of events in the Moslem
world–now and in the tumultuous years just ahead!

Popular Religion

Understand, first, the importance of Islam as a contemporary
world force. Islam is a global faith. Nearly one person in five
in the world today some 800 million people in more than 75
countries–is a Moslem. This is a sizable bloc and one with
great potential power.

Islam is also one of the world’s most popular religions,
possibly the fastest growing faith on the globe. In sub-Saharan
Africa, Islam is reportedly winning 10 times as many converts as
traditional Christianity!

It is important to understand, too, that not all Arabs are
Moslems (some 10 percent are Christian), nor are all Moslems
Arabs.

Introduced among the Arabs in the seventh century, Islam spread
swiftly throughout the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia.
Multiple millions of non-Arabs were added to the fold of Islam.
Within a century Islam controlled an empire more vast than that
of Rome or Alexander the Great.

Submission to Allah

Islam means many things to many Moslems. Literally, the word
Islam means “submission to Allah.” A Moslem is “one who
submits.” Moslems, however, have differing ideas of their faith
according to their social class, education, political leanings
and cultural background.

Like other religions, Islam has become fragmented over the
centuries by theological feuds and disagreements. Today, Islam
is split into two main branches, the Sunni and Shiite groups.
These two branches resulted from a major schism over the issue
of who should succeed to Moslem leadership following the death
of the Prophet Mohammed, the religion’s founder, in A.D. 632.

Mainstream Sunni Islam–accounting for nearly 90 percent of all
Moslems–is divided into four “schools” of interpretation. By
contrast, the 10 percent of all Moslems who are Shiites–located
primarily in Iran, Iraq, Yemen and Oman–are split into dozens
of sects, sub sects and offshoots, some of which are considered
heretical by Sunni Moslems.

The centuries-long quest for Islamic unity remains a distant
dream, due largely to a lack of effective leadership. Disunity
and fragmentation have been the general rule within the Islamic
ummah, or community. It is therefore difficult to generalize
about Islam as if it were a single, coherent bloc.

Nevertheless, all Moslems share certain basic beliefs and
outlooks. First and foremost is their one-sentence creed, called
the shahadah: “There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is His
Messenger.” A solemn recitation of this confession of faith
(just eight words in Arabic) is the only requirement for
becoming a Moslem.

According to Moslem belief, an archangel–Gabriel — descended
to Mohammed, first in A.D. 610, and imparted to him the wisdom
of the Koran. At first, Mohammed was afraid he was going insane
or was possessed by an evil spirit. But he soon became convinced
that his calling was truly from God.

Moslem Holy Book

Moslems consider the Koran’s 114 suras or chapters as the
literal word of God, superseding all previous revelations
(including the Bible) and correcting the alleged “errors” that
had crept into Christianity and Judaism. In length, the Koran is
somewhat shorter than the New Testament.

Mohammed contended that Jews and Christians had been worshiping
Allah all along, but under a different name. The Koran
recognizes Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and other biblical
personalities as genuine prophets through whom God spoke.
Mohammed’s family lineage is traced to Abraham through the
patriarch’s grandson Kedar, son of Ishmael (Gen. 25:13).

Moslems, however, regard Mohammed as the greatest and the last
(or “seal”) of the prophets. Moslems deny the divinity of Jesus,
as well as his crucifixion and resurrection. “They do blaspheme
who say: ‘God is Christ the son of Mary,’ ” the Koran asserts.

Despite the high position they accord to Mohammed, Moslems do
not venerate him as a divine being. They take offense at being
called “Mohammedans,” feeling that that term implies they
worship Mohammed.

In addition to the Koran, most Moslems also pay heed to the
sunna (the traditions of what Mohammed did) and the hadith (the
traditions of what he said).

Compared to other religions, Islam is loosely organized. There
is no formal institutional hierarchy of authority–no Moslem
pope or cardinals–nor a centralized world headquarters, such as
the Vatican. The ulemas, mullahs, mujtahids or ayatollahs, as
Islamic scholars and teachers are variously called, are the
closest thing Moslems have to a religious clergy.

Way of Life

To see the world through Moslem eyes, it is necessary to
understand that to the vast majority of Moslems, Islam is a way
of life.

Many Westerners–to whom religion means merely attending church
services for an hour or two on Sunday–simply cannot comprehend
the all pervasive nature of the Islamic faith in the lives of
its followers. Most Westerners have long abandoned the challenge
of actually living their professed faith.

Islam, however, is central to every aspect of a Moslem’s life.
It is far from a Friday-go-to-mosque kind of religion. The
average Moslem takes the Koran seriously. He strives diligently
to obey its precepts. Islam guides thought and action to a
degree virtually without parallel in the West. Religion and life
are inseparable.

Western visitors to Islamic countries often make the mistake
of assuming that because many upper-class Moslems speak European
languages, dress like Westerners and may have been educated in
the West, that they also have adopted Western attitudes toward
religion.

Not so.

The overwhelming majority of Moslems of all classes and
stations diligently follow the precepts of their faith. They
pray toward the holy city of Mecca five times each day. On
Friday, Moslems observe a special day of public prayer in the
mosque.

During the entire holy month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the
Moslem year, Moslems refrain from food and drink from dawn (”as
soon as you can discern a white thread from a black one”) to
dusk.

Moslems are also expected to make a hajj or pilgrimage to
sacred Mecca at least once in their lifetime, if financially and
physically able. Almsgiving to the poor, aged and orphans is
also an obligation to Moslems. An annual 2.5 percent zakat tax
is levied against one’s total assets.

In addition to these major directives, the Koran forbids the
eating of pork, the drinking of alcohol and gambling. In more
liberal Moslem circles, however, these particular observances
are sometimes relaxed.

But Islam is much more than a set of prescribed ritualistic
observances. The Koran contains detailed secular as well as
religious injunctions. It lays down standards for a wide range
of personal, social, economic and political relationships, and
both civil and criminal law. This makes it virtually impossible
to confine Islam to spiritual matters alone.

In the Islamic world, separation of church and state is
unknown. From its inception, Islam has been a state religion. No
distinction is made between “God and Caesar,” such as spelled
out by Jesus in Matthew 22:21.

Of course, the Islamic revolutionary government in Iran is
vastly different from the government in Saudi Arabia. This, in
turn, is different from that of Egypt, or Pakistan or Libya.
Moslem governments range from semi feudal monarchies to
parliamentary democracies.

But regardless of these differences, there is no question among
Moslems that religion and government are– and should be–
inseparable.

Talk of a “secular Moslem country” is generally considered a
contradiction in terms. The ultimate failure of the late Shah’s
attempt to set up a Western-style state in Iran, minimizing the
role of the mullahs, is attributed in part to this deepseated
Moslem view of the necessity of church-state union.

Moslems see government as a major vehicle for accomplishing
good in this world. Much more than among professing Christians,
whose hope often lies primarily in a “next life,” Moslems are
committed to the monumental mission of taking history into their
hands and fashioning it to what it ought to be.

The realization of good, Moslems believe, is possible in this
world. They generally do not view this life as an ordeal laden
with trials and sorrows through which the faithful must
laboriously pass to achieve salvation in the “next world.”
Instead, the Koran lays out a social and legal order aimed at
happiness, prosperity and well-being here and now.

This is not to say that Moslems do not believe in an afterlife
as well. Punishment in hell or reward in paradise is vividly
described in the Koran.

One of the most publicized aspects of Moslem life is the strict
Koranic code of justice, in force in increasing numbers of
Moslem countries.

The Sharia. or Koranic canon law, has been condemned in the
West as cruel and barbaric. The severity of Koranic punishment
shocks most Westerners. For habitual thievery, the penalty may
he the loss of a hand. For premarital sex, 100 lashes in public.
For false accusation, 80 lashes.

Most Moslems, however, are little concerned with the objections
of the West. The Koran sanctions the Sharia law. and that is
sufficient. Moreover, Moslems daily read of the growing crime
rate in permissive Western society. “How can the crime-ridden
West criticize us?” they ask. Moslem countries have considerably
lower crime rates than most Western countries.

The Islamic eye-for-an-eye Sharia law, they also note, is not
much different from those civil and criminal laws of the Old
Testament given by God to ancient Israel (see Exodus 21-23).
Moslems also point out that in their countries, unlike in the
“decadent” West, the seriousness of sin is stilt recognized and
dealt with accordingly.

Another point must be recognized. Like many Westerners, many
Moslems have themselves been horrified by the trials and
executions that have taken place in Iran under the Khomeini
regime. They point out that those trials and executions are not
a true reflection of Islam, but are instead associated with the
political turmoil in that country.

Moslems also observe that the taking of hostages–especially
diplomatic ones– is clearly forbidden by Islamic tradition “I
do not break treaties, nor do I make prisoners of envoys,”
Mohammed once insisted. Many Moslems saw the Khomeini regime’s
actions in this regard as an embarrassment and a demeaning of
Islam before the world.

Actually, the Koran specifies strict limitations on the power
of the Moslem religious courts. Accused persons are considered
innocent until proven guilty. In addition, the standards of
proof are so exacting that the severe punishments widely
publicized in the West can rarely be carried out. In the case of
adultery–punishable by death in some Moslem countries– four
eyewitnesses are required for conviction.

Another question often asked in the West is whether Islam can
be successfully adapted to a modern technological society.

This question is almost always asked by non-Moslems. Moslems
themselves do not see Islam as any barrier whatever to modern
life. They believe that Islam fits all times and cultures.
Moslems are often genuinely surprised that such a question
should even be asked.

Let us look at this issue through Moslem eyes. No reading of
the Koran could ever produce the notion that Islam is
reactionary or tailored only to a primitive desert society.
Development and change are not contrary to the spirit of Islam.
In fact, the seeking of knowledge and the desirability of
progress are heavily stressed in the Koran.

Why, then, the controversy over whether Islam can keep pace
with modern times?

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