. April 11, 2006 SouthAmerica: The United States replaced the Saddam Hussein statue in Baghdad â by looking at a picture of the new statue I am not sure but appears to me it is the General Foods âGreen Giantâ or âThe Hulkâ â and the most interesting feature of the new statue is that it looks like âThe Hulkâ or the âGreen Giantâ is playing with himself. They named the new statue âFreedomâ from dating â I have no idea why the United States is promoting masturbation in Iraq. Maybe the statue is supposed to commemorate the âjerk offsâ in Washington who decided to create the chaos in Iraq. Even when you enlarge the picture of the new statue still looks like a Green man is masturbating. *********** AP â Associated Press April 9, 2006 âNew Baghdad Sculpture Holds Little Meaningâ By BUSHRA JUHI, Associated Press Writer BAGHDAD, Iraq - The turquoise color is faded, and nests of sparrows fill its holes. The sculpture that replaced the statue of Saddam Hussein toppled three years ago is supposed to represent freedom. But many Iraqis say it has little meaning when fear, violence and uncertainty dominate their lives. "It has no meaning because there is no freedom," said Mohammed Ahmed, who operates a currency exchange shop nearbyâ¦. You can see a picture of the new statue at: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060409/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_post_saddam_sculpture .
. April 11, 2006 SouthAmerica: It seems to me that the United States canât get anything right in Iraq â they donât have a clue how the Iraqi culture and customs work. Regarding the United States latest policy in Iraq of promoting public masturbation as a way to convince the Iraqis to play with themselves instead of fighting a civil war â a policy conveyed to the Iraqi people as a symbol in the new statue of a Green Man masturbating in public - I am sure the new US policy is not going to work, here is why: Religion: Islam In the broadest understanding scholars of Islam consider masturbation to be forbidden, except in extenuating circumstances. Extenuating Circumstances Masturbation is permissible for the sake of medical tests, or if medically necessary. Doctors make the decision on its necessity in all cases, not legal scholars. Muslims engagement in sex outside of marriage is a major sin, which cause the doer to be punished in this life and the Qiyama. Yet if one's desire is so overwhelming one might perform a greater wrong by having sex outside marriage, masturbation becomes permissible as a necessity :"And those who are not married should try to live in chastity, until God enriches them with His Grace" (Qur'an, 24:33) Masturbation, like any form of sex in which seminal or vaginal fluids have been released, breaks one's fast if performed during the daylight hours and requires a major ablution if any seminal or vaginal fluids were released. According to Sheikh Hamed Al-Ali: "Masturbation during the daytime of Ramadan breaks the fast, based on the Hadith that a fasting Muslim gives up eating, drinking, and sexual desire for the sake of Allah. Since masturbation is a kind of sexual desire, a fasting Muslim must avoid it. Therefore, masturbation invalidates the fast as does food and as it is one of the sins that if someone does it he or she would be violating the sanctity of this month." .