Originally posted by cynical lady: So, you’re now disabled as-well? For the love of Jesus woman; out of all your other silly threads this simply takes the piss. I had to hold the fort when you were away. I am glad you are back, laddo.

Maaddeey did not answer my question. Very strange!

^^ Makes no sense. But keep on digging anyway.

Originally posted by Norfsky: quote:Originally posted by SeeKer: quote: Originally posted by NGONGE: If Paraguay beat Mexico and France let SA trounce them anything could happen. What game were you watching lol A question we ask him everyday As ever, you fail again on the small details. The suggestion that Seeker gleefully quotes was made BEFORE the match. Both Nigeria and South Africa played well and made their nations proud. No shame in getting eliminated in such a way.

Saudi Arabia is a curious society where the forces of progression are in a constant struggle with the traditionalists. There is a middle ground of course but it is getting ignored by the extremists from both sides. For example, the link to the Saudiwomen blog that the author of this thread posted is one from a group who are extremely liberal. As a result of this constant and unending debate/fight between the two sides, all manner of arguments over non-issues keep arising. One of which is this breast feeding fiasco. Still, what could a scholar do when asked a question about such a hadith and its permissibility? Tell the questioner that the world has changed and that such an idea is not acceptable (despite the presence of a hadith)? Dismiss the hadith itself? Dismiss the questioner? Those that seek to sensationalise such issues are taking advantage of this fatwa for their own political reasons. It is an attempt to chip away at the authority of scholars in Saudi Arabia and saying to anyone that would listen “The scholars are rubbish. They instruct people to suckle random breasts, kill Shia and obey the drunken royals”. For a downtrodden Saudi who is fed up with the world and all in it, such a cry would strike an exposed cord. On the other hand, the fiercely conservative block would fight them back with accusations of encroaching liberalism, of turning an innocent and practical gesture into a sexual fetish, and they’ll also try to appeal to the average Saudi by saying “To suckle a woman’s breast in order to become a religiously accepted brother of hers is a noble and practical idea. These liberals with their sexual fetishes and swinger parties always view things according to their relation to sex”. The discussion about mixing between the sexes continues and the scholars (moderate or highly conservative) will always play a big part in it. This, believe it or not, is progress and is a thousand times more interesting than the intellectual discussions taking place in the West. Hail the cave dwellers.

Originally posted by SeeKer: ^I hate to say this but the funny thing about any religion is that you can always find texts that can both support and refute an issue. This issue is amazingly being brought to head by western sites rather than muslims themselves........erm......what else can I say? :confused: He's right. This issue is all the rage in Arab forums (mostly Saudi ones).

^^ Nigeria can still do it (with a little help from Diego).

LST, they did indeed. But luckily for them that embarrassment was overshadowed by the French elimination and problems.

How did this turn into a criticise A&T thread? I'm as lost as a girl watching a world cup match!

^^ Arabic commentators start reciting poetry during games, saaxib.

^^ And 2-0 down.

A&T, War sheekado waa qabyaalad dee. The problems and friction in the French team are down to a split over one man: Yoann Gourcuff. Gourcuff comes from a privileged family. He is smart and he is respectful - but he is also still a shy little boy. In his spare time he listens to music, watches films and plays his video game systems. He is, in his own words, a little nerdy. In a French squad that places more value on how much money you have in your bank account, and what girl is on your arm, Gourcuff doesn't fit. One incident occurred shortly before the World Cup. Franck Ribery and Sidney Govou had organised a night out at well known gentleman's club in Paris. Several players, including Gourcuff, decided to stay home. When Ribery heard about this he immediately confronted Gourcuff and asked 'does your mother not allow you to go, you homosexual slur' This is one of many incidents. Ribery is the main instigator in the bullying, however he is far from alone. On the pitch, Gourcuff plays within himself. Scared because he fears the verbal retribution he will receive after the match from his tormentors. In the squad, Gourcuff can count on only 2 real allies. His best friend Hugo Lloris and his teammate Jeremy Toulalan. When Raymond Domonech bowed to player pressure and dropped Gourcuff for France's second group match, that was the catalyst for the situation in which we now find ourselves. Quote: Reports of groups hardly talking to each other soon surfaced, however, most notable were the French media suggestions that playmaker Yoann Gourcuff was isolated and suffering extreme verbal and even physical bullying at the hands of Franck Ribery. "We're not all the best of friends, that's normal, but hopefully that does not translate on to the pitch," midfielder Jeremy Toulalan, a close friend of Gourcuff, said when asked about those reports. "For instance, when I'm playing with Yoann, I'm not going to pass him the ball more just because we get on well," Just Fontaine, who scored a record 13 goals for France at the 1958 World Cup, was damning in his verdict on Ribery. "Ribery? One day the mistake was made to say he was the team's brains and since, he has believed it. He is an arrogant man. He has a mood and an anger within him that is extremely unpleasant and disruptive"

France team for today's game: Lloris, Sagna, Gallas, Squillaci, Clichy, Diarra (cap), Diaby, Gourcuff, Ribéry, Gignac, Cissé (Evra, Abidal, Govou and Maluda have all been dropped). Bfffana bafana?

^^ Zonalmarking gives tactics only, saaxib. It is not meant to surprise (well, not unless it is written by the manager of the particular team you're about to watch). Pundits don't have to tell you about tactics alone. They can tell you about the players whom they mostly personally know. They can tell you about the conditions of the service, the referee, etc. Who was the Brazilian that was manager of AC Milan last season (can't remember his name right now). He was a great pundit.

Barnes is English. All English pundits are rubbish. They only repeat what you or I (ok, not you) would say at home. You learn nothing new from listening to them and they hardly ever shed any light on any of the games. Norf, yes there is football on C5 (Europa league), they have Collymore these days not Barnes.

^^ You could say the same about South Africa. They are facing a France team that does not even want to play. If Paraguay beat Mexico and France let SA trounce them anything could happen. In England's group, if Algeria beat the USA and Slovenia beat England, the most unlikely two teams will qualify from that group. Heh. No team is out until they're out.

CL, have you been following the news for the past two months? All this was reported so many times that none of it so far comes as a shock. Darling was talking yesterday about the 20% rise in VAT.

You mean....you thought.. I would?..well I never! Anyway, that joke is only funny when applied to newly weds, adigu sannad bad maraysa and you're probably already starting to change the curtains in your living room or some such madness.

^^ Don't forget the Aliens. Allegedly, with all the new technology and all the UFO spotter groups making it impossible for Aliens to visit many places in the world, Somalia has become the number one destination for all extraterrestrial life forms. It is said, that on average, five hundred people disappear in Somalia every single year. Of course, the people, understandably, have not been able to spot these Aliens due to the conditions of Somalia today. And how could they when they are faced with daily Ethiopian encroachments, foreign Al Shabab fighters, body part smugglers, international pirate hostages, NGOs and the regular flow of Columbian drug barons?

^^ You should. How big is your recipe book?

^^ I'm not a weight freak. I really don't worry about it. But, since I have the treadmill and the world cup is on, I have been known to spend my evenings running with every ball.

Heh@Val worrying about Ramadan. Serenity, give her a framed picture of yourself. She can't possibly refuse.

Yes it is, Norf. Not perfect but good. Juxa, I was given a treadmill, I got the hint.