Posted: Wednesday, November 24, 2010 8:01 pm

Delphian Review Club met recently in the home of Glenda Chrisp with 17 members present. Jeannine Cranford gave a Thanksgiving thought for the day. Minutes were read and approved and the treasurer reported the Christmas luncheon is scheduled for Dec. 10 at the home of Jenny Kirkland.
Mrs. Kirkland gave the program, entitled “A Woman’s Life Under Sharia Law.” Her resources were books entitled, “Now They Call Me Infidel,” and “Cruel and Usual Punishment,” both written by Nonie Darwish. The author was born in Cairo and spent her childhood in Egypt and Gaza. She lived for 30 years in a majority Muslim nation but immigrated to the United States in 1978 and now leads a group “Arabs for Israel.” She has appeared on radio programs and television networks, including CNN Headline News, FOX, MSNBC, NPR and Israeli TV and frequently lectures on college campuses, including Harvard, Brown University of Pennsylvania, Boston University, Georgetown, Stanford, University of California-Los Angeles and University of Southern California.
Before coming to the U.S., everything about her life was dictated by Islamic code known as Sharia Law.
Under this law, women can be beaten for talking to a person who is not a relative or flogged for simply not wearing a headdress. While men are allowed multiple wives and infidelity is permissible, women are allowed no power or recourse and are unable to divorce unless their husbands agree. However, men can divorce their wives by repeating three times, “I divorce you.”
Physical abuse of women is common and occurs at all levels of the social level. They are silent and afraid of change. Several brave moderate Muslim women’s groups have risen and fallen and few remain fighting for reform and change. Most are blocked by courts and warrants against Arab women.
Many examples of Muslim Sharia Law were explained and discussed.
Following the program, Judy Taylor served caramel apple cheesecake and coffee.

Published in The Messenger 11.24.10